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Strategic consultants play a crucial role in guiding organizations toward efficient operations and enhanced profitability. The average salary for a strategic consultant is $104,820 annually, equating to about $50 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly depending on factors such as experience, geographic location, and industry sector.
Entry-level consultants typically earn around $70,000, while those with several years of experience can see salaries rise to over $120,000. Senior consultants or those in specialized roles may command even higher salaries, especially in competitive markets.
As you navigate your career as a strategic consultant, consider the impact of location and experience on your salary. This information will help you make informed decisions about your career path and negotiate effectively for your next role.
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The highest-paying states for strategic consultants are Texas, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The lowest average strategic consultant salary states are Montana, Nebraska, and Iowa.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $117,697 | $56.59 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $115,777 | $55.66 |
| 3 | Texas | $121,572 | $58.45 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $109,669 | $52.73 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $104,086 | $50.04 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $111,718 | $53.71 |
| 7 | Illinois | $107,438 | $51.65 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $115,582 | $55.57 |
| 9 | Oregon | $107,257 | $51.57 |
| 10 | Washington | $114,356 | $54.98 |
| 11 | California | $115,296 | $55.43 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $98,011 | $47.12 |
| 13 | New York | $108,530 | $52.18 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $100,850 | $48.49 |
| 15 | Alabama | $98,768 | $47.48 |
| 16 | Colorado | $111,676 | $53.69 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $103,804 | $49.91 |
| 18 | Michigan | $102,457 | $49.26 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $97,877 | $47.06 |
| 20 | Nevada | $100,076 | $48.11 |
| 21 | Georgia | $101,923 | $49.00 |
| 22 | Missouri | $101,608 | $48.85 |
| 23 | Maine | $101,938 | $49.01 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $96,018 | $46.16 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $98,496 | $47.35 |
| 26 | Maryland | $108,318 | $52.08 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $95,522 | $45.92 |
| 28 | Virginia | $98,143 | $47.18 |
| 29 | Arizona | $98,057 | $47.14 |
| 30 | Vermont | $93,322 | $44.87 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $96,081 | $46.19 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $96,315 | $46.31 |
| 33 | Indiana | $88,581 | $42.59 |
| 34 | Alaska | $99,720 | $47.94 |
| 35 | Utah | $89,248 | $42.91 |
| 36 | Delaware | $94,938 | $45.64 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $93,622 | $45.01 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $96,772 | $46.52 |
| 39 | Ohio | $90,887 | $43.70 |
| 40 | Florida | $92,383 | $44.41 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $87,517 | $42.08 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $94,121 | $45.25 |
| 43 | Montana | $85,153 | $40.94 |
| 44 | Idaho | $87,552 | $42.09 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $88,702 | $42.65 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $85,665 | $41.19 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $84,470 | $40.61 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $81,594 | $39.23 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $78,434 | $37.71 |
| 50 | Iowa | $84,016 | $40.39 |
| 51 | Kansas | $76,878 | $36.96 |
The highest-paying cities for strategic consultants are San Francisco, CA, Austin, TX, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $122,687 | $58.98 |
| 2 | Austin, TX | $122,037 | $58.67 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $115,645 | $55.60 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $114,994 | $55.29 |
| 5 | Quincy, MA | $111,925 | $53.81 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $111,234 | $53.48 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $108,647 | $52.23 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $107,663 | $51.76 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $106,261 | $51.09 |
| 10 | Carson City, NV | $104,011 | $50.01 |
| 11 | Minneapolis, MN | $103,852 | $49.93 |
| 12 | Van Buren, MI | $102,446 | $49.25 |
| 13 | Portland, ME | $102,429 | $49.24 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $101,741 | $48.91 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $101,711 | $48.90 |
| 16 | Charlotte, NC | $100,295 | $48.22 |
| 17 | Norfolk, VA | $98,574 | $47.39 |
