Fortune favors BCG

Fortune has just released its annual Best Companies ranking. BCG, once again, reigns as the top consulting firm on the chart, coming in at No. 8 overall—a drop of five spots from last year. Fortune notes the firm's excellent pay (up to $184,000 for new consultants) and benefits (which include full coverage of employee health-care premiums, three months of paid maternity leave, and a bonus deposited in a retirement plan), in addition to employee development, a collaborative culture and a strong training program. But perhaps the most salient point of BCG's ranking is that it is one of only three companies to make Fortune's top 15 for five straight years. The other companies to attain this honor are Wegmans Food Markets and W.L. Gore & Associates.

Consulting firms, in general, didn't shine too brightly on the publication's ranking this year; Booz Allen Hamilton came in at No. 52, Deloitte popped up at No. 70, and Accenture at 84, while Big Four firms Ernst & Young, PwC and KPMG showed their faces at 44, 71 and 88, respectively.

But the good news is that the consulting firms featured are also hiring! Ernst & Young is currently on the prowl for people and organizational change consultants, while Booz Allen is looking for both entry-level and experienced IT consultants. Deloitte is open to consultants of all levels for its health care and life sciences, technology, financial services and federal practices, and PwC is looking to fill spots in its financial services group. Accenture has some cubicles available across the firm, but particularly in IT-related groups, while KPMG has seats available across the board.