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Job outlook for business consultants in the United States
Business consultant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected business consultant job growth rate is 11% from 2018-2028.
About 108,400 new jobs for business consultants are projected over the next decade.
Business consultant salaries have increased 8% for business consultants in the last 5 years.
There are over 66,769 business consultants currently employed in the United States.
There are 128,033 active business consultant job openings in the US.
The average business consultant salary is $87,214.
Are business consultant jobs in demand?
Business consultant job and salary trends over time
Business consultant jobs over time
Business consultant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 66,769 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 56,812 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 55,037 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 60,836 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 58,399 | 0.02% |
Average business consultant salary over time
Business consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $87,214 | $41.93 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $84,826 | $40.78 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $83,184 | $39.99 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $82,030 | $39.44 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $80,916 | $38.90 | +0.0% |
Business consultant jobs by state
Most common states for business consultants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 658 | 95% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 278 | 32% |
| 3 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 315 | 30% |
| 4 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 904 | 29% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 523 | 27% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 169 | 27% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,678 | 24% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 320 | 24% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 181 | 24% |
| 10 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 657 | 23% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 223 | 23% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 236 | 22% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 662 | 21% |
| 14 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,226 | 20% |
| 15 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 972 | 20% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,087 | 19% |
| 17 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 558 | 19% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,629 | 18% |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,067 | 18% |
| 20 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 727 | 18% |
Most common cities for business consultants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Des Moines | 11 | 17% | $71,448 |
| 2 | Lansing | 6 | 5% | $80,780 |
| 3 | Springfield | 6 | 5% | $81,506 |
| 4 | Hartford | 5 | 4% | $88,751 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 16 | 3% | $78,250 |
| 6 | Chandler | 8 | 3% | $80,052 |
| 7 | Tallahassee | 5 | 3% | $70,193 |
| 8 | Tempe | 5 | 3% | $80,077 |
| 9 | Boston | 12 | 2% | $94,740 |
| 10 | Des Moines | 5 | 2% | $71,504 |
| 11 | Sacramento | 7 | 1% | $104,918 |
| 12 | Miami | 6 | 1% | $67,107 |
| 13 | Washington | 6 | 1% | $99,513 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 5 | 1% | $73,307 |
| 15 | Denver | 4 | 1% | $86,758 |
| 16 | Chicago | 13 | 0% | $83,944 |
| 17 | Phoenix | 6 | 0% | $80,132 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 5 | 0% | $90,405 |
| 19 | New York | 5 | 0% | $88,910 |
Business Consultant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of business consultant experts
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Saint John Fisher College
Western Kentucky University
University of La Verne
Southern Connecticut State University
Kent State University
Widener University
Sullivan University
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
SUNY College at Geneseo
University of Missouri - Columbia
Brandeis University
Metropolitan State University of Denver
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Swagata Banerjee PhD: Digital literacy: As technology continues to evolve, proficiency in digital tools and platforms will become increasingly essential. Adaptability: The ability to quickly learn new skills and adapt to changing circumstances will be crucial in a rapidly evolving industry landscape. Data literacy: Understanding and analyzing data will become more important for making informed decisions and optimizing strategies. Interdisciplinary skills: The ability to work across different disciplines and collaborate effectively with diverse teams will be highly valued. Emotional intelligence: Soft skills such as empathy, communication, and teamwork will continue to be in demand as workplaces become more interconnected and dynamic.
Prof. Mohammad Elahee Ph.D.
Perlroth Professor of Int’l. BusinessWhat Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Prof. Mohammad Elahee Ph.D.: A combination of both hard and soft skills will be needed to survive in this ‘dog eat dog world’. Hard skills that will be in high demand are familiarity with new AI- and machine-driven technologies and quantitative reasoning. Soft skills that employers will be looking for include emotional intelligence, communication and interpersonal skills and a “can do attitude”. Paradoxical though it may sound, AI would actually create more demand for people with emotional and social intelligence.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Jennifer Barr PhD: Embrace a lifelong learning mindset at the outset. Read case books about successful organizations, notable leaders and new business practices.
Establish an unwavering reputation as a disciplined and responsible worker.
Strive to be an excellent listener. Your attention to detail will be noticed as evidenced through your work.
Be creative and take risks. Suggest an idea to your supervisor about how to improve a procedure or system. This will position you as an early career problem solver.
Seize every opportunity to grow and build key skills including communication, interpersonal, critical thinking and technology.
Recognize the strong correlation between emotional intelligence and success. This is particularly important as you advance in your career.
Cultivate mentorship opportunities and network as much as possible. Eventually step into a mentorship role.
Honesty, integrity and character matter. Be true to yourself and never deviate from your moral compass. Listen to your instincts always.
Create a strong LinkedIn profile and update regularly. It is one of the top recruiting sites.
