CPAs and accountants are experts at examining financial records and identifying opportunities and risks for companies or individuals. So, it makes sense to weigh the pros and cons of their career enrolled agent salary options in this field. Taking the CPA Exam and pursuing CPA licensure is a significant investment in your time and resources, so it’s natural to want to know what the average CPA salary is.

Does having a CPA guarantee a job?

• Give our 14-day free trial of our CPA Exam Review a shot to see how Becker can support your professional ambitions.
• According to BLS data, Texas offers some of the highest employment rates and one of the highest average salaries for accounting professionals.
• Certain niches within the CPA profession can command even higher average salaries, as reported in a 2024 hiring trends survey⁴ and seen below.
• A 2020 LinkedIn survey placed certified public accountants (CPAs) in sixth place among the most in-demand jobs.
• In that case, some skills that are highly necessary for your success and progression are Excel Modeling and Accounting Fundamental skills.

Additionally, KPMG’s Lakehouse, located in Orlando, Florida, is apart from its competitors. They use the site as an innovation and development hub for their employees and interns. PwC, founded in London in 1849, is the second-biggest accounting firm in the United States. Founded https://www.bookstime.com/ by Samuel Price, the company grew to merge with Holyland and Waterhouse as well as with Coopers & Lybrand – thus, the name PricewaterhouseCoopers. Moreover, in terms of salary, consultants are generally paid the most, followed by advisory, tax, and then audit/assurance.

Salary Insights

Education, experience, and location can all impact earning potential for CPAs. However, the wage gap between CPAs and non-CPAs widens substantially as those in each path gain experience and seniority. At the high ends of both salary ranges, CPAs out-earn non-CPAs by over $68,000.

Big Four Accounting Salary

They provide accounting and advisory services that have generated upwards of $160 billion combined in 2021, increasing by approximately $20 billion since 2018. Often, salary compensation is one of the motivators for a job at one of these firms. Arriving at this number actually requires looking more deeply into the impact that CPA licensure has on your career prospects.

KPMG was established in 1911, boasting over 670 offices in over 150 countries to become one of the top four accounting firms in the world. While their growth rate may not precisely match those of Deloitte and PwC, they are still readily expanding, merging, and taking on new partners. A commonly-asked question by the public is which firm pays the best. Unfortunately, this answer is somewhat subjective due to the many moving parts, including which country, region, city, sub-industry (e.g., consulting vs. audit), and position one refer to. However, an overarching theme of salaries in this industry is that they vary depending on factors such as location, experience, and department. The Big Four Accounting Firms are the largest network of global accountants measured through revenue and workforce (size) relative to the rest of the market.

They are heavily involved in the consumer markets, financial services, health, technology, media, and telecommunications industries. Larger, more established firms–like a Big 4 consultancy–typically have the budget to offer a more attractive compensation package than smaller companies competing for the same candidates. Most accountants typically have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business as well as CMA and CPA certifications. From here, accountants start careers in roles like a bookkeeper or payroll assistant.

Accounting.com is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable. To that end, we have built a network of industry professionals across higher education to review our content and ensure we are providing the most helpful information to our readers. Since their compensation packages are similar, another factor one should consider when applying would be the fit factor. A quick scan of each of the firms’ pages shows they have different values and visions. This oligopoly consists of Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG.

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