In 2025, the Big 4 accounting and professional services firms remain Deloitte, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), EY (Ernst & Young), and KPMG. These four global networks dominate the industry, providing audit, tax, and advisory services, and are currently adapting to AI-driven industry changes.
The Big 4 are the four largest global professional services networks that dominate audit and assurance, tax, and advisory work for companies and governments worldwide. They are Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG.
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. Let's go into more detail.
Professional certifications: Obtaining certifications like the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is often a prerequisite to work at a Big 4 firm.
What is the starting salary at Big 4 firms?
Nvidia is audited by the San Jose branch of PwC.
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.
Overview: KPMG is often considered the most conservative and audit-heavy of the Big 4. However, its consulting division—particularly in risk, forensic, and cyber—is respected and growing steadily.
Big 4 Accounting Firm Salary Ranges: Entry-level associates earn between $53,000 and $88,000 depending on function and city, with consulting roles typically paying the most.
The BIG 4 firms—Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG—are globally recognized professional services firms specializing in audit, tax, and advisory. Securing an articleship in one of these firms is considered a dream opportunity for CA students.
Financial backing and other incentives. Deloitte recognizes that the key to success goes beyond learning and coaching support. As they work to achieve their professional designation, our students receive ample study time (through both paid and unpaid days) and financial support for annual fees and CPA tuition.
In 2023, 42% of new CFOs at FTSE 100 companies didn't have an accounting qualification. In the US, CPA-certified CFOs dropped from 55% in 2012 to 43% in 2022. The trend is clear: Perfect credentials are overrated. Take Eric Kutcher, CFO of McKinsey & Company.
KPMG is the smallest of the four and has not made similar acquisitions and also is not as strong in its consulting reputation.
There are millions of annual applicants to Big 4 firms in the US alone! As private companies, Big 4 firms don't publish their acceptance rates. However, some research exists that puts the chances of getting a Big 4 job between 0.85% and 4% depending on the firm.
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.