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Adam Roth: I recommend that students start by identifying a specific skill in demand within your field, such as data analysis or social media marketing, and focus on developing expertise in that area. Research salary ranges and living costs in particular areas where you’re interested in working to ensure your compensation aligns with the local market. Always negotiate a salary and consider other aspects of the offer, such as funds for continuing education, technology and more. Continuing to network and establish demand for your services is essential; attend industry events, join professional associations, and engage with professionals in your field. Never miss an opportunity to reach out to and check in with your professional contacts. Pursue additional learning opportunities and education, such as certifications or advanced degrees, to provide a competitive advantage and increase your earning potential over time.
What general advice would you give to a Business Consultant?
Bradley Andrew Ph.D.: So-called soft skills are still in demand by employers, based on recent surveys, because a smaller percentage of graduates possess them. These include:
Showing up and on time;
Having a strong work ethic;
Critical thinking skills
Social skills, including the ability to get along well with people, motivate and encourage them, and leadership skills. Also be able to schmooze with clients over dinner or drinks, or just in your office. A personal touch and connection is something software can’t provide.
Creativity—Apple products, for example, appeal to many people because of their combination of form and function.
The ability to work AI in order to increase one’s productivity will become more important over the next 5 years.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Bradley Andrew Ph.D.: Once you have your first job, ask about or determine the 20% of your supervisor’s job that they hate and start doing that for them. They will love you for it and it will quickly get you recognition. You’ll also be well on your way to learning your boss’s job. Continue doing this as you progress in your career (Kudos to Theo Epstein, former GM for the Red Sox, for this recommendation)
No matter the task you’re given, do it to the absolute best of your abilities. In the professional world, you may often be given menial tasks or tasks that you don’t believe are part of your job description. Doing those tasks to the absolute best of your ability leads to increased trust, recognition and responsibility and will put you “above class.” If asked, the coffee you bring should be the best your boss has ever had. You never know who’s watching.
Don’t expect credit and don’t ask for credit when things go right; give the credit to others.
What general advice would you give to a Business Consultant?
Zhu Mao: It is exciting if someone just finished his/her schools and that is a big achievement, but I would still suggest as the first priority: do not stop learning. This may be a different set of knowledges to learn, maybe more practical, maybe not related with the major per se. Education doesn’t end here, and they want to stay on top of the industry trend and may learning new advancements through conferences and MOOCs too. Another suggestion I have is to start building up a network, and in 10, 20, and 30 years, they will find out that these professional relationships are critical to their career path and a lot of time, mentorship just happens without you realize it. Network can be strengthened both in and out of work, sometimes professional associations help a lot too. In addition, communication skills and leadership abilities cannot be more important succeeding the career. The last one would be embracing uncertainties and challenges. As a student, most of the problems have answers and professors will know the answers before you start solving the problems, while at work, it will be complete a different story. Don’t shy away from the challenges and don’t be discouraged if something didn’t work out as you thought due to many uncontrollable factors.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Yi Liu Ph.D., CFP®: Having grit is more important than you may realize because facing challenges and barriers is part of the process. There will be bumps and hurdles. But what important is that you do not give up. It's okay not to have all of the answers on the first day. Be curious, ask questions, and delve deeply into learning about your profession. It can take up to 6,000 hours to completely master a field. So, allow yourself the opportunity to learn and grow. Enjoy the journey, not the destination. That's where the true learning occurs.
Xiaowen Chen Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorWestern Kentucky University
Psychology
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Xiaowen Chen Ph.D.: Present your knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience by showing your research and applied projects so that employers will know what you have accomplished and the potential value you can bring to their organization.
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
William Luse PhD.: While mastering artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important, I believe the timeless skills of effective communication will remain critical. Whether it's crafting clear emails, delivering impactful presentations, or engaging in meaningful conversations, these skills are indispensable across all career paths. Another skill that will become crucial is learning to interact with AI through conversational prompts. This ability to communicate effectively with AI not only enhances your productivity but also opens up new avenues for leveraging technology in innovative ways.
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Zheni Wang Ph.D.: I think the most important and prevalent skill in the field in the next 3-5 years is unlearning and learning continuously. We are living in an era of change now. Having a degree in business shows your ability to learn. But the best competitiveness you can reserve for yourself is to unlearn what others have done (i.e., the case studies and benchmarks you’ve been given in the classroom) and learn to create new standards and solutions when facing constant changes in the business world. By doing so, you can create values for others to remain successful.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Zheni Wang Ph.D.: For people who just graduated with a degree in business and are starting their careers in the field, my best advice includes being fearless, proactive, and future-oriented.
1. Act bravely when you are young and less experienced. This means finding ways to be heard about your ideas, values, and ethical principles.
2. Work proactively when not assigned important roles. This means you must actively observe, critically think, and constantly learn at the workplace. If you absorb and immerse yourself in the daily work, you will shine whenever a light is on you.
3. Plan the future as if the past shaped who you are now. This means working as if you’ve been teleported from the future, where you want to be will guide you clearly in what and how to do today.
