Big 4 consultant(joined after masters) making 100k base salary in SF. Trying to decide whether to join MBB, stick with current firm without MBA, or stick with current firm and get an MBA after 2 years

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How do you know you’ll make it to MBB?

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Are you assuming you’ll be at MBB for 9 years? I know quiet a few that eventually burn out

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Your salary and career progression are wildly inflated:
- Promotions get you around 10% increase at best
- Non-promo will get you 3% at best
- If you're at D, you won't get a promo in 2yrs, esp. Mgr
- Your post-MBA salary is high. That's SM level salary

My best advice for you would be to stick with one thing and Excel at it. You certainly don't need an MBA to progress, unless you're in strategy or something.

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@OP, your progression at MBB is not based in reality. If you are at MBB for 8 years you’ll be a partner and making significantly more than $240k a year. Also the compensation growth is a lot sharper than you’ve modeled with larger jumps and faster YoY growth: it’s closer to 15% a year. This assumes you are meeting expectations and growing in your role

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Model is pointless, way too many variables and I don’t see an eventual recession reflected at all. It’s smart to know approximately how much you will make but much like our clients anything beyond a 3 year projection is just a wild ass guess. Find something you love or at least enjoy and run with it.

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I’m so sick of these posts that make all their decisions as a financial decision! Why do you want to work at MBB? If it’s just finances go into banking! I’ll tell you no top MBA is going to accept you if your essay is “how I base all my decisions on how much money I’ll make"

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Looking at net value in 2026, joining MBB makes most sense financially, looking for feedback and inputs on the assumptions I've made.

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I’d get the MBA but not because of math. You will grow as a person and may find something you like more that consulting that is rewarding in other ways you can’t fathom yet. BTW the assumptions in the spreadsheet are off.

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2-3 years tops, all of the external research my firm has done, and they are inevitable in our economy.

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You’re saying as if most people decide to stick with big 4 if they get MBB lolll dying

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MD1, when are you expecting a recession? Do you have a time range, and approximate root cause?

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Have assumed 60k tuition reimbursement for two years after getting back from MBA, hence the bump in projected income there.

Listen to the others on how to fix your model

Why does the value in J8 drop suddenly?

AM1: It was one of the scenarios I was thinking about. I agree the burnout is pretty high, also 30-50% people get counseled out in 2-3 years.

DD1: I just have it in me dude😜

Thanks A1. I have known people at big 4 do that, it's possible, I agree it's not totally what you can control though.

Thanks McK1, yes I was being extremely conservative there.

Thanks M1. I know what I truly find rewarding. But at this point in my life, my financial responsibilities are pushing me to also think about the money.

D1: had assumed 60k tuition reimbursement in each of the previous two years, which gets out of the equation then

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