Professional Services
Salary Guide
Consulting, legal, advisory, strategy, risk and partner-track reward across firms and in-house teams.
The state of professional services talent
Professional services hiring has shifted from the rapid expansion of prior years toward selective, capability-led growth. Firms are protecting partner economics while competing hard for the specialists who drive revenue — strategy, transformation, risk, compliance and technology-advisory talent in particular.
Risk, regulatory and compliance expertise is the standout shortage, lifted by an intensifying regulatory environment across financial services and beyond. Legal counsel — especially commercial and regulatory specialists — remain scarce, and the in-house migration from private practice continues as candidates seek balance and influence.
Pay at the top is increasingly variable, with profit share and performance bonuses doing the heavy lifting. The strongest candidates weigh culture, client quality and progression alongside total reward; firms that articulate a clear path to partner or principal win the contested hires.
What these roles pay in Q2 2026
Base salary, AUD '000 p.a. (excl. bonus / profit share). Bars show the typical low–high range; the marker is the market midpoint.
| Role | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner / Director (Advisory) | $300k | $450k | $750k |
| Management ConsultantManager / Principal | $180k | $230k | $320k |
| General Counsel | $280k | $360k | $520k |
| Legal CounselSenior | $180k | $230k | $300k |
| Strategy / Transformation Lead | $200k | $250k | $340k |
| Risk & Compliance Manager | $160k | $200k | $270k |
| Engagement / Client Manager | $140k | $175k | $225k |
Talent demand by segment
Year-on-year, 2025 → 2026
- Risk & compliance +9.6%
- Legal counsel (in-house) +7.4%
- Strategy & transformation +6.8%
- General consulting +4.2%
Where supply is tightest
- Risk, regulatory and compliance specialists across financial and corporate sectors.
- Commercial and regulatory legal counsel for in-house teams.
- Strategy and transformation leaders with delivery, not just advisory, records.
- Partner- and principal-track talent with a portable client following.
What top talent now wants
- A credible, transparent path to partner, principal or GC.
- Quality clients and intellectually engaging work.
- Better balance than the traditional firm model — a key driver of in-house moves.
- Variable reward genuinely linked to contribution.
How to win the hire
- Articulate the progression path clearly — ambiguity loses partner-track talent.
- Risk and compliance specialists command premiums; budget accordingly.
- Culture and client quality increasingly outweigh marginal base differences.
- In-house teams can win firm talent on balance and influence, not just pay.
Get the full Professional Services Salary Guide
The complete edition adds location-by-location breakdowns, total-reward benchmarks (incentives and equity), diversity and retention data, and a 12-month outlook for every role band.
- City-level ranges across Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Hong Kong and Auckland
- Total-reward view — base, short- and long-term incentives
- Retention, counter-offer and time-to-hire benchmarks
- Forward outlook and reward recommendations
Need numbers specific to your structure and location? Altera's Talent Advisory practice delivers bespoke, defensible reward benchmarking. Book a consultation →
Explore other practices
Executive & Leadership
Median executive base movement, 2025→26
View guide → +5.4%HR & People & Culture
Median HR base movement, 2025→26
View guide → +5.9%Finance & Accounting
Median finance base movement, 2025→26
View guide → +4.6%Business Support
Median support base movement, 2025→26
View guide →Want reward data specific to your roles?
Our Talent Advisory practice provides tailored, role- and location-specific reward benchmarking across APAC. Book a consultation to discuss.