After a difficult few years for hiring in the Salesforce ecosystem, consulting has enjoyed a significant rejuvenation – especially in North America. According to 10K’s Salesforce Ecosystem Report, demand for consultants in this region grew by 72% year-on-year (YoY), the largest spike for any role or geography. Globally, consultants now make up a quarter of all Salesforce job listings, overtaking Salesforce Developer roles for the first time since 2020.
This surprising figure acts as a clear signal that customers are once again investing in large-scale transformation projects, but behind the headline number sits a more complicated story. While demand is undeniably rising, it isn’t spread evenly across the ecosystem. Some partners are scaling rapidly, while others are standing still, with specialization – rather than size – appearing to be the new growth engine.
At the same time, Salesforce’s rapid shift towards Agentforce and AI-driven automation is changing how work is being delivered. Customers now want advisors who understand both technology and business process, and can help them stitch AI capabilities into existing architectures. This is driving a new wave of consultancy demand built on depth, governance, and clear outcomes rather than headcount.
To discuss this further, Salesforce Ben spoke with Nick Hamm, CEO of 10K, to look at the deeper reasons pushing this resurgence in consultant demand.
Consultancies in Flux
When speaking to Nick, he first admitted that the North American consultancy numbers came as a bit of a shock to him and his team.
“When we saw that result, we were maybe even a little bit surprised,” he said. “Because the sentiment has been that it’s tough to find a job right now if you’re a consultant. There’ve been layoffs at a lot of consultancies.”
So why are we seeing such a surge? For Nick, the answer lies in an uneven market. Large and well-capitalized partners are still growing by double digits – 10-30% in some cases, according to 10K’s report – and are snapping up smaller firms through acquisitions.
Meanwhile, “boutique” specialists are multiplying, filling micro-niches across Salesforce’s ever-expanding product suite.
10K’s data also backs this up. The Salesforce partner ecosystem now counts more than 3,700 consulting firms, which is up 25% YoY – the fastest growth since 2020.
Nearly 40% of them are tiny 1-5 person shops that are focused on specific industries or clouds. At the other end of the spectrum, the top five consultancy partners (Accenture, Deloitte, Cognizant, TCS, and Capgemini) still hold a third of all certified Salesforce experts, but their grip is loosening and is down 21% in five years.
“It’s become really fragmented,” Nick explained. “You see a skateboard-ramp effect. A few massive players on one end and thousands of independents on the other. Some of those independents are really talented, people who left top partners to do something specialized or entrepreneurial. But it does make it harder for customers to find the right fit.”
The North American Comeback
10K’s report shows North America as the “engine” of overall Salesforce job market recovery. Talent demand rose 34% after a brutal 56% decline in 2024, and consultancies’ roles now make up a quarter of all Salesforce job listings – the largest share of any role.
The surge appears to be linked to a wave of Salesforce project rejuvenations. Companies that may have paused implementations in 2023 are now re-investing, and the complexity of AI-driven and multi-cloud initiatives is creating a newfound need for strategic partners.
“We’re going through a huge technology shift, not just in Salesforce but across IT as a whole,” Nick said. “Partners see that and they’re placing bets. Even if Agentforce adoption isn’t huge yet, the long-term potential is there, and firms want to be ready.”
Nick also added that mergers and acquisitions are also picking up pace. “The M&A emails have started flooding in again. People see opportunity, and they want to grow ahead of what they expect will be a new cycle of consolidation.”
From Consolidation to Chaos, and Back Again
The “pendulum swing” between consolidation and fragmentation has become a bit of a defining feature in the Salesforce ecosystem. 10K’s report shows small partner numbers soaring (+41% for 1-5 certified experts), even as mid-sized and large partners grow through acquisition. For Salesforce customers, this means more choice than ever, but also more risk in selecting the right vendor for what they need.
“Customers aren’t going to phone 3,700 partners to find the one that fits,” Nick detailed. “It’s a real challenge for buyers and for Salesforce AEs (account executives) trying to recommend the best partner, too.”
This has resulted in two similar markets, both growing at similar rates. Global System Integrators (GSIs) like Accenture and Deloitte continue to dominate enterprise deals – their Salesforce headcounts alone number in the tens of thousands – while boutiques carve out space in specialist clouds and industries.
The report notes that firms with 501–1,000 certified experts grew by 75% this year, underscoring the rise of mid-tier consultancies bridging the gap between startups and global GSIs. Nick described this as somewhat of an “arms race”.
“Everyone is charging towards AI, making bets on how delivery models will change. No technology cycle has ever moved this fast.”
The Return of the Dealmakers
After several quarters of caution, capital is also once again moving, with consultants back on investors’ radar.
Nick explained that during the recent periods of economic uncertainty, much of the M&A money in the ecosystem was effectively “locked up”. But now, confidence is returning as partners position themselves in the AI era.
“For a while, everyone shifted from ‘grow, grow, grow’ to ‘how can we become more profitable?’”, Nick said. “Now, with this new horizon around AI, those dollars are starting to move again.”
According to Nick, this recent wave of investments and acquisitions signals a strategic realignment. Early-stage funding and minority investments are returning as firms are preparing for the next phase of consolidation.
“When you start to see that level of investment,” he added, “you know there’s a two- to four-year horizon for merger or acquisition activity. Folks are making bets again.”
For the boutique and mid-level players, client wins now can’t be the only focus – they have to make themselves attractive to buyers now that M&A’s are very much back on the table.
Racing Toward the Next Cycle
Nick aptly likened the current consultancy market to that of a professional sports race, which is a fitting analogy for an industry that has never moved as fast as it is now.
“It feels like the Tour de France or the Indy 500 right now,” he said. “A big pack of high-level competitors all racing toward the same goal, and it’s moving super fast.”
The pace is as high as it’s ever been, and this means that what feels cutting-edge now may be outdated in a matter of months or weeks. And in that kind of environment, consultancies that hesitate risked being lapped by opportunistic rivals.
“Probably things I’m telling you right now will feel old in a month,” Nick joked. “No technology cycle I’ve been part of has ever moved this quickly.”
For the Salesforce consultancy landscape, this speed translated to constant reinvention of service, pricing models, and delivery methods. Firms that can pivot quickly, align to AI-driven demand, and maintain profitability will define the “winners” of the next consulting cycle. Everyone else risks getting caught mid-pack.
Final Thoughts
After a shaky few years, the Salesforce consulting landscape has roared back to life, but it’s a very different race than before.
Growth is no longer about headcount or certifications alone and is a lot more about agility, specialization, and foresight. The firms that thrive in this new cycle will be those that can balance scale with speed, blending technical credibility with a deep understanding of where Salesforce – and AI – are heading next.