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Vaneet Kaur: There are two sets of skills I will highly encourage graduates to proactively start building. Firstly, business graduates need to develop higher-order skills and capabilities like knowledge-based dynamic capabilities. These will help them to (a) constantly collect knowledge about emerging opportunities (and threats) in the industry, (b) mobilize themselves and their resources to bring identified opportunities into fruition, and (c) constantly renew their skills to effectively respond to the changes in the environment. Developing such knowledge-based dynamic capabilities will automatically prepare them for the different waves of skill set requirements that will keep arising in the job market. Secondly, it is no secret that we are living in the times of artificial intelligence and automation. So, in this day and age, it is extremely important that graduates learn to ride the wave of automation rather than being discouraged by it. Business graduates are set to contribute to the world with their business acumen and expertise, what they can do to complement it is to develop low-code, no-code skills. Such skills will help graduates to automate routine processes so that their time and energies can be strategically channelized towards those activities and processes that can add significant value to their organizations.
Tongyang Yang Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics and Business AnalyticsWidener University
Business/Commerce
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tongyang Yang Ph.D.: The rise of AI has brought many opportunities for the professions like business analysts in terms of AI integration. Businesses will need analysts who can bridge the gap between AI and human needs and focus on more strategic areas like identifying ethical considerations of AI implementation, developing plans to mitigate AI bias, and designing human-AI collaboration workflows. For people who are interested in entering this profession, I would suggest adapting your skillset to include AI understanding, data storytelling, and strategic thinking to be well-positioned in the future.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Thomas Smith PhD: Soft skills (people skills) and critical thinking are both skills that will serve you well throughout your career, and unfortunately, they are areas that receive little focus in most education today. Remember the 'Golden Rule' and learn from your mistakes.
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Praneet Tiwari: Maximizing one’s salary potential is a long-term strategy, but the best way is to start out strong by searching for the best for yourself. For instance, companies in high-growth industries often offer more competitive salaries and better opportunities for promotion. If you are okay with a lower base salary but interested in more profit-sharing, then consider startups as they have equity ownership or profit-sharing models which can lead to a higher compensation package in the long run. In any situation, however, be prepared to negotiate. Before entering any salary negotiation, research the typical salary range for your position, location, and experience level. Make sure to practice your negotiation skills and have a clear idea of your desired salary range and the reasons why you deserve it. Focus on the value you bring to the company and highlight your skills. Most universities have a career center or student success center that can help you do mock interviews and negotiations. Once you land the job, make sure to deliver results, volunteer for challenging projects, and exceed expectations. This allows you to seek out raises and promotions quickly. And finally, be prepared to job-hop if needed. Strategic job-hopping may be needed if you find that the job is not a good fit, or the growth trajectory is not what you want.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Praneet Tiwari: Continue to be a learner! Business degrees give students the foundation they need to begin their careers but to continue to do well in their careers, they need to keep learning. Find opportunities to learn more to keep evolving whether it’s the use of free resources when available or if your organization funds additional degrees then use those opportunities too. The business world is constantly evolving so it’s important to stay current. Another important thing to focus on is networking. Often after we get our first jobs, we get complacent when it comes to networking but building a network is crucial. Connect with other professionals through LinkedIn, your university’s alumni associations, and events specific to your industry.
Jasmine Tang
SUNY College at Geneseo
Bilingual, Multilingual, And Multicultural Education
What general advice would you give to a Business Consultant?
Jasmine Tang: You need to set a goal first then go for it. Also, your first job is not your permanent job. Try to have a break from the school or work before your new job, new school term after the graduation. Be healthy & happy!
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jasmine Tang: Be confident of their major/minor or the subject they like and do best of the field they like for themselves not for money or please their parents or fulfill the dream of others.
What Business Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Matthew Sveum Ph.D.: Everything that we hear from employers suggests that they most value applicants who have strong soft skills. They want applicants who can have a strong ability to communicate with their coworkers, managers, and clients. Additionally, there is, of course, a growing awareness of the use of AI in the workplace. I think that students who embrace it as a tool to get the job done will be well-positioned to succeed in the workplace. Faculty at Mizzou, along with most other universities, are finding ways to implement AI in the classroom. In both the workplace and the classroom it will take time to figure out what is improved by AI and what is not, where it fits and what needs to be done by humans. I think that students are largely open to seeing where AI fits in their future careers.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Matthew Sveum Ph.D.: College students should take advantage of the opportunities that college provides them, since many of them aren’t available once they graduate. This would be things like internships, study abroad, or research experience. Internships are great for students to figure out what careers they like – or don’t like. Finding out that they don’t like an industry is much lower cost through an internship than through the first job. Study abroad is also a great way to experience a new country, culture, or language with the help and support of the university. For both study abroad and internships we have staff who help guide students through their full experience.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Sarah Lupis: -cast a wide net! Students that I work with generally have a degree in psychology and may limit their job search to psychology jobs. What they may not realize is that their degree allows them to work in many different domains doing many different tasks. Many do not get jobs specific to their field(s) that they very much enjoy and excel at. Focus more on what you're good at, and what you'd like to do.
What will help Business Consultants increase their earning potential?
Stephen Long: 3. Don't say no. Say yes to tasks that stretch you; imagination, creativity and capabilities. Move outside your comfort zone and work with a variety of coworkers that will give you multiple perspectives and techniques to accomplish challenging tasks.