Looking for some honest insights on compensation differences between Big 4 and boutique firms. Curious about: Base salary differences, bonus structures and typical payouts, additional benefits and perks offered by each.

Info like this seems says that Big 4 pays "better" but I'm interested in more specific details.

Post Photo
like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Big 4 is good at many things. “Better” pay is not one of those things.

like

which boutiques though?

It is hard to generalize boutiques. Is someplace like Alix considered boutique? Then reassess the claims of lower pay and better wlb. If you mean a random no-name firm, then maybe it makes sense.

I worked for a boutique consulting firm before, already had my MBA. Got hired with 4+ years experience and made 100K + 10K bonus. When I left the firm 3 years later my comp was 128K (no bonus). My buddy got a Deloitte gig right out of a target MBA school this year making 150K. So it sounds like big 4 definitely pays better.

Big 4 firms on average will pay higher than boutiques, excluding the “T2” type firms. Keyword is average- boutiques still need to pay a market premium to incentivize hiring but beyond that the trajectory, once hired, is slower and capped in lower compensation bands. Simply because the projects are smaller and rate per hour is lower. The average partner in B4 is going to clear 1.5-2x what the average partner at Baker Tilly or a boutique SAP services provider is going to clear.

Really depends which boutique. I see firms like Alix and A&M called boutiques.

Related Posts

What's the confirmation procedure in TCS? In the offer letter it was mentioned that initial 3 months would be probation and after that confirmation. Could you guys please let me know if any action or follow ups required from our end or HR will do the needful ? Please let me know

like

Guys, does ADP give Mac book? And phone ? As a part of joining kit?

Does PWC India consider counter offer or drop the candidature if they cannot match the CTC?

like

If I join cognizant 2-3 days prior to joining date, will there be any joining bonus ?

like

I work in healthcare administration but was a medic for years. You learn so much about innovation but seems like most health systems just want people to fall in line and just do what's always been done. I would take a pay cut to work for a system that's actually trying to do something disruptive in the Industry as opposed to just using buzz words in ppt.

like

Can anyone tell me about the Tax Transformation practice at Deloitte?

like

What is band can be expected with 4.5 years of exp in Bigdata Hadoop in Capgemini.pls let me know and how much can be expected as package

like

How is UBS client project in Synechron? Any one else got an offer for UBS in synechron?

like

What's the slab for Manager Level 2 or Level 3 in Taxation? Does it crosses 30-32L?
YOE - 10+ Years

like

Hi fishes,

How is tredence for Data Scientist role in terms of wlb ,learning and hikes in comparison to Tiger and overall? Do they provide onsite opportunities?

like

Hike letter batch started.

like

How is senior 2 grade in EY? Salary range and exp? How long does it take to acquire grade 3? Is is equivalent to assistant manager ?

like

Hi Fishes,

I Have cleared frist round and now I have hr round what package should I ask??


YOE 6.1
CTC 11

like

How much package i can ask from kpmg india as Consultant (Digital lighthouse, data engineer)

like

I was told by my manager that I’ll be getting a promotion and a comp raise about a month and a half ago. It hasn’t happened yet and he keeps saying HR is slow to respond. Is there anything that can be done or do I just keep waiting around?

like

What can be the expected CTC for below YOE and tech stack?

Tech stack: Angular 2+, AngularJS, jQuery, Node.JS(ExpressJS), MongoDB. Hands on experience with AWS and Docker (no certifications).

YOE: 6

like

Has anyone worked with YieldMo? Are they any good?

like
like

Hi all.

Please suggest on the below:

YOE- 2.8YEARS
TECH SKILLS- .NET
CURRENT OFFER-10 LPA

What should be a good number to ask PWC india as an EXPECTED CTC?

Please suggest on this

like

More Posts

Hi anyone from infosys who has joined cognizant please ping need help urgent

like

what's the best lesson working in the retail industry has taught you?

like

Hello,
Can some one provide information senior digital product manager role...?? What is the fixed pay offered for this role for 10 yoe??

Anyone in printers row know of good gyms around ~$50? Looking to avoid LA Fitness at SouthGate or XSport (reviews seem to agree - they are a mess). FFC is just not in the cards rn.

If you work at FAANG level company do you get recruiter calls almost daily?
Cause I work in a lower level firm and I don't get calls

Hello Fishes,


My YOE is 5.3 and I am holding around 24 lpa offer now TCS has started my visa processing for uk.I have an query that, should i stay in tcs and go onsite or go with other companies.

Thanks for your valuable feedback in advance.
Currently i am getting 8 lpa from TCS.

Hey guys confused between FRACTAL and NAGARRO?

FRACTAL hire for 6 week training program then Project and Nagarro directly for project.

