Billable utilization is the top management consulting revenue KPI in 2027, followed by average billable rate and revenue per billable consultant. Huron reported 76.2% Consulting utilization for Q3 2026 and CRA 77% for its second quarter of fiscal 2026, while SPI Research put the 2025 average at 66.4%. FTI Consulting reported average billable rates of $550, $468 and $639 by segment, and SPI reported $210K revenue per billable consultant. Where no firm publishes a figure, such as realization, this page says so.
Definition: Huron: hours billable consultants worked on client assignments divided by their total available working hours in the periodHuron, Q3 2026: Consulting utilization of 76.2% versus 73.7% a year earlier; Digital utilization of 81.2% versus 77.1%CRA, Q2 fiscal 2026: Utilization of 77% for the quarter ended July 4, 2026; 77%, 75% and 70% for fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023FTI Consulting, Q3 2026: Corporate Finance 58%, Forensic and Litigation Consulting 54% and Economic Consulting 61%; not presented for Technology and Strategic CommunicationsSPI Research, 2025: Average billable utilization of 66.4% versus 68.9% in 2024, against an optimal target of 75%
Utilization divides billable hours by available hours. Huron reported 76.2% for Consulting and 81.2% for Digital in Q3 2026, CRA 77% for its second quarter of fiscal 2026, and FTI 58%, 54% and 61% across three segments. SPI Research put the 2025 average at 66.4%.
Go ifSeeing how much of each consultant calendar turns into billable time
Skip ifYou need one number across firms; each firm counts available hours its own way
Why #1 over #2: It turns every consultant hour into revenue, which a bookings number cannot do.
2
Management Consulting Average Billable Rate
Photo: Carlo Dani / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe price-per-hour KPI.
Definition: FTI reports average billable rate by segment beside utilization, for segments whose revenue is mostly billed by the hourFTI Consulting, Q3 2026: Average billable rate of $550 in Corporate Finance, $468 in Forensic and Litigation Consulting and $639 in Economic ConsultingFTI Consulting, nine months 2026: $549 in Corporate Finance, $461 in Forensic and Litigation Consulting and $617 in Economic ConsultingOther firms: Not published: the Huron and CRA releases read for this page give no average billable rate
FTI Consulting reported average billable rates of $550 in Corporate Finance, $468 in Forensic and Litigation Consulting and $639 in Economic Consulting for Q3 2026. Huron and CRA did not publish a rate in the releases read.
Go ifChecking whether pricing is rising or slipping against hours worked
Skip ifYou need a market-wide rate; only FTI publishes segment rates in the releases read
Why #2 over #3: It shows price per hour, which revenue per consultant blends with hours worked.
3
Management Consulting Revenue per Billable Consultant
Photo: Pereneph / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe productivity KPI.
Definition: SPI Research reports revenue per billable consultant alongside revenue per employeeSPI Research, 2025: Average revenue per billable consultant of $210K, up 6% from $199K in 2024SPI Research, 2025: Average revenue per employee of $168K, up 6% year over yearSPI rule of thumb: High-maturity firms at $200K or more, and revenue of about 2 times fully loaded costPublic firms: Not published: Huron reports 5,324 revenue-generating professionals at September 30, 2026 but no revenue per professional
SPI Research reported average revenue per billable consultant of $210K for 2025, up 6% from $199K, and revenue per employee of $168K. Public firms such as Huron report headcount, 5,324 revenue-generating professionals, but not this ratio.
Go ifMeasuring how much revenue each billable person produces
Skip ifYou need a management-consulting-only figure; SPI covers professional services firms broadly
Why #3 over #4: It is the one productivity figure with a published benchmark, ahead of win rate.
4
Management Consulting Win Rate
Photo: Jerry Michalski / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe proposal-conversion KPI.
Definition: SPI Research reports win rate as bids wonSPI Research, 2025: Bids won of 48.1% versus 47.3% in 2024Booz Allen, Q1 fiscal 2027: Win rate not disclosed in the releaseICF, Q2 2026: Win rate not disclosed in the release
SPI Research reported bids won of 48.1% for 2025, versus 47.3% in 2024. Booz Allen and ICF do not disclose a win rate in their latest releases.
