Consulting firms are still hiring entry-level workers even as AI upends their industry. Here's how much they are making.

AI is rapidly changing white-collar work.

At many companies, it’s reducing the grunt work that employees — especially entry-level employees — have to do.

At the same time, it is breeding anxiety among younger workers as they enter the workforce.

Just look at the recent wave of commencement speakers booed for praising the power of technology.

The consulting industry is no different.

AI is rapidly changing the way these firms operate, pushing them to hire more strategically as they automate entry-level work, said Namaan Mian, the COO of Management Consulted, a company that trains and prepares students and others for careers in consulting. “We continue to see high demand for talent in AI implementation, digital transformation, and data, while salary growth for traditional generalist roles remains relatively muted,” Mian said.

Consulting firms are hiring more specialists, those with considerable experience, and candidates from schools not typically targeted by the industry, Management Consulted said in a recent report.

Gert De Geyter, a former AI lead at Deloitte US, told Business Insider in December that instead of the “pure traditional consultant,” firms are now looking for a blend of “generalists and technical experts.” EY, for example, was once solely made up of accountants, but it’s now widened the pool of candidates it recruits to include engineers, creatives, technologists, candidates without degrees, and neurodiverse professionals, Ginnie Carlier, EY Americas’ chief talent and culture officer, told Business Insider in April.

The big question likely on any job seekers mind is how that all translates into pay.

At the entry-level, at least, not much has changed, Mian said.

Management Consulted recently compiled the salary, bonus, and other benefits offered by the major consulting firms to new graduates.

The data is based on written job offers received by its interview-prep clients, as well as information provided directly by firm representatives.