Starting salaries for consultants at the Big Four – Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – which tend to be lower, have stagnated, showing no increase since 2022. Top consultancies have frozen starting salaries for the third consecutive year as artificial intelligence starts to reshape the industry, forcing firms to reconsider their traditional “pyramid” structure. “AI disruption is more real in professional services and technology than in the rest of the economy,” he said. The rethink was common to many consulting firms, Mian at Management Consulted said. Some former Big Four partners are founding AI-native boutiques that they say will use the technology to replace much of the traditional junior cohort.

Source: The Irish Times December 01, 2025 09:34 UTC