Does anyone feel tax/assurance accountants in public are overqualified and underpaid compare to non CFA/MBA consultants and bankers? Like why do I have a masters degree AND studying my ass off for the CPA while I have peers with just their bachelors at EYP or JPM making more and doing more “high level” work?

likefunny
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

It’s pretty simple. Take degrees earned out of it and just look at talent. I’ll generalize because there are obvious exceptions, but…

T1 consulting/IB/PE: bachelors from major universities with near perfect GPAs -> being able to charge more for work that is actually value add -> higher salary for staff

Accounting: bachelors and masters from just about any university (reputation of mostly state schools) with a respectable, but not required to be above 3.75, GPA -> compliance functions that deep down clients don’t feel is value add -> race to the bottom on fees -> lower salary for staff

likesmart

This right here. The movement to fixed fees for even big4 compliance was a terrible thing and I told people when I was there. The idea of big4 was that you carried so much weight that you should be able to charge more. Now that they are also fixed fee, it’s a race to the bottom while still pressuring your team to turn a profit

like

A lot of those careers (banking, management consulting) are hard to break into if you didn’t go to a top college

Accounting is very accessible from any accredited college

like

This

The CPA is there just like any arbitrary barrier to entry, to keep salaries high for people who have it and box out people who don’t want to put in the work to take it. As RSM1 said, we’re seeing what happens when you have that barrier and no salary reward. The CPA won’t change though because lots of accountants seem to think it’s proof you can “grind” and work hard, which is pretty pathetic if that’s all the proof you can give.

likefunny

Ask yourself why you didn't get an offer from IB or management consulting in the first place.

likesmart

In the very long run the CPA will make more

funnylike

IBA 1 how many hours per week do you work?

I mean some of my CFA/MBA friends all came out of school with data manipulation skills, presentation skills, ability to write, and are very good at researching something they know nothing about really quickly. I was non of that and so went public accounting lol

Meanwhile I'm a manager and these seniors with masters/CPA's can't even do Index/Match or use bloomberg to find me info on state withholdings.

I agree that for the hours worked and what value we provide the firm deserves a larger share of the pie. But let's not full ourselves that the Staff 2 fumbling around tax software is as capable as a well educated consultant/banker.

like

It comes down to the (perception of) value provided/created.

like

I think most people who chose CPA/Audit had much more than money on their conscious when deciding careers:
IB/High finance and consulting work way more hours. Plus as mentioned already the barrier to entry (GPA, top school, etc.) is much higher.

As far as other careers, many accountants (myself included) considered computer science or engineering for the better starting pay but the work is a bit more complicated (although probably more interesting) and you'll probably make as much or more in the long run as a CPA.

smart

Agreed masters is overkill, but you technically need it.

Agreed. I’d even compare within the accounting industry when we all hold the same degree. The differences between advisory vs tax / audit and the differences between speciality groups within a service line.

Don’t get a masters then… an MSA is a useless degree anyways

A CPA guarantees job security while those other fields do not. I could get fired today and have a new job by Monday

Related Posts

How much do partners make on average?

like

From which month revised salary ( which is done during the end of the pay cycle) is credited to the employees in deloitte india

like

Hi Fishes,

I have 4 offers and 25 days is left in my last working day HSBC is paying 3L less as compare to others offer
Can I ask to them for revise my offer letter make it X+5L... before 10 days of last working day?

BofA Vs Hsbc

Which one to choose if BofA is paying 2 lac more than hsbc ? Is Hsbc worth to consider at a lesser pay?

like

How much as per current market,we can get for 8 yeo in to .net full stack development .net with angular.
Cctc 15.3 + 2.3 so 17.6
I wanted to know how much fixed i can get ?

like

What is the base range for managers at Riveron? Typically what would a manager at B4 come in at?

like

Accenture MDs - what’s the expected L4 bonus structure look like for a TC L4?
I am SM4 should know in a month if I made L4 - getting close to getting an offer from a tier 2 strat firm .....contd...

like

At what age/ level of experience should one expect to do an mba?

Can anyone help me wrap my head around this post Series C start-up equity offer? It’s an IP director position, the the base is $170 with 10% bonus (both lower than I was expecting). There’s also an equity component: 0.15% of current fully diluted equity. This equates to about 30000 shares at a strike price of $2. They also indicate the preferred stock price is $6 and preferred stock equity is $188k (whatever that means). They are in the middle of a new financing and valuation round.

like

I'll be completing 24 months at level12 on sept 30.
when can i expect promotion and how much hike.?

like
like

@McGraw Hill any idea on salary for academic design roles ?

likehelpful

Hey I was informed my position was eliminated due to corp restructure. I am a marketing vet with 10 years diverse experience from social to email and both b2b and b2c marketing. I also am about to complete my mba. I love to tell a brands story. Looking for a position at a people first company marketing manager positions or above in Atlanta or remote thanks for your help.

like

I have almost 5.5years of experience and working with TCS from almost 4years my current package is less than my experience.
I have interview for HCL for network engineer/administrator role. How much should I ask during salary discussion?

like

does anyone know what Georgia Pacific pays?

like

Hello fishes,

What is current package being offered by Deloitte USI for below profile,
Role : Business analyst
Exp : 9 years 4 months


HR discussion is pending so wanted to have a idea of a fair CTC I can request.

