If you’re looking to break into the consulting industry in Philadelphia, the good news is that many consulting firms have offices in the area. From top tier management consulting firms to niche IT consulting firms, there are a wide variety of career options available if the metropolitan Philadelphia area is where you want to live. Most of the major firms have offices there - this includes two of the MBB firms - but there are many boutique firms with various specialties with a presence in Philadelphia as well. For example, Vynamic focuses on the healthcare industry and Paradigm Group delivers change management solutions.
If you do end up working in a city like Philly, it can be helpful to understand the local economy. This can often influence what type of work you end up doing.
Like many of the U.S.’s larger cities, Philadelphia has shifted to an information technology and service-based economy over the past century. Financial activities now account for the largest sector of the metro economy. It is also one of the country’s largest health education and research centers. Consulting firms in Philadelphia serve several Fortune 500 companies located in the region. These include: Comcast, CIGNA, Sunoco, Aramark, Rohm and Hass, FMC corporation, and GlaxoSmithKline (among others).
Table of Contents:
- Top 10 Consulting Firms Philadelphia
- Honorable Mentions
- Top Boutique Consulting Firms in Philadelphia
Note: Firms are ranked according to 7 factors: Prestige, Culture, Compensation, Work/Life Balance, Type of Project Work, Investment in Local Community, and Future Business Outlook.
Questions about getting your firm considered for the ranking or want guidance on how to land a role at one of these firms? Reach out via email!
With that context, let’s move forward and review the top 10 consulting firms in Philadelphia.
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Top 10 Consulting Firms Philadelphia
Any list of top 10 consulting firms in a major city is likely to include, and often start with, the undisputed industry leaders: McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. They will be followed by a mix of other respected brands and boutique firms. Interestingly, Bain does not have an office in Philadelphia, so you won’t find them on this list. BCG and McKinsey both have offices in Philadelphia.
Here is our list of the top 10 consulting firms in Philadelphia. These rankings are determined by office size, firm history, capabilities, and prestige.
The BCG office in Philadelphia opened in 2007 with nine consultants and has steadily grown from that original small team. The Philadelphia office works with many Fortune 1000 companies, large divisions of multinationals, and private companies in the greater metropolitan area. For individuals interested in joining a fast growing, tight knit team that often collaborates with other BCG offices on the East Coast, BCG Philadelphia may be a great fit.
The Philadelphia office is one of McKinsey’s smaller and newer offices, which is why it checks in below BCG on this list. The McKinsey Philadelphia office advises clients across a wide array of industries including infrastructure, energy, materials, healthcare, financial services, and the public sector.
Located in the heart of downtown, Deloitte’s office is made up of almost 1,800 professionals. The firm’s Greater Philadelphia Managing Partner recently received GPA’s annual Global Award for leadership in advancing Greater Philadelphia on the world stage. As one of the largest consulting firms in Philadelphia, Deloitte fosters an environment of inclusion, collaboration, high performance, and opportunity.
As a management consulting firm that has been recognized on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the past 11 years in a row, Accenture is a leader in the tech consulting field. The Philadelphia office works closely with several of Accenture’s other major offices like New York, Boston, and DC. The office is known for sustainable work-life balance and an extensive training program for new hires.
An international management consulting firm, Oliver Wyman is headquartered in New York City. The firm has an extremely wide range of expertise, from strategy to actuarial to operations to payments and risk management. Oliver Wyman’s Philadelphia office is part of a network of offices in 60 cities employing 5,000+ professionals.
EY’s mission is to build a better working world through four integrated service lines: assurance, advisory, tax, and transaction advisory services. The Philadelphia office works with entrepreneurs, companies, and even entire countries to help solve their most pressing concerns. It is known for its supportive working environment and significant travel opportunities. The Philadelphia office is one of 700 global locations for EY.
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), is a global professional services firm with expertise in operational management. The firm is known internationally for its work in turnaround and bankruptcy for several high-profile businesses (Lehman Brothers, Target, Darden Restaurants). Founded in 1983, Alvarez & Marsal now has over 4,000 employees.
Booz Allen Hamilton is an American management consulting firm with a long history of innovative strategies for companies to improve the future. Today, the firm describes its business as consisting of consulting, analytics, digital solutions, engineering, cyber security, and products. Philadelphia is one of 80 offices throughout the United States, and teams out of this office work extensively with public sector clients.
Mercer is part of the Marsh & McLennan Companies, which includes Oliver Wyman, another firm on this list. Mercer is the world’s number one HR consulting firm, with its business lines broken down into Health and Benefits, Wealth and Investments, Workforce and Careers, and Mergers and Acquisitions.
Willis Tower Watson, a publicly traded company, is one of the longest standing consulting firms in the world. The firm manages people, risk, and capital to propel the world’s leading businesses forward. The Philadelphia office is located at 1500 Market St. and is one of hundreds of offices across the globe for this giant HR consulting firm.
Honorable Mentions - Top Consulting Firms in Philadelphia
Omlie Consulting
Omlie Consulting is a women-owned consulting firm in Philadelphia. The firm, though young, has big dreams in the wellness, health, and cannabis sectors. Omlie is particularly focused on pioneering work in the cannabis industry, seeing it as one of the new frontiers inside healthcare. Management Consulted has it on good authority that Omlie is actively hiring - see open roles and submit your resume here.
NERA Economic Consulting
NERA Economic Consulting is a top economic consulting firm with an office in Philadelphia. NERA is a global firm of experts who apply economic, finance, and quantitative principles to address complex business situations. NERA's economists have been creating strategies, studies, reports, and policy recommendations for government authorities and the world’s leading law firms and corporations.
The Tactile Group
The Tactile Group is one of the top technology consulting firms in Philadelphia. The firm does a lot of public sector work, specializing in digital solutions.
Compudata
Compudata is an IT and technology consulting firm headquartered in Philadelphia. In business since 1971, CompuData is an award-winning business technology solution provider for Cloud, Managed IT Services. ERP implementation, and Customer Relationship Management solutions.
ESI Econsult Solutions Inc
ESI Econsult Solutions Inc - provides economic consulting and analytical services for businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations. Located in Philadelphia, ESI is able to offer strategic insights and analysis applicable to a number of domains and has >50 employees.
Philadelphia is also home to education consulting firms like PlusUs and Bloom Planning. These organizations help educational institutions at the K-12 and on through the college and university level to design curriculum, plan programs, and develop organizational strategy.
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Summary
If you are looking to break into the consulting industry in the City of Brotherly Love, you have options. Philadelphia has several global management consulting firms with a significant presence in the city, along with a variety of smaller boutique options to explore as well. No matter which firm you choose, make sure to get your resume in tip-top shape before applying, and prepare for the rigorous case interviews many of these firms employ in the recruiting process.
Additional Reading:
- Top 10 Boutique Consulting Firms in US
- Top 10 Education Consulting Firms
- Top 10 Consulting Firms In Chicago
- Top Technology Consulting Firms
- Top Consulting Firms In Europe
- Top 10 Consulting Firms in London, UK
- Top 25 Consulting Firms