The "Big 4" accounting firms, generally ordered by recent revenue, are Deloitte, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), EY (Ernst & Young), and KPMG, providing global professional services including audit, tax, and consulting, handling most major public company audits.
The Big 4 accounting firms—Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC—are often lumped together as "all the same." But for students (like you) considering careers, the differences matter.
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).
BDO – $14 billion (BDO Accounting Firm Information) RSM $10 billion. Grant Thornton – $8 billion. Crowe $ 5.8 billion.
Financial Controller , ACA @ BW Energy | Energy… We all now know it as the big four, but actually it was the big 5. Arthur Andersen was once a symbol of excellence in the accounting profession, standing tall among the prestigious "Big Five" firms alongside PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG.
4️⃣ 𝐊𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐆𝐨𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫 (𝐊𝐏𝐌𝐆) Among the Big 4, KPMG is the oldest firm, with its earliest parent company founded in 1818. In 1911, William Barclay Peat & co merged with Marwick Mitchell & Co to form Peat Marwick.
Professional certifications: Obtaining certifications like the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is often a prerequisite to work at a Big 4 firm.
#3 Prestige & pay. In the industry, MBB are known to be the most prestigious and among the highest-paying firms. The Big 4 are less prestigious but still decently paid.
What is the starting salary at Big 4 firms?
While both groups offer consulting services, the Big Three are known for their focus on high-level strategy and management consulting, while the Big Four have a broader range of services, including audit, tax, and advisory services.
PwC Salary FAQs
How much does PwC pay to its employees? The highest-paying role, Managing Partner, typically earns between ₹1.3 Crore to ₹1.9 Crore per year. The top 10% of employees earn more than ₹30 Lakhs per year, and the top 1% earn over ₹55 Lakhs per year.
Deloitte Clients
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the highest-paying states for CPAs in the U.S. are the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and California, with average salaries ranging from $89,000 to $105,000 per year.
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.