| 18 | Philadelphia, PA | $98,417 | $47.32 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $98,316 | $47.27 |
| 20 | Baton Rouge, LA | $96,853 | $46.56 |
A strategic consultant's salary ranges from $80,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $136,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $136,000 | $11,333 | $65 |
| 75th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| Average | $104,820 | $8,735 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $44 |
| 10th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
The highest paying types of strategic consultants are executive consultant, senior management consultant, and principal consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Development Consultant | $85,153 | $7,096 | $40.94 | 168,111 |
| Program Management Consultant | $101,157 | $8,430 | $48.63 | 177,578 |
| Management Consultant | $99,360 | $8,280 | $47.77 | 153,045 |
| Business Consultant | $87,214 | $7,268 | $41.93 | 128,033 |
| Small Business Consultant | $47,982 | $3,999 | $23.07 | 116,476 |
| Project Consultant | $86,654 | $7,221 | $41.66 | 113,013 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for strategic consultants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Robin Cormier
Assistant Professor, Montana State University - Billings
Top companies hiring strategic consultants now:
Strategic consultant salaries at Google and Cornerstone OnDemand are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average strategic consultant salary at companies like State Street and Dell are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $130,176 | $62.58 | |
| 2 | Cornerstone | $118,957 | $57.19 |
| 3 | State Street | $117,205 | $56.35 |
| 4 | Dell | $115,958 | $55.75 |
| 5 | Cybersource | $114,664 | $55.13 |
| 6 | Epsilon | $113,616 | $54.62 |
| 7 | Microsoft | $113,412 | $54.52 |
| 8 | Henry Ford Health System | $112,257 | $53.97 |
| 9 | SAP | $111,899 | $53.80 |
| 10 | Cargill | $110,238 | $53.00 |
| 11 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $110,206 | $52.98 |
| 12 | Yale New Haven Health | $108,465 | $52.15 |
| 13 | CVS Health | $106,439 | $51.17 |
| 14 | IBM | $104,327 | $50.16 |
| 15 | LightEdge Solutions | $103,835 | $49.92 |
| 16 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $103,791 | $49.90 |
| 17 | Zebra Technologies | $102,850 | $49.45 |
| 18 | VitalChek | $102,655 | $49.35 |
| 19 | Gulfstream Aerospace | $102,448 | $49.25 |
| 20 | Arcadis | $102,439 | $49.25 |
The average strategic consultant salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $112,963 | $54.31 |
| 2 | Technology | $105,574 | $50.76 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $101,426 | $48.76 |
| 4 | Finance | $101,085 | $48.60 |
| 5 | Telecommunication | $99,660 | $47.91 |
| 6 | Professional | $94,054 | $45.22 |
| 7 | Health Care | $87,627 | $42.13 |
| 8 | Insurance | $87,535 | $42.08 |
The average strategic consultant salary has risen by $10,965 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average strategic consultant earned $93,855 annually, but today, they earn $104,820 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for strategic consultants over the last decade.
Compare strategic consultant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare strategic consultant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $105,000 | $50.39 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $102,000 | $49.01 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $100,000 | $48.07 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $98,600 | $47.40 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $97,300 | $46.76 | +0.0% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ntrs | Strategic Remediation Validation-Consultant (Audit and Controls Testing) | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $74,200 |
| Cardinal Health | Consultant, Strategic Planning & Execution | Dublin, OH | 06/25/2025 | $79,700 |
| H1 Insights | Strategic Insights Consulting, Life Sciences | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $130,000 |
| Dell Products LP | Strategic Consultant | Austin, TX | 06/05/2025 | $168,300 |
| Solugenix | Senior Strategic Sourcing Consultant | Irvine, CA | 06/05/2025 | $201,500 |
| Delcor Technology Solutions | SR. Strategic Consultant | Washington, DC | 05/26/2025 | $160,000 |
| Collaborative Robotics | Strategic Automation Consultant, Flywheel | Seattle, WA | 05/26/2025 | $160,000 |
| Us Bank | Strategic Initiatives Risk Consultant-Consumer Product Support | Denver, CO | 05/24/2025 | $119,765 |
| Us Bank | Strategic Initiatives Risk Consultant-Consumer Product Support | Tempe, AZ | 05/24/2025 | $119,765 |
| Us Bank | Strategic Initiatives Risk Consultant-Business Banking Product Support | Fargo, ND | 05/24/2025 | $119,765 |
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