When should I leave the big 4. Fortunately, Big 4 Deal Advisory experience would open up a large number of opportunities in industry. So I've been lurking on this forum and searching quite a bit on info regarding Valuation, Big 4, and CFA. Big Four Accounting Salary – Overview. Advice and questions welcome. So that's after about 6 years experience at a firm. Tax is a bit more and Advisory varies greatly to a bit more to much more. Hi everyone! Out of these 4 service lines at the big 4, what are the exit opportunities of each one? Now if this is an area you’re considering, I strongly encourage you to check out our map of the landscape of Accounting & Audit Exit Opportunities… Need some advice for exit opportunities in Big 4 IT audit. Whether you are in audit, advisory or tax you will be working very hard while you are a staff person. We spoke to a former audit graduate at PwC (who prefers to remain anonymous) about why she chose the graduate scheme she did, the value of her internship at PwC, what doing an audit graduate scheme is like, and where it might take you.. We hope you find it useful if you're considering an application to PwC or any of the other ‘Big Four’ firms.. Why I Chose Audit I'm hoping to jump to corporate/industry after, and was wondering if I would be able to get a senior accountant position after 2 years. Exit Op varies depending on connections and skillsets you gain in the Big 4 firm. If you make manager at a big 4 firm and do that for a year, typically you're going to be looking at an exit option that pays you around $120k/year in a major metropolitan area. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Finance, especially the high level kind is relatively unmatched. So the question is: How does the pay look? This takes a really long time to do, at a bare minimum it takes 12 years to make partner at a big 4 but the norm is closer to 15 years. Almost no one stays at a firm their entire career. I am just starting intermediate accounting 1 this fall so I was thinking it might be a good idea to start researching what Audit and Tax look like in terms of pay, work type, and of course exit opportunities. You will have a very comfortable upper middle class lifestyle and probably can drive a modest luxury car and take a nice vacation every year. Also 120k+ per year is a great salary in most parts of the US. Big 4 accounting and its exits are going to provide a fine upper middle class existence if you work it. So yes you'll always be making less money than if you had gone investment banking, but as you've already realized investment banking is a difficult field to break into and the hours are way more brutal. Recently, I've been researching many careers related to finance/business. Hi All, I've been at one of the Big 4 doing consultancy for 3 years - started off on the graduate programme and got promoted last year (i'm 26). In a decent sized market. My ultimate goal is to of course get my CPA. FYI, people regard after completing one year at manager at a Big 4 to be the best time to leave. I love IT and my major was both IS and Finance so I thought this would be a good fit for me but I just don't enjoy the work. Press J to jump to the feed. I've read some good info, but I had a few questions I was hoping to get answers for. After that salary projections become more tricky but unless you end up making CFO somewhere decently sized, your career will probably top out around 150-180k. The margin that the big 4 accounting firms make off of associates is amazing. From the big 4, what is the fastest route to attain my goal of reaching VP, CFO. It’s completely changed my mindset.” – Ex-Audit, Big 4 – London, UK However, if you are interested in gaining international experience within your role, internal audit may be the perfect route for you. They employ thousands of employees around the world across practice areas including consulting, audit, tax, and more. Salary went from $65 to $95k. Got a little bit of a special episode for you today. Advisory is more unpredictable and more difficult to plan for. Almost no one stays at a firm their entire career. Many hope to land a job as an associate or a staff accountant in a major professional services firm (the Big Four – Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, or … If you aren’t going to be partner, get the hell out.In a 2016 research paper published by the University of Tennessee, the authors outline average earnings through age 37 for CPAs in the following buckets:1) Never leave public 2) Leave after senior 3) Leave after managerNo surprise that those choosing to stay in public can expect to earn $ Also, you're also like 6 years out and things may change in terms of salary. Big 4 audit to big 4 CF Should I do accounting or banking? Their false sense of superiority cannot handle that. Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) Law school is another path. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As in a senior financial analyst? I am soon to start at the big 4 in the UK (Audit), and have a few questions if you wouldn’t mind! A common exit opportunity for many in Big 4 TS people is to go to…wait for it…another Big 4 firm. Explanation of exit options for Big 4 employees in audit (assurance), tax and consulting. Tax makes more while in public accounting though. Internal audit is typically a less popular route, with much of the role mirroring the work that you would have carried out during your role within the Big 4. In most bigger markets I’ve heard 4-5 years is the best time to exit. Similar to going to an Ivy League school, the exit opportunities are all about your network and relationships. