In the United States, CPAs generally command higher salaries than ACCA professionals, with average earnings often between $60,000 and $150,000+ per year, depending on experience and location. For example, in Little Rock, Arkansas, the average CPA salary is approximately $76,059 annually. While ACCA is globally recognized, US CPAs often have higher salary potential due to licensure demand.
ACCA pay in India varies based on years of experience and the most sought, from INR 6.4 LPA to INR 16.7 LPA. In India, the pay for a CPA professional can vary between INR 5.9 LPA (less than one year of experience) to INR 24 LPA (ten to nineteen years of expertise).
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $171,000 and as low as $11,500, the majority of Acca salaries currently range between $40,500 (25th percentile) to $83,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $118,000 annually across the United States.
The starting pay for a fresh ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) student in India is INR 5.5–11 lakhs per year while the senior positions can offer INR 19–30 lakhs per year. The salary varies depending on experience, job title, organization, industry, and location.
- Is ACCA more difficult than CFA? No, the CFA qualification tends to be considered slightly more difficult than ACCA - but this is to some extent a subjective matter, differing from person to person. Many people don't make it through the three levels of CFA because of the time required to finish the course.
How do I obtain a US CPA? Unfortunately, there is no quick route for ACCA members to obtain the US CPA. In order to obtain your US CPA qualification, you will need to sit for the CPA exam and pass the four-part exam.
Newly qualified ACCA professionals earn between £30,000 - £45,000, while senior accountants and finance managers can earn upwards of £60,000 - £80,000.
Fast-forward a few years, and Erica now runs an accounting practice making over $200,000 yearly—on less than 15 hours of work per week.
First, the US CPA has fewer sections (4 exam sections vs 13 papers for the ACCA Qualification), but they are all hard. In fact, the US CPA pass rate hovers around 45-55%. Likewise, the ACCA estimates their mean pass rate is about 55%. However, CPA candidates can benefit from studying with a review course.
All Big 4 accountancy firms – Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG – are active recruiters of ACCA-affiliated accountants. Choice often depends on your interest area: audit, consulting, tax, or advisory.
In this blog, we have addressed the most asked questions about the ACCA qualification like, can you finish ACCA in 2 years? On average, it takes two to three years to prepare for all 13 exam papers, but you may earn the qualification in 18 months if you focus on the major eight.
The ACCA Salary in the USA: 2025 Insights
Experience: Entry-level ACCA professionals may earn around $60,000 to $70,000 annually, while those with over five years of experience can command salaries exceeding $100,000.
10 Richest Chartered Accountants in India
CPA Canada used to have a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with the ACCA, but that ended in 2021. So, there's no longer a direct shortcut to transfer your ACCA to a Canadian CPA. However, being an ACCA member means your education and experience already meet the entry requirements for the CPA Canada program.
While both ACCA and CPA are highly recognized certifications in the field of accounting, there are some key differences between them. Global recognition: ACCA is a globally recognized certification, while CPA is primarily recognized in the United States.
Many students search for ACCA Jobs in the USA because the American market offers high compensation. While the USA does prioritise CPA for certain accounting roles, several opportunities still exist for global finance professionals, especially in finance operations, analytics, consolidations and risk management teams.
Making $500,000 a year is quite rare, placing you in roughly the top 1% (or slightly below, depending on data) of U.S. earners, with estimates suggesting only about 0.8% to 1% of individuals or households achieve this income, though government data can obscure this; it's a significant financial milestone, yet surprisingly, many high earners still feel financially stretched due to lifestyle inflation and high costs.