Pros
The firm has a solid retirement profit sharng program and has historically not been cheap with the staff as many other government contractors are. Autonomy and respect for consultants is widley accorded if they perform reasonably well. The hierarchy is fair and straightforward as one works their way up from Researcher to Associate (A-III). After that, all bets are off, but until then you can build a nice career on merit and hard work. Quality of life tends to be good as well as long as you are billing to a government client, not so much if you work in McLean in back office divisions or on bids and proposals. A good manager can make Booz Allen a dream employer. If not, well, read the next section of my review. It is also a place with a lot of smart people, but not as filled with the brilliant as some top tier consultants and Wall Street firms. This is due to the large number of former or retired enlisted military on board who work within a specific niche that they were qualified in in their first career in the military. The former officers tend to be very highly educated and motivated, but the retired enlisted are often 'butts in seats' in a contract and don't really qualify as consultants at all. Their education and polish is often far below what I would describe as a 'typical' Booz Allen consultant. Given the trend toward Booz Allen competing for any and all government contracts though I expect these individuals, especially if they have clearances, will dilute the overall sharpness of the firm's intellectual reputation.
Cons
The firm varies widely by functional area and individual team/manager. I happen to work for an excellent team and a down-to-earth manager who tries to take care of his people. That said, it is a big company and some Level IV (Sr. Associate) and V (Principal) managers are petty tyrants who would throw their subordinates under the bus in an instant if it served their purposes. Bad clients can also ruin your experience as a Booz Allen consultant, as our engagements tend ot be much longer (1+ years) than a commercial firm. It's a great company if you work on the right team, but do your homework to make sure you don't end up with a horrible boss or client organization.