What is Accenture?
Accenture is a global professional services firm that provides strategy consulting, operations consulting, interactive digital consulting, and technology consulting across more than 40 industries.
They primarily compete with Big 4 consulting firms, such as Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG. And, although they have been traditionally strong in technology consulting, over the last 10 years they have successfully branched out into other areas of consulting.
Accenture matches or surpasses the Big 4 consulting firms in terms of employee count and revenue. In 2021, Accenture generated US$50 billion in revenue and employed about 675,000 people worldwide.
History of Accenture
Accenture began its life as the consulting arm of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen. Back then, it was called Andersen Consulting.
In fact, before its collapse in 2002 due to the Enron scandal, Arthur Anderson was considered one of the Big 5 consulting firms, alongside today’s Big 4.
In the 1990s, there were tensions between Arthur Andersen and Andersen Consulting. There were two primary issues:
- Andersen Consulting was contractually obligated to share profits with the Arthur Andersen accounting practice; and
- Arthur Andersen had established their own Arthur Andersen Business Consulting practice that directly competed with Andersen Consulting.
In the late 1990s, Andersen Consulting sued Arthur Andersen for breach of contract and proposed to break all ties with Arthur Andersen.
And in the year 2000, Andersen Consulting broke away from Arthur Andersen and renamed themselves Accenture (a play on the phrase “Accent on the future”).
The recruitment process at Accenture
There are five stages of the typical Accenture recruitment process:
- Apply for job posting. Accenture has a “rolling recruitment” model and they posts all open roles on their website throughout the year. Candidates can apply through the online portal.
- Screening interview. Shortlisted candidates then participate in a screening interview that is conducted over the phone. This interview focuses on the candidate’s resume and gives you the opportunity to discuss your suitability for the role at a greater length.
- Fit interview. The fit interview is usually conducted by a senior Accenture team member. It focuses on your skills and experience, and you’re expected to be able to talk through examples at length. This is similar to McKinsey’s Personal Experience Interview.
- Case interview. In the case interview, you will be given a real-world business problem. You are expected to break down the problem, ask questions, and propose a solution live in the interview. This interview is evaluating your structured thinking, analytical, and communication skills.
- Managing Director interview. In some cases, you will have a final interview with an Accenture MD. This interview might touch on some of your skills and experience, but is also looking at your motivations and cultural fit in the team.
Here’s what Accenture says about working at the firm:
Roles and levels at Accenture
Analyst
At Accenture, Analyst is an entry-level role for candidates who have just graduated with an undergraduate degree.
They are responsible for research, analysis, Excel modeling, and building slide decks. They will usually work in a core team of 3-5 Analysts, Consultants and Managers.
Key data points:
- Average years of experience: 0-2 years
- Average Analyst salary (base salary + bonuses): $78,000
Consultant
At Accenture, Consultants a responsible for owning a stream of work within a project. They are expected to work independently and may also guide one or more Analysts.
The Consultant role is where you start moving from “doing the work” to “managing the work”. As such, this role becomes a mix of both doing and reviewing.
Key data points:
- Average years of experience: 2-3 years
- Average Consultant salary (base salary + bonuses): $116,000
Manager
At Accenture, Managers typically lead small engagements or major workstreams of large engagements.
They are responsible for managing a team of Analysts and Consultants, reviewing their work, and ensuring the work meets the needs of the client.
Key data points:
- Average years of experience: 3-6 years
- Average Manager salary (base salary + bonuses): $152,000
Senior Manager
At Accenture, Senior Managers are responsible for leading large and complex engagements.
They often manage a team that includes Managers, Consultants and Analysts. They work closely with the engagement MD and the client to ensure that the engagement is meeting the client’s needs.
At this level, you will also be expected to take an active role in recruitment, internal training, and supporting Associate Directors and Managing Directors with business development efforts.
Key data points:
- Average years of experience: 6+ years
- Average Senior Manager salary (base salary + bonuses): $198,000
Associate Director
At Accenture, Associate Directors are involved with complex and high-profile engagements. But more than that, they spend a significant amount of time doing client management and business development.
Associate Director is the first level where you will have a business development target. Because of this, many Associate Directors begin to specialize and build networks in an industry or functional area.
Key data points:
- Average years of experience: 8+ years
- Average Associate Director salary (base salary + bonuses): $238,000
Managing Director
An Accenture Managing Director is equivalent to a Partner at other firms. As a Managing Director, you will build deep relationships with clients and work across multiple engagements.
Managing Directors also have significant business development targets and are expected to win work for the firm.
Key data points:
- Average years of experience: 10+ years
- Average Managing Director salary (base salary + bonuses): $320,000+
Complete Accenture salary data
How Accenture calculates total compensation
There are a number of different components that make up Accenture’s salaries, depending on the role and level. The most typical components include:
- Base salary: Standard salary-based compensation, excluding any benefits or bonuses.
- Bonus: Calculated based on individual and firm performance and paid once per year.
- Profit-sharing: Most commonly offered to more senior roles (e.g. Managing Director) and will usually make up the majority of total compensation for those roles.
Accenture salary table
In the table below, we calculated the average Accenture salary for each role and level.
If you’d like to compare Accenture salaries with other consulting firms, you can check out our database of McKinsey salaries and our database of Deloitte salaries.
| Role Title | Base Salary | Bonus | Total Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst | $73,000 | $5,000 | $78,000 |
| Consultant | $111,000 | $5,000 | $116,000 |
| Manager | $141,000 | $11,000 | $152,000 |
| Senior Manager | $177,000 | $21,000 | $198,000 |
| Associate Director | $208,000 | $30,000 | $238,000 |
| Managing Director | $320,000+ |
Please remember, these are salaries are calculated from publically available data sources. They may be slightly out-of-date and are only representative of salaries in the United States.