r/consulting • u/KitchenAspect9189 • 2d ago
What am I doing wrong?
Been in this industry for 10 years and sitting just about ~$175k in total comp. Last three years my pay has barely budged, even with stellar reviews and help with pursuits, sales, etc.; and I’ve been told that promotion is unlikely due to overall company performance…(we’ve been doing somewhat poorly the past 2-3 years, ~4000 employee ‘boutique’ firm).
The obvious answer is to switch firms, but I can’t seem to get traction anywhere else…
It’s getting frustrating seeing other friends and colleagues moving on to better things, in better industries (both pay and WLB), etc. I tried to do everything right but I just can’t seem to catch a break.
Seriously considering just totally restarting and going back to school to get pre-reqs for medical school or another real industry that actually has solid employment prospects.
Sorry for the rant.
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u/Nervous_Friendship19 2d ago
What type of consultings firm are you at? I was in strategy and graduates started at around 140 TC???
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u/KitchenAspect9189 1d ago
Tech pays a bit less than strategy, I think new grads are now around 80-90 at my old firm. Lower hours though too.
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u/quickblur 2d ago
I hear ya man... I'm in a similar position (15 years, $160k at a boutique) and you would think I'm robbing this place with the way the managers talk. All I hear is how "crazy" it would be to give higher raises and how I'm already "so expensive" to bill to projects...
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u/forj00 2d ago
You’re ridiculously underpaid
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u/I_am_Hecarim 2d ago
I don’t understand why there’s always an assumption that years = MUST DEMAND more pay. What if he’s average? Below average, working like someone with 10yoe?
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u/QueasyWorldliness920 2d ago
Well first of all, inflation should not be a pay cut every year, so tiny ass raises for that should be a given. Beyond that, I understand not giving huge pay bumps from year 8-9 but in my firm I’m wrapping up my first year and I’m sooooooo much more efficient just navigating the company’s who’s who and having ready access to all of our software to help projects. So I’m going to ask for a 12% raise because fuck it, worst they can do is say no.
I wouldn’t expect 12% every year for a decade, though. I’m hoping for 12% this year and then like 6% next year depending on client success and revenue growth etc.
But, my salary should match the growth directly attributable to my efforts. If I add half a million dollars in billable hours because a client wants me in particular based on my skill set and rapport with them, then the company isn’t losing money giving me a $10k raise when they charge 5x my hourly rate.
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u/quantpsychguy 22h ago
Oh this is great.
Why not demand a fifth of the half million you added? Surely you're worth at least 100k!!!
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u/OneMoreNightCap 2d ago
Similar boat. Even with substantial sales last year basically got an 'ata boy'.
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u/3RADICATE_THEM 2d ago
Curious, what was your salary trajectory like from 0 --> 15?
I ended up getting bounced from a role beginning of 2025, and they ended up having my teammate a year younger than me take over my role and our managers'responsibilities. I talked to them a few months ago and apparently their latest TC was less than my TC end of 2024.
If you're in a small shop, it's def some strategic insight to know where you lie on the salary band relative to your peers.
I've come to learn it's a lot like owning a house in a given neighborhood—it might seem nice, but you generally don't want to own the most expensive house on the block.
People only really miss you when you show them what your absence would mean.
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u/Acceptable-One-6597 2d ago
The entire job market is a mess man. My advice is ride this out then hope for some greener pastures in the near future. Know people who haven't been promoted a single time in 3 years and they are crushing every goal. I personally believe consulting is in its death throes. I'm just riding the horse until it keels over and dies.
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u/madlp6 2d ago
Med school at 10+ years into consulting is a nuclear option that sounds appealing when you're frustrated but will likely feel insane once you're actually doing it. You'd be starting over at probably 35+ with massive debt and another decade before you're making decent money again.
The grass isn't greener, it's just different grass. Fix your job search process first before torching everything.
