Map where a late order stalls
Have staff describe a late order stage by stage, then draw who handles each and where it waits.
Career profile
Management Consultant
Management analysts study how organizations run and propose changes that cut wasted time or spending.
Work that keeps running late is your puzzle: you trace each handoff between people, question the numbers, and help managers pick which fixes to make.
A day in the life
Cost out two options
Build an Excel model pricing two options from client numbers, then change one assumption to check your advice.
Make the case on slides
Turn the results into slides that show managers the problem, your proposed fix, and the evidence behind it.
Check how the change holds up
On implementation projects, ask staff if a new process is working, and dig in on repeat holdups.
Quick facts
Bachelor’s degree; experience often expected
United States
$101,860/year
United States · May 2025
10.1% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Bachelor’s degree; experience often expectedRelated work experience is typical, although some consulting firms recruit new graduates.
Pay
$101,860/yearNational median for management analysts, equivalent to $48.97/hour; not a starting salary.
Outlook
10.1% projected growthManagement analysts: about 94,100 openings annually, averaged over 2025–2035.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like finding explanations for messy numbers.
- You listen closely before proposing a fix.
- You enjoy explaining why your recommendation makes sense.
Things to weigh
- Tight deadlines can push the workweek beyond 40 hours.
- Some client projects require travel and meetings outside normal business hours.
Where AI may help
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help write code to clean and combine data. Experiments with consultants show that this can extend what a worker can tackle.
What people still lead
You still need to clarify the business question and check whether the output answers it. A convincing result can contain a faulty assumption.
What we can’t predict yet
How much analysis AI will handle independently remains unsettled. Its reliability can differ sharply between tasks that look equally difficult.
Pay in context
Earnings
These national figures cover the full management analyst occupation, including management consultants.
Median and spread
The median was $101,860 annually, or $48.97 hourly. The 10th and 90th percentiles were $60,640 and $171,640. Those points describe the wage distribution, not beginner and senior salaries.
Pay by workplace type
Annual medians were $107,330 in professional, scientific, and technical services and $97,300 in government, excluding state/local education and hospitals.
How you are paid
Consulting firms commonly combine salary with a year-end bonus. Independent consultants charge clients by the hour or project.
Openings beyond new jobs
The projected 94,100 annual openings include replacement needs as well as growth. They cover management analysts nationwide, not just new-graduate consulting positions.
Getting started
Join a graduate analyst team
- What the route involves
- After a bachelor’s degree, join a consulting team and handle research or analysis with coaching from colleagues.
- What it can lead to
- You gain client-project experience while learning to turn findings into recommendations.
- What to check
- Some firms recruit recent graduates; degree and experience requirements vary by role.
Bring experience from another field
- What the route involves
- Combine a bachelor’s degree with several years in related work, such as accounting or computer systems analysis.
- What it can lead to
- Relevant experience can qualify you for consulting roles serving that field.
You can enter through graduate recruiting or bring experience from another field.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Take responsibility for a small piece of analysis. Learn to produce accurate work and improve it after feedback.
Lead part of a project
Frame a harder question, coordinate the analysis, and explain its implications to the client. You may also mentor newer analysts.
Manage cases and client relationships
As a manager, lead a case team and take responsibility for its results. Further advancement toward partner adds winning new client business.
Where you can work
Consulting firm
Work alongside other consultants and client staff. Projects can take you from an office to a factory or hospital.
- Office
- Travel
Independent practice
Alongside client work, you write proposals, set a price and schedule, and compete for contracts.
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Map how your club plans an event. Ask an organizer where work gets delayed, compare two possible fixes, and write a one-page recommendation with one measure of success. Notice whether you enjoy investigating before offering advice.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 13-1111.00 — Management Analysts. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Management Analysts. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- McKinsey & Company. Business Analyst — Job 15136. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Boston Consulting Group. GenAI Doesn’t Just Increase Productivity. It Expands Capabilities.. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Bain & Company. General Consulting Careers. Accessed 2026-10-03.