riverripper
There are differences in pay between different companies. McKinsey, Bain, and BCG actually are not the highest paying since the know people go there for more than the big paycheck (though they do have really good benefits). Some of the smaller companies are willing to pay more to attract the best talent and would be a great option for those few people who want to make a career of consulting.
Just wanted to add that Goldman Sachs is the same deal in banking. They generally are not known to pay top bonuses among the bulge bracket. However, the name on your resume will open up several doors to you that are closed to a banker at a Deutsche Bank or Credit Suisse caliber bank.
And along those lines, I urge everyone to basically ignore starting salaries as much as they can. Please look into and research career progression. Where will you be in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years? These are tough questions to ask prospective employers and even tougher questions to get answers to. However, this is far more important than any differential in starting salary could ever be.