Go ifJudging how often proposals turn into signed work
Skip ifYou expect a public-company benchmark; the filings read give none
Why #4 over #5: It is a sales-conversion measure with a real benchmark, which backlog lacks outside contractors.
5
Management Consulting Backlog
Photo: Tony Webster / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe visibility KPI.
Definition: Booz Allen reports backlog as funded, unfunded and priced options, and its book-to-bill uses the change in total backlog plus revenueBooz Allen, June 30, 2026: Total backlog of $39,483 million, up 3.2% from $38,265 million; funded backlog of $4,664 millionICF, June 30, 2026: Total backlog of $3.3 billion, with funded backlog above $1.6 billion, about 50% of the totalICF coverage: Management says about 90% of the revenue needed to reach the guidance midpoint is already in backlogHuron, Q3 2026: Describes a strong backlog but publishes no dollar figure
Booz Allen reported total backlog of $39,483 million at June 30, 2026, up 3.2%, with $4,664 million funded. ICF reported $3.3 billion, about 50% funded, and says about 90% of the revenue needed for its guidance midpoint is already in backlog.
Go ifSeeing how much future revenue is already contracted
Skip ifYour work is not contract-based; backlog is a government-contractor measure
Why #5 over #6: It shows contracted future revenue, which bookings only hint at.
6
Management Consulting Bookings and Book-to-Bill
Photo: Wistula / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe demand-signal KPI.
Definition: Booz Allen: net bookings divided by period revenueAccenture Consulting, Q4 fiscal 2026: Bookings of $9.40 billion with a book-to-bill of 1.0; $40.86 billion for the year with a book-to-bill of 1.1Booz Allen, Q1 fiscal 2027: Book-to-bill of 1.5 for the quarter and 1.1 for the trailing twelve monthsICF, Q2 2026: Contract awards of $402 million, a quarterly book-to-bill of 0.85; trailing twelve months of $2.0 billion and 1.09
Accenture Consulting booked $9.40 billion in Q4 fiscal 2026, a book-to-bill of 1.0, and $40.86 billion for the year at 1.1. Booz Allen reported 1.5 for its quarter and ICF 0.85 for Q2 2026.
Go ifTelling whether new work is arriving faster than revenue is being earned
Skip ifYou need one definition; each firm counts bookings differently
Why #6 over #7: It compares new work with revenue earned, which a growth rate cannot.
7
Management Consulting Revenue Growth
Photo: Roberto Fiadone / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe top-line KPI.
Definition: Year-over-year change in revenue; Huron reports revenues before reimbursable expensesHuron, Q3 2026: Revenues before reimbursable expenses up 11.6% to $482.5 million versus $432.4 millionCRA, Q2 fiscal 2026: Revenue up 12.8% to $210.8 million, with Management Consulting services up 25.5%Accenture Consulting, fiscal 2026: Consulting revenue of $36.88 billion, up 3% in local currency for the yearSource Global Research: Forecast of 6% growth for the global consulting market in 2026 to around $315bn, with Strategy at 4%SPI Research, 2025: Average revenue growth of 5.2% versus 4.6% in 2024, with 10% considered healthy
Huron grew revenues before reimbursable expenses 11.6% to $482.5 million in Q3 2026, and CRA grew 12.8% to $210.8 million with Management Consulting up 25.5%. Source Global Research forecast 6% for the global consulting market in 2026.
Go ifComparing your growth against public peers and the market forecast
Skip ifYou need organic growth; these figures include acquisitions and currency effects where stated
Why #7 over #8: It places a firm against the market, which leakage cannot.
8
Management Consulting Revenue Leakage and Realization
Photo: Steve Talas / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe billing-discipline KPI.
Definition: SPI Research tracks revenue leakage as a percentage of revenueSPI Research, 2025: Average revenue leakage of about 4.5%, with leading firms below 3%Realization: Not published: the SPI summaries read and the Huron, FTI and CRA releases state no realization rate
SPI Research put average revenue leakage at about 4.5% for 2025, with leading firms below 3%. No realization rate is published in the SPI summaries or the Huron, FTI and CRA releases read.
