KPMG is the smallest of the Big 4 accounting firms in terms of both global revenue and employee count, according to data from Business Insider and Big 4 Bound. While smaller than Deloitte, EY, and PwC, it still generates tens of billions in revenue, holding a significant position in auditing and advisory services.
Of the Big 4, KPMG is the smallest and also the only one operating outside of London—the firm's headquarters is in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
BDO – $14 billion (BDO Accounting Firm Information) RSM $10 billion. Grant Thornton – $8 billion. Crowe $ 5.8 billion.
Deloitte is the best out of the Big 4 companies to work for. Although its work timings are way too high, the technology used are at par with the industry standards. Also, it has some of the industry's best clients.
KPMG and EY are seen as having better cultures
KPMG tends to value people and a warm culture over profit, which is why it tends to be seen as less cutthroat and focused on people.
Yes, BDO is widely considered the fifth-largest accounting network globally, often referred to as the "next biggest" after the dominant Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) and is sometimes included in discussions about a "Big Five" or "Big Six" tier, especially in markets like India, but it's technically the #5 global player by size and revenue.
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.
The single most important certification needed for a Big 4 career is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
What is the starting salary at Big 4 firms?
Which big 4 accounting firm pays the most? Well it depends on which practice you want to go into. If you want to make the most money in consulting, Deloitte pays the best. However if you want to make the most money in auditing or tax PwC is likely your best bet.
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.
“EY is regarded as the elitists, PwC the sweatshop, Deloitte the frat stars and surfer bros, and KPMG is the party firm”.
The Mid Tier accounting firms, and not just the ones at the top – e.g. BDO and Grant Thornton – do offer services outside traditional accountancy, tax, and advice.