The short answer: most independent consultants charge $100 to $250 an hour, according to a Consulting Success study of nearly 1,000 consultants. Small consulting firms in the United States listed on Clutch average $100 to $149 an hour. The big firms charge far more: the US government’s not-to-exceed rates for McKinsey, BCG and Deloitte staff run up to roughly $400 to $480 an hour.
Whatever the rate, those models pay for time. A performance-based fee pays for a measured result instead.
What consultants charge per hour
| Who | Typical hourly rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance business consultants on a global marketplace | $28 to $98 | Upwork (2024) |
| Independent consultants | Most charge $100 to $250; 19% charge $250 to $500 | Consulting Success study |
| Small US consulting firms | $100 to $149 on average | Clutch (Sep 2026) |
| McKinsey staff on its US federal contract | Up to $396.76 (ceiling) | GSA (Oct 2026) |
| BCG and Deloitte staff on federal contracts | Up to $478.56 and $472.66 (ceilings) | GSA (Oct 2026) |
| For comparison: an employed management analyst’s median pay | $48.97 | BLS (May 2025) |
The spread is huge because you’re buying very different things: a freelancer’s spare hours, an experienced specialist’s judgment, or a brand-name team. The Consulting Success study found specialists far more likely to charge over $250 an hour (28%) than generalists (7%).
Per day, per week and per project
Large companies pay by the day or the team. A Source Global Research survey of senior US buyers, mostly at companies with over $1 billion in revenue, found they generally expect to pay $2,000 to $5,000 a day for a management consultant. The same research found that 70% of Big Four consulting projects ended up costing more than the client’s first estimate.
The top firms price whole teams by the week. A 2019 audit by the inspector general of the US General Services Administration showed McKinsey’s federal contract priced an engagement manager plus one associate at $133,196 a week, as awarded in 2016.
At the small end, Clutch notes that hiring a consulting firm often costs just a few thousand dollars for a defined piece of work.
The main ways consultants charge
In the Consulting Success study, 30% of consultants priced mainly by project, 29% by the hour, 16% on a monthly retainer, 15% on value and 10% by the day. Here’s what each means for you:
| Model | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly or daily | You pay for time spent. | Nothing rewards finishing faster, or finishing at all. |
| Monthly retainer | A fixed fee for ongoing access and advice. | Paying in months when nothing happens. |
| Fixed project fee | A set price for a defined piece of work. | The deliverable is often a report, not a result. Changes cost extra. |
| Value-based fee | A price based on what the outcome is worth to you, paid either way. | The value is the consultant’s estimate, and you pay even if it doesn’t arrive. |
| Performance or success fee | Part or all of the fee depends on a measured result. | Setting the baseline and agreeing what caused the result. |
How performance-based fees work
In a true performance deal, the consultant is paid out of the result. You agree the metric, the starting figure and the target in writing before work starts, and the fee follows from what’s achieved. The fee can take several forms:
- A share of the gain. In our own engagements that might be 10% or 20% of an agreed increase in EBITDA.
- An amount per new sale the work brings in.
- A royalty on revenue from a new product, channel or market as it grows.
Outcome talk is common; outcome money is not. In the Source Global Research survey, 79% of senior executives said all or most of their consulting contracts include some outcome-based element. But Source’s earlier research, restated in a 2022 report, estimated that under 2% of all consulting fees were genuinely at risk: most “outcome-based” deals are fixed-price or time-and-materials contracts with a small bonus attached. McKinsey says that about a fifth to a quarter of its fees are now outcome-based, by its own account.
Where performance fees go wrong
Payment-by-results contracts have been studied closely in the public sector, and the University of Oxford’s Government Outcomes Lab lists the classic traps. They apply just as much to a business:
- Attribution. Would the number have moved anyway? Without a fair baseline, you may pay for a result the consultant didn’t cause.
- Outside factors. Avoid targets that a market swing, a price change or one big order can push up or down.
- Gaming. A metric can be hit in ways that don’t help the business, so pick one that reflects what you actually want.
The fix is to agree the measurement before anything starts: the same accounts, the same definitions and comparable periods, ideally checked by your own accountant. The Institute of Management Consultants USA’s code of ethics asks consultants to agree the basis for fees with the client in advance, which is exactly the point.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What exactly will be different when the work is done, and how will we measure it?
- What’s the starting figure, and who checks the end figure?
- What do we pay if the result doesn’t arrive?
- How many hours of our people’s time does this need?
- What happens if the scope changes halfway through?
How we charge
On performance engagements we agree one measurable target in writing, and our fee is a share of the gain, an amount per new sale, or a royalty, set case by case. Your accountant measures the result like for like. If the number doesn’t move, we don’t get paid. Coaching and mentoring run on a normal retainer or by the hour.
Frequently asked questions
How much do consultants charge per hour?
Most independent consultants charge $100 to $250 an hour, according to a Consulting Success study of nearly 1,000 consultants. Small US consulting firms on Clutch average $100 to $149 an hour, and the largest firms charge several times that.
How much does McKinsey charge?
McKinsey doesn’t publish commercial rates. Its US federal contract lists not-to-exceed hourly rates of about $130 to $397 for the staff categories listed, and a 2019 government audit showed a weekly price of $133,196 for an engagement manager and one associate, as awarded in 2016.
What is a consulting retainer?
A fixed monthly fee for ongoing access to a consultant’s advice. In the Consulting Success study, 16% of consultants used it as their main pricing model.
What is a success fee in consulting?
A fee that depends, in part or in full, on achieving an agreed result. It only works when the result, the starting point and the way it’s measured are agreed in writing before the work starts.
Are performance-based consulting fees common?
Outcome elements are common in large contracts, but little money is truly at risk: Source Global Research’s earlier research, restated in 2022, estimated that genuinely at-risk fees were under 2% of all consulting fees. McKinsey says about a fifth to a quarter of its fees are now outcome-based.
Who measures the result in a performance deal?
Ideally your own accountant, comparing like for like: the same accounts, the same definitions and comparable periods.
Sources
- Consulting Success, consulting hourly rates and consulting fees study, updated 7 Sep 2026.
- Clutch, Business Consulting Firm Pricing Guide 2026, updated 21 Sep 2026.
- Upwork, cost of business consultants (2024 capture).
- U.S. General Services Administration, CALC+ hourly labor ceiling rates, data of 4 Oct 2026.
- GSA Office of Inspector General, Improper Pricing on the McKinsey Professional Services Contract, report A170118, 23 Jul 2019.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts.
- Accounting Today, “Big Four consulting projects cost more than expected”, 15 Apr 2019, reporting Source Global Research.
- Source Global Research, Pricing: Your biggest barrier to change?, March 2022.
- Business Insider, “AI is reshaping how McKinsey makes money”, 17 Nov 2025.
- Government Outcomes Lab, University of Oxford, Setting and measuring outcomes.
- Institute of Management Consultants USA, Code of Ethics.