The "Big 4" refers to the world's four largest professional services networks—Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG)—which dominate the global accounting, audit, tax, and consulting industry. They audit over 97% of U.S. public companies and Fortune 500 firms.
The Big 4 are the largest accounting and auditing firms in the world: Deloitte LLP (Deloitte), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY) and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG). They're so big that their joint revenue in 2024 was—you guessed it—$212 billion.
Because big4 is not referring to consulting... they're the 4 largest public accounting firms in the world, and the gap between the lowest big4(KPMG), and #5(BDO) is massive.
The four are often grouped because they are comparable in size relative to the rest of the market, both in terms of revenue and workforce; they are considered equal in their ability to provide a wide scope of professional services to their clients; and, among those looking to start a career in professional services, ...
The Audit practice of PwC is the best of the four. Deloitte is 2nd, EY 3rd, KPMG 4th.
Walt Disney company and PWC. We begin with Disney, in 2023 one hundred years old. At $180 billion, it is the largest entertainment corporation in the world and its auditor, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) is one of the Big 4 global accountant partnerships.
What is the starting salary at Big 4 firms?
Demanding Workload and Long Hours
One of the biggest stressors at Big 4 firms is the sheer volume of work. Employees, especially in roles like audit, tax, and consulting, often juggle multiple clients simultaneously, each with tight deadlines and high expectations.
The single most important certification needed for a Big 4 career is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
Nvidia is audited by the San Jose branch of PwC.
Alphabet. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is audited by EY, according to its statement following the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Alphabet paid EY $6.5 million in fees for auditing and other professional services across its 2024 fiscal year, the statement shows.
Accounting is the daily process of recording financial transactions, managing data, and maintaining records. Auditing is a periodic process that focuses on ensuring the accuracy and legality of financial statements.
According to the consultants we spoke to, the Big 4 hire from a wide range of degrees. That said, some degrees are more common, especially for more specialized types of consulting. Personally, I had a finance degree and I know there are a lot of people with accounting degrees, finance degrees, and economics degrees.
To be in the top 1% of US earners, you generally need an income well over $700,000 nationally, with figures around $794,000 cited for recent years, but this varies significantly by state, requiring over $1 million in places like Connecticut and Massachusetts, while being around $400,000-$450,000 in lower-cost states like West Virginia and Mississippi.
The Office of Inspector General contracted with the independent public accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP to audit NASA's fiscal year 2025 financial statements. The audit results found the financial statements presented fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of NASA's operations.
Ernst and Young is the accounting firm that is charged with auditing Apple's public financial statements. Ernst & Young is one of the largest accounting firms in the world.
On June 8, 2020, the Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee of the Board of Trustees (the Board) approved, and on June 9, 2020, the Board approved, Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Investments, Schwab ...