Consulting firms cut junior hiring as AI reshapes workforce
Consulting firms are hiring fewer junior consultants while expanding AI roles and senior expertise.
The consulting industry, which has spent years advising clients on disruption and efficiency, is now changing how its own work is staffed as AI becomes embedded in day-to-day delivery.
Data from Revelio Labs, based on job postings from leading consulting firms, shows hiring has fallen steadily since 2023. Overall demand for new staff is now about 20% below its peak. Hiring for consultants has dropped further, down by around 40% over the same period.
It isn’t evenly spread. Senior consultant hiring is up 55% since 2020. Entry-level hiring rose after the pandemic, peaked in 2023 and has since fallen by about 10%.
Job postings show how roles are changing. Process improvement and project tracking appear less often than two years ago, while analytical work appears more often. Junior roles are becoming more focused on analysis, client interaction and supporting implementation.
The process and optimisation work that once sat with junior consultants is showing up elsewhere. Consulting firms are advertising more roles focused on AI development, automation and implementation to handle it.
The balance between entry-level consultants and AI roles has changed. In 2015, there were almost four junior consultants for every AI-related role at leading firms. That gap has narrowed as AI hiring increased and entry-level consulting slowed. By 2025, AI roles outnumbered entry-level consultant positions.
In the past, large cohorts of junior staff supported a smaller group of senior consultants. Firms are now hiring fewer juniors and relying more on experienced consultants to oversee engagement delivery, work with clients and interpret outputs from automated systems.
Consulting is not alone in facing these changes, but its reliance on large numbers of junior staff makes the shift more visible. Entry-level hiring has become more selective, while the mix of roles inside firms continues to move away from process and delivery support towards analysis, oversight and technology.
Key facts
- Hiring 20% below 2023 peak
- Consultant hiring down 40%
- Senior consultant demand up 55% since 2020
- Entry-level hiring down 10% since 2023
- 2015: 4 juniors per AI role
- 2025: AI roles outnumber juniors