Having 4 year's of experience, looking for good wlb, job security, stability and good work for Data Engineer role.

like

Anyone willing to give a referral for Cox Automotive?

like

How much should I expect as a L4 CSA at Microsoft, living in Texas? Want to know if I’m being made a fair offer.

like

Hello

I am looking for Job change serving Notice period
Qa automation with4+ years of experience

I am looking to leave my current position due to not having the opportunity to run campaigns and earn experience.
However, every interview I get asked about the campaigns that I have run.
This is starting to feel like a closed loop. Any ideas are appreciated.

I do create some personal campaigns and do social media content on LinkedIn for my personal profile. That is why I get a high number of interviews but I stumble at the starting line.

like

This one is going to make some of y’all mad, but it’s so annoyingly unnecessary. The most irritating part is “is it a shirt day or a skirt day”…. Like women don’t wear shirts with skirts and men don’t wear shirts with pants. Shirts and skirts are not mutually exclusive. I’ll just leave this here.

Post Photo
likesmart

Wondering if anyone can give insight as to what salary range is for an insurance compliance role as an IC3 or similar?

like

hiya fishes. happy friday! sorry if this isnt the right bowl, but this is in regards to vacation time. i have an interview process starting next week, and wondering when it would be good to mention i would be OOO between the middle of the month in september? its for a week. im unsure if i can twist this to have a start date once im back. going back and forth on being transparent vs. mentioning it later on. thoughts?

Stash vibes today

Post Photo

Hey folks,
I have first round scheduled tomorrow for Datastage Developer Role.
Relevant YOE - 3.3
Overall 4.5 Years
What could be the level of difficulty asked?

like

‘What do you mean I sit funny?’

Post Photo
likefunny

Is flexi bucket part of monthly salary? Or do we need to claim it as part of monthly expenses?

like

What you should do when dealing with a very toxic worker that keep on sending passive aggressive messages to you as well as in group chat and email.
Things like when you answer his question he respond: I know that
Or when he keeps on saying my change requests were just minor in group meeting but actually not.
And keep on saying how hard he works when he clearly wasn’t and already underperformed compared to an intern level.

How to not let this toxic co-worker not poison me any further?

like

Wendys twitter interactions are pure gold.

like

Additional Posts in Compensation in Consulting

I think it’d be helpful if those of us who have exited into Bay Area tech start a comp thread so others can benchmark.

2 yrs post-MBA
BizOps manager
175 base + 225 RSUs (publicly traded, 4 yr vest)

likehelpful

I’m in my 3rd year out of college. My salary is 85k with a bonus of 30k (35%), which brings my total comp just slightly below market. How can I ask for more base and less bonus?

likefunny

Please help me understand personal financial upside from an IPO - - I’m interviewing for a director level role at a company pursuing an ipo within the next year and tons of momentum. What would you expect a director to make from an IPO having been hired a year before?

like

What is the salary like for a AWS Architect in consulting with 14 years IT experience?

like

Currently making 180 TC at a large bank and have an offer from a FAANG for 260 TC. Salary is not much different (165) but bonus/equity structure is decent. fully remote, dope company etc. I’ll be moving laterally in terms of title but I get the impression the scope/impact is larger and leveling is different in tech… no brainer?

like

What are the best industries for talented strategy/business developers? Looking for industry exit opportunities from retail banking as I find the entire industry too boring.

like

A team of 2 starting a very niche consulting firm want me to join and lead the first engagement. I’m very confident in them & the product/market fit. Do I ask for an ownership stake?

like

Expected salary offer for a C role with 5 YOE (consulting) at Deloitte S&A (ccg)?

like

I’m currently an SA2 but was offering a 6 month rotation working on product strategy for the firm with a promotion to Manager. Recruiter explained that It’d be at the same base pay with the potential of a raise in June, would you take just a title bump?

like

Deloitte MBA manager salary? S&A

like

How would y’all grow 300k cash to 1M in a year?

funnylike

3.5 years out of school, 2400 billable hours last year in TRS and just got promoted. what kind of year end compensation should I be expecting? Bonus and new salary

like

How have you negotiated an hourly fee for your services?

like

Anyone know the salary for a vp at Marcus?

like

Accenture talent and org offer. Manager hire at $175k base and $25k signing. Good?

like

EY Business Transformation Senior Consultant Salary 5YOE (only 1 in Consulting) Tier 1 city?

like

What salary should a second year analyst make at ZS in Washington DC?

like

Please evaluate possible comp package for project manager role
175-185 base
20% -25% bonus
200-250 RSU over 4 years
11 years of experience with a masters

like

Recommendations for tax filing in Chicago downtown?

like

Revived two Consulting offers from Deloitte and Accenture. Both top of my list for my practice (SF) but I feel like I undersold myself on the salary range. What are good salaries for both companies?

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal