At least 30 consultants worked in government departments last year on day rates of £1,000-£2,000, figures obtained by the BBC’s Newsnight show.
The Department for Transport took on 10 consultants, while the Ministry of Defence said it had recently employed someone earning up to £3,000 a day.
The government said it paid £317m to consultants last year, and spending on them had dropped by 75% since 2009.