Pay at IBM starts at about average for the industry standard, but it would get worse as the pay rise is not as much as in the other companies. I heard there's a protest against pay cuts from a bunch of technical staff this year.
I understand traveling is part of the job nature of consulting, but it really stresses me out when I'm only sleeping at home for a day per week and have no time to spend with my family and friends. I start to lose contact with my friends. The company tries to utilize all your energy and skills. If you're spotted being idle, it'll be considered as incompetence and you may lose your job. You'd be better off if you just pick tasks that are not of your specialty, but at least have something to do.