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. There is a great deal of power behind a Big 4 brand. The university I'm most likely going to go to will be a top 20 accounting school that has big 4 firms that recruit there. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. So, most people go to Big 4 because of the exit options. Big 4 - audit, advisory, consulting, tax exit opportunities More meaningful jobs after big4 audit? But, after researching more into accounting, it seems relatively appealing as well. But to my knowledge, exit opps to any client is common. NEEDED…) out of Audit at the Big 4 … I'm genuinely interested in accounting, but I want to make sure the pay is well, and that I have a chance to move up the ladder, if I actually get in. Generally you start at $50-60k. Big 4 Transaction Services: Careers, Recruiting, Deals, Valuation vs. Financial Due Diligence, Salaries and Bonuses, and Exit Opportunities. Holy shit a high school student who can write. Exit Opportunities from a Big 4 Deal Advisory Practice. Especially because the university I will most likely go to won't be a target school. Quick Background: Accounting Grad student Late 20's Will work for Big 4 audit after graduation Level II CFA candidate My questions are: 1.) I'm hoping to jump to corporate/industry after, and was wondering if I would be able to get a senior accountant position after 2 years. Welcome to r/Big4, a place to discuss everything related to the Big 4 accounting firms: PwC, Deloitte, EY, & KPMG. Was just wondering what types of accounting opportunities are available after 2 years of Big4 Audit and what the rough salary range might be. I'm still quite young (just about to finish my junior year in high school), and have a decent amount of time before committing to anything. This particular post covered Big 4 Valuations – a subset of the Big 4 Transaction Services (TS) division, with other roles coming soon! Thanks for all the replies =). For example, I can't think of many careers in most fields that get you the money a hedge fund manager can pull. My time at the Big 4 was slightly under 3 years before moving on to a more commercial role. You get to work with a range of clients and when time is right you can choose to join a client business in a senior position at a much higher salary than what the bank is offering. In Audit, you'll likely start out in 50k-60k as an associate and move to the 70k-80k as a senior associate in around 2 to 3 years years and then if you toughen it out and stick around, 95k-110k as a manager in 5 to 6 years. Archive View Return to standard view. If you are a Big 4 Audit Manager considering a move, and you don't have a good handle on your opportunities, you have wasted a few years of your time. So, most people go to Big 4 because of the exit options. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Made no sense to stay with another opportunity and I haven’t looked back once. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Personally, I wanted (No. It really depends on which state you live in and how the market is. Finance at an IB vs Big4 Audit What are some non typical exit opportunities for big 4 auditors other than financial reporting/internal audit function in industry that you have seen?I saw someone go work for audit software startup as a product manager and make $$$ In addition, these mammoth organizations advise on tax and offer a wide range of management and assurance services. The biggest drawback I have seen with accounting (especially opposed to other financial careers), is that the exit opportunities aren't really that great. Pay usually "doubles every five". – justify horrible hours for “exit opportunities” Reality? Also are the exit opportunities of 2 vs 3 years Big4 audit significant? Audit and Tax at a Big4 How bad are big4 audit hours? So, with hard work, I actually have a chance at getting into a big 4 firm. 1:1 Call or Coaching Packages from $65 “You won’t find a more relevant impactful source of advice anywhere for getting out of accounting and audit. Is audit best if you want to move towards controlle Also are the exit opportunities of 2 vs 3 years Big4 audit significant? But I also dont want to stay in public forever. At the Manager level, expect a small increase in salary — and, perhaps, be willing to accept a lateral for an opportunity with advancement potential. The longer you stay in Big 4 after the Manager level, the more you price yourself out of the market for a move into industry. Big 4- Banking and Capital Markets- Exit Opportunities This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 1 month ago by nosleep135 . However 2-3 years is fine in smaller markets, especially if you’re not hoping to go for a controller or assistant controller role. Students dream of working at one of the top accounting firms and receiving a Big Four accounting salary. Although usually identified as single companies, each one of the Big 4 Accounting Firms is actually a network of independent corporations who have entered into agreements with one another to set quality standards and share a common name. If you make manager at a big 4 firm and do that for a year, typically you're going to be looking at an exit option that pays you around $120k/year in a major metropolitan area. Although I was allured to investment banking (like most people are, I suppose), I found the route to be way too arduous. The great thing about the Big Four is the sheer abundance of opportunities they offer. Could 4-5 years really land someone a controller type of position after big 4 audit? Honestly, pay differentiates vastly depending where you live and what you're doing at the Big 4 firm. 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