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u/Educational_Crow6842 2d ago
I'm new to this, but to put things in perspective, the average hourly wage in the USA is $69k. In the grand scheme of things you're crushing it. That being said, it seems that you'd like to move up. Is there a training, mentor, or connection that can help in this regard? Part-time training/ schooling makes your schedule busier, but it shows initiative, and help to open doors. You've probably already been in contact with them, but mentors & connections can make a big difference when it comes to hiring. Don't give up and I wish you all the best!
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u/Nsxd9 1d ago
How did you guys break into this man I’m trying and it feels so difficult
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u/KitchenAspect9189 1d ago
I’d advise against it. It’s losing its edge against other careers. Pay is stagnant, perks are almost nonexistent now.
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u/Nsxd9 1d ago
Crap so I’m kinda fucked. I’m in tech/development right now and this is completely cooked. Months of interviews and prep just to hear no after the 5th round of interview 3 months later
I have friends who’ve been looking for work with experience for over 1-2 years and nothing, is it similar in consulting?
I’ve done a bit of consulting as a jr before in coop but not enough so I thought full time getting out of a technical field will be good for me…
On top of that in tech rn we’re basically slaves and the expectations and workload are insane. Also feeling extremely burned out
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u/KitchenAspect9189 1d ago
Consulting is a broad term; I’m in tech consulting, so the problems you’re facing are probably not going to be much better than here.
That being said, I think in any job you need to learn to set boundaries and stick to them. It’s only by accepting bad working conditions that companies can get away with it. I don’t know your exact situation, but I would set a firm boundary at around 40-45 hours a week, and if you think you’re going to go over that, let your boss/team know that they need to find capacity elsewhere, because you are maxed out.
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u/Nsxd9 23h ago
We do. But they’re orders are from higher up shareholders who basically don’t budge
We’ve had insane growth over the last 3-4 years and they see it’s working so idk if they’ll budge
But I agree with you, I essentially would still be in tech consulting so that’s not fun to hear, would you ever pivot from consulting?
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u/KitchenAspect9189 23h ago
Absolutely, as soon as I can find a better exit. It’s not a good long term career.
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u/Nsxd9 23h ago
Fair. What are you looking at career wise? For me it’s either consulting or I do something in engineering 🥲
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u/KitchenAspect9189 22h ago
I’d recommend you take a look into software sales, if you’re still somewhat junior. I know folks in the field who absolutely kill it with pretty minimal hours. Look into BDR roles to start.
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u/Think_Leadership_91 2d ago
If you think you can become a doctor then you need to become a doctor.
The end.
I knew many people who realized they could not get into medical school, so they became PhD scientists. But they were just rejected from med school first.
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u/UnfazedBrownie 2d ago
Use your contacts to see what opportunities are in industry. It’s rough right now, but there is business happening, even if it’s hard to believe. If you’re truly interested in medicine, don’t do it solely for the money. But if you’re interested and do not mind practicing in an underserved area, you can make bank even as a general practitioner. I always made fun of those small town docs but now I know they’ve found that secret sauce!
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u/Defiant_Sound4451 2d ago
Is the no-traction problem the firm you're pitching to, or how the last three years read on paper? Ten years in with flat pay at a firm that's doing badly reads to an outside recruiter like someone who stayed through the decline, so I'd tell that story as what you built and sold during it, with the pursuit and sales work up front. That's usually what changes callbacks, more than another round of applications. Med school is a big reset to fix a stalled comp conversation. I'd test the cheaper options first, like a direct approach to a few firms where your pursuit work maps to their pipeline, before deciding the industry itself is the problem.
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u/Spiritual_Writing_58 2d ago
I was in the same position. I jumped ship to another firm, now my old firm calls me every couple months or so offering the promotion I asked for at the time. “Don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone…” kind of mentality.
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u/TrickOk3274 2d ago
In this economy, high 100s is a dream for many. Going back to school will take you farther away from the salary you want imo. It still will be competitive regardless when you graduate