Consulting listings on our board are unusually blunt about pedigree, and that is the useful signal in them.
Key takeaways
- Harvard Business Review reports that HR executives are seeing AI's impact most clearly in role consolidation and hiring avoidance, concentrated in roles where AI can automate a meaningful.
- 45 live listings in this category publish a rate, at a median top-of-range of $120 an hour and a ceiling of $280.
- The work is remote contract work, asynchronous, with no set hours and no guaranteed volume.
- Applications screen on a short skills assessment rather than a resume or interview.
What was reported
The finding
Harvard Business Review reports that HR executives are seeing AI's impact most clearly in role consolidation and hiring avoidance, concentrated in roles where AI can automate a meaningful share of the task. Strategy and operations layers are among those affected.
Several name MBB firms directly in the requirements. Others ask for a specific number of years in strategy or operations. Labs are not being coy about what they want, which makes it easy to tell in thirty seconds whether you qualify.
What the listings pay
Across 45 live consulting and strategy listings that publish a rate, the median top-of-range is $120 an hour, reaching $280. That is comparable to what a mid-level consultant bills internally, without the travel.
| # | Role | Advertised rate | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management Consultant | $245 to $280 an hour | micro1 |
| 2 | Payer & Market Access Expert, Gross-to-Net & Formulary Strategy | $175 to $200 an hour | Mercor |
| 3 | UK-Based MBB and Top-Tier Strategy Consulting Experts | $140 to $200 an hour | Mercor |
| 4 | AI Consulting Domain Expert | $100 to $200 an hour | micro1 |
| 5 | Revenue-cycle Executive (VP/Sr. Director Revenue Cycle, or RCM-focused Finance Leader) | $162 to $162 an hour | Elion Health |
| 6 | Consultant / Advisor | $80 to $160 an hour | Mercor |
| 7 | Management Consultant Talent Network | $100 to $150 an hour | Mercor |
| 8 | General and Operations Managers | $90 to $150 an hour | Mercor |
| 9 | Business Analyst / Researcher / Operations Specialist | $90 to $140 an hour | micro1 |
| 10 | Customer success / support operations Evaluator | $80 to $120 an hour | Dorado |
Source: 45 live listings on this board that publish a rate, read directly from each posting on 2026-09-06. Listings without a published rate are excluded rather than estimated.
How this compares across the board
A rate only means something next to the alternatives. This is every category we track with at least five listings publishing a rate, ranked by median top-of-range, so you can see where this work sits rather than taking a single number on trust.
| Category | Listings | Median low | Median top | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | 95 | $100 | $140 | $400 |
| Medical | 68 | $77 | $120 | $400 |
| Consulting | 45 | $80 | $120 | $280 |
| Finance | 94 | $80 | $110 | $280 |
| Engineering | 114 | $70 | $100 | $300 |
| Research/PhD | 132 | $70 | $90 | $280 |
| Writing | 36 | $40 | $80 | $280 |
| Bilingual | 78 | $44 | $52 | $120 |
| Annotation | 25 | $12 | $24 | $120 |
Same source and date as above. Categories are matched on listing title, so a role can appear in more than one.
What it means for you
What is actually being bought is structured business judgment. Models produce strategy that reads like a competent deck and collapses on contact with a real P&L. Someone who has defended a recommendation to a paying client sees that immediately, and that is the specific thing being priced.
Who should apply
Two checks before you spend time on an application. Confirm the role accepts applicants from your country with the eligibility checker, since a meaningful share of listings carry location requirements. Then run the advertised rate through the take-home calculator, because this is contract work and the headline figure is before self-employment tax.
Applications complete on the hiring platform and usually take a few minutes, with a short skills assessment in place of an interview. Fill in every credential, language and professional background field on your profile. Those are what route you to the better paid listings, and most applicants leave them blank.
Frequently asked questions
What do consulting AI jobs pay?
Across 45 live listings with published rates, the median top-of-range is $120 an hour, reaching $280. Listings naming top-tier firm experience sit at the upper end.
Do I need MBB experience?
Some listings require it explicitly. Many accept equivalent in-house strategy, corporate development or senior operations experience, so read the requirement rather than assuming.
Does my firm need to approve?
Consulting firms typically have strict outside-work and confidentiality policies. Get clearance in writing, and never use client material in the work.
Is this the same as expert network calls?
No. Expert networks pay for a scheduled call. This is asynchronous written evaluation of model reasoning.
How senior do I need to be?
Most listings target three or more years of relevant experience. Analyst-level applicants are better served by generalist listings.
Sources
See every live role
The full board updates several times a week, with the advertised rate on each listing and closed roles removed.