Go ifFinding revenue lost between work done and invoices sent
Skip ifYou need a published realization benchmark; none was found
Why #8 over #9: It points to lost billing, which pipeline coverage does not show.
9
Management Consulting Pipeline Coverage
Photo: MTLskyline / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe forward-sales KPI.
Definition: SPI Research reports deal pipeline coverage as a percentage of the quarterly bookings forecastSPI Research, 2025: Pipeline coverage of 175% of the quarterly bookings forecast versus 166% in 2024ICF, June 30, 2026: Business development pipeline of $9.3 billion, up 9% sequentially
SPI Research reported pipeline coverage of 175% of the quarterly bookings forecast for 2025, versus 166% in 2024. ICF reported a $9.3 billion pipeline, up 9% sequentially, at June 30, 2026.
Go ifChecking whether the sales pipeline is deep enough to hit the bookings forecast
Skip ifYour firm does not forecast bookings; coverage depends on that forecast
Why #9 over #10: It looks forward at sales, while repeat revenue looks back at clients.
10
Management Consulting Repeat Client Revenue
Photo: Husskeyy / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe loyalty KPI.
Definition: CRA: it derives the majority of its revenues from new engagements with existing clientsCRA, fiscal 2025: No single client above 10% of revenues in fiscal 2025, 2024 or 2023Huron, fiscal 2025: A large portion of new engagements come from existing clientsSPI Research, 2025: Referenceable clients of 68.2% versus 70.1% in 2024Published percentage: Not published: the CRA and Huron filings read give no percentage of repeat-client revenue
CRA says it derives the majority of its revenues from new engagements with existing clients, with no single client above 10%. Huron says a large portion of new engagements come from existing clients. Neither publishes a percentage; SPI reported referenceable clients of 68.2%.
Go ifShowing how dependent growth is on clients already won
Skip ifYou want a benchmark percentage; none is published in the sources read
How we ranked these
We ranked ten management consulting revenue KPIs by how directly each measures consulting revenue and whether a public firm or a trade benchmark publishes a figure for it. Benchmarks come from the FTI Consulting third quarter 2026 release (October 2026), the Huron third quarter 2026 release, the CRA second quarter fiscal 2026 release (August 2026) and fiscal 2025 Form 10-K, the Booz Allen first quarter fiscal 2027 release (July 2026), the ICF second quarter 2026 release (August 2026), the Accenture fourth quarter fiscal 2026 release (October 2026), Source Global Research (March 2026), and Deltek summaries of the 2026 SPI Research Professional Services Maturity Benchmark (July 2026, covering 2025 results). The SPI data is under a year old but covers professional services firms broadly, not only management consulting. Periods differ by firm, so compare each with its own history first. Where no number is published, such as realization or repeat-client percentage, we say so instead of estimating. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.
Questions people ask
What is a good utilization rate for a consulting firm?
SPI Research put the 2025 average billable utilization at 66.4% against an optimal target of 75%. Huron reported 76.2% for Consulting in Q3 2026 and CRA reported 77% for its second quarter of fiscal 2026.
What is the average billable rate at FTI Consulting?
For Q3 2026 FTI reported $550 in Corporate Finance, $468 in Forensic and Litigation Consulting and $639 in Economic Consulting. It does not report a rate for Technology or Strategic Communications.
How much revenue does the average consultant generate?
SPI Research reported average revenue per billable consultant of $210K for 2025, up 6% from $199K in 2024.
What is the average win rate for consulting proposals?
SPI Research reported bids won of 48.1% for 2025 versus 47.3% in 2024. Booz Allen and ICF do not disclose a win rate in the releases read.
Utilization rate, in percent, by firm and benchmark at a glance
FTI Forensic and Litigation, Q3 202654 %
FTI Corporate Finance, Q3 202658 %
FTI Economic Consulting, Q3 202661 %
SPI Research average, 202566.4 %
Huron Consulting, Q3 202676.2 %
CRA, Q2 fiscal 202677 %
Huron Digital, Q3 202681.2 %
Utilization rate, in percent, by firm and benchmark, as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.
