Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2011-2026)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of XX.X% over the past five years, to reach an estimated $XX.Xbn in 2021.
Trends and Insights
HR consultants play a vital role in the modern economy
- HR consultants are pivotal in today's economy, as their services are integral across diverse sectors. According to a 2024 survey by Grant Thornton, 78.0% of businesses view HR services as critical to achieving organizational goals, particularly in talent acquisition, compliance, and employee engagement initiatives. Financial services, healthcare and technology sectors are driving this growth, particularly in areas like talent acquisition, digital transformation of HR processes and compliance with evolving labor regulations.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Trends and Insights
HR consulting will benefit from economic expansion, even as risks loom
- The economy is projected to grow moderately as the Federal Reserve is anticipated to gradually reduce interest rates over the coming years. This anticipated policy shift is expected to create favorable conditions for increased employment, higher corporate profit and improved credit access. As a result, businesses will be motivated to expand their workforces, fueling demand for HR consultants, especially in high-paying sectors.
Biggest companies in the HR Consulting in the US
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($short_0)
2025 | Profit ($short_0)
2025 | Profit Margin (%)
2025 |
|---|
There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the HR Consulting in the US industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Compensation and benefits consulting, Human resources management consulting and Actuarial consulting. Compensation and benefits consulting is the largest segment of the HR Consulting in the US.
Trends and Insights
Strategic consulting transforms business frameworks in a rapidly changing world
- Strategic consulting, often called human capital consulting, focuses on advisory services designed to enhance a company's workforce's return on investment. The largest segment within the consulting industry plays a crucial role when businesses need to reevaluate their organizational frameworks.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Companies provide advice and assistance to businesses and other organizations for structuring human resource and personnel policies, employee benefits, compensation systems, wage and salary administration, recruitment and retention. This industry does not include companies that provide professional and management development training or those that list employment vacancies and place applicants in open positions.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the HR Consulting industry in the United States include Providing compensation planning services, Providing personnel management assessment, Providing actuarial consulting services, Structuring employee benefits, Assessing organization development, Providing employee assessments and Providing advice for recruitment and retention.Companies
Companies covered in the HR Consulting industry in the United States include .Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the HR Consulting industry in the United States include actuary, human capital management and personnel policies.Industry Code
NAICS 541612 - HR Consulting in the US
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
As the economy has become more service-oriented and companies prioritize staff relations, human resource (HR) management has grown in importance. Companies have been increasi...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2011-2020) and forecast (2021-2026)
- Employees, including historical (2011-2020) and forecast (2021-2026)
- Businesses, including historical (2011-2020) and forecast (2021-2026)
- Profit, including historical (2011-2021)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
HR consulting companies provide a range of services to aid businesses in efficiently managing their people resources. Development of organizational design, HR strategies, per...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2021
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2021
- Major market segmentation in 2021
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Population density, along with general business activity, are the main determinants of where HR consultants are located in the United States. These factors broaden the local ...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2021
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each state in 2021
- Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2021
- Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2021
- Number and share of employees in each state in 2021
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
HR consulting is highly competitive. A company's ability to satisfy clients' needs and expectations, as well as its knowledge, skills and expertise, determines its ability to...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2016-2021
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
The HR consulting market is diverse. The market includes a mix of big multinational companies, medium-sized and tiny boutique businesses, start-ups in HR technology, independ...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2017 through 2021
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2021
Detailed analysis
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
The HR consulting industry enjoys minimal external regulation, leading to a largely self-regulated environment. This autonomy allows firms to innovate and customize their ser...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2011-2026)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2011-2026)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
The cost structures of HR consulting businesses vary widely because of the diverse range of services offered. Tailoring solutions to specific client demands can significantly...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2021
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2021
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Industry Multiples (2014-2019)
- Industry Tax Structure (2014-2019)
- Income Statement (2014-2019)
- Balance Sheet (2014-2019)
- Liquidity Ratios (2014-2019)
- Coverage Ratios (2014-2019)
- Leverage Ratios (2014-2019)
- Operating Ratios (2014-2019)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2011-2026)
- Revenue per Employee (2011-2026)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2011-2026)
- Employees per Establishment (2011-2026)
- Employees per Enterprise (2011-2026)
- Average Wage (2011-2026)
- Wages/Revenue (2011-2026)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2011-2026)
- IVA/Revenue (2011-2026)
- Imports/Demand (2011-2026)
- Exports/Revenue (2011-2026)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2011-2026)
- IVA (2011-2026)
- Establishments (2011-2026)
- Enterprises (2011-2026)
- Employment (2011-2026)
- Exports (2011-2026)
- Imports (2011-2026)
- Wages (2011-2026)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the HR Consulting industry in the United States in 2025?
The market size of the HR Consulting industry in the United States is $XX.Xbn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the HR Consulting industry in the United States in 2021?
There are $XX.Xbn businesses in the HR Consulting industry in the United States, which has declined at a CAGR of XX.X% between 2016 and 2021.
How may import tariffs affect the HR Consulting industry in the United States?
The HR Consulting industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the HR Consulting industry in the United States?
The HR Consulting industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the HR Consulting industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the HR Consulting industry in the United States has been stable at a CAGR of XX.X% between 2016 and 2021.
What does the HR Consulting industry in the United States include?
Providing compensation planning services and Providing personnel management assessment are part of the HR Consulting industry in the United States.
How competitive is the HR Consulting industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the HR Consulting industry in the United States.
Related Industries
Widen your competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
Complementors
View all industries in United States
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the US include:
- US Census Bureau
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US International Trade Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