My current CTC is 21 lpa.

like

Anyone on here handle Excess Claims. I’m interested to see what the salary is , I handle any claim over a million dollars and monitor those that are less than a million and I know I am being underpaid

like

Have you ever taken a pay cut? Do you regret it?

likesmarthelpful

Hi all!
I’m thinking of taking the Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) exam. Does this certification make a difference in salary? I am currently a payroll specialist. I want to take my career next level payroll manager to be precise? Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

like

What's the variable % for an Associate Director role at LTI?

like

More Posts

Can someone tell me when to expect
offer letter from PWC after they
request for the documents? Also for US
tax profile they are providing permanent
wfh, do they provide a document for
that?

like

Going to India from DCA (flights were cheaper) but I live in Houston. Flight from DCA is at 10 pm. Should I book my flight from Houston to DC the same day or one day earlier? Given the flight cancela.

like

Do you remember when “office closed due to inclement weather” meant you had an easy day at home because remote wasn’t a thing yet? Now with a foot of snow coming, office closed means wfh with no backup childcare available….

like

Bainers, how does one decipher the convoluted career website of your firm? What are the levels for working professionals in consulting business? Why does it only show consultant or below roles when selecting a particular office?

like

Would folks be interested in a NYC singles of fishbowl party? I know a solid venue

like

Did they release it already?

Booz Allen Hamilton what’s the hardware options for director and above, Are Macs an option?? I’ll be moving over to commercial cyber in the near future.

likehelpful

Hi fishes, How Risk Mitigation team is in Citi?? I will be working on Global CRM financial application. How is the work here? Is there WLB ?

like

Welcome to the Agile Guild

like

Last week team dynamics took a turn for the worst (even tho in each retro the team always commend each other, you would think team work is great). Team members get agitated with each other for being slow. Team members coming across rude and brash (the same ones are difficult to get hold to offer support, time is money is what someone said💰, the craziest was the client accidently sharing her whatsapp screen, commenting on people's feedback to what she was presenting OMG 😲 How was your week?

For those watching their home value - which is best? Zillow or Redfin? I’m watching mine to see what equity I have to refi and potentially get PMI removed. Zillow is current showing home value at about 20K less than Redfin. Are there any other tools I could be using? Thanks.

like

Which are the best magazines for our industry? Creativity? Creative Review? Clio Muse?

likehelpful

Hold or sell IOTA?

I’ve gotten massive returns by making huge bets on good coins. XLM is my current darling: FairX, ICO platform, partnerships, use cases and fast payments.

like
like

Just booked flight to Hong Kong. Best SPG/Marriott to book on points? Trying to find proximity to good nightlife, restaurants, and public transportation. (Cont.)

like

What do you include in your competitive audits? (Not creative)

Got a personal email from HR asking to evaluate our executive team’s performance. Thinking this is a no win situation.

likefunny

Please help. I’ve moved up the ranks pretty quickly at the company I work for to become a Principal SE. My manager thinks the best next step for me is to move into management and leadership and has started pushing me to apply for an engineering manager role. They say that I will be a good fit because of my strong technical background paired with the leadership and people skills I display currently.

I’m torn because I do love being an IC but I’m interested in leadership also. What do I do?

likefunny

How much time does Quantiphi take in giving feedback after 1st round of interview - client solution partner role

like

Additional Posts in Accounting

What's the Salary range for BDO senior manager in Texas region? Tax/specialized tax.

like

Is anyone familiar with Morgan Franklin vs Ankura vs Connor Group? Any particular distinguishing qualities that set one apart from the rest? Looking for more strategy and operational consulting opportunities and considering those 3.

like

Will most of us (big 4 employees) be in at least the 200k+ salary range once we hit our late 40s and early 50s? I know that MOST of us won't stay with our firms, but does that mean we stagnate?

like

Every walkthrough that lasts longer than 2 hours makes me want to quit

like

Any TAS or FAAS roles actively hiring? I only have audit experience looking to break into advisory

like

Is there a range of time in which it is appropriate to begin wishing Eid Mubarak?

like

How do you deal with people who throw you under the bus because they’re the ones who are incompetent?

likefunny

Anyone from PA ever have thoughts of switching to a medical field like RN, MD, PA etc. ?

like

Thinking having a 24’ HD and a 28’ 4K monitor setup. Is 4K for excel not necessary? How about 28’ monitors?

like

There's a ton of self help and leadership books out there to help people in their careers. If there was one that was written front the lense of a public accounting, would you read it?

likehelpful

What do you fishbowlers think about the economy right now, with everything liquidating., do you think it's worth staying in financial services audit?

like

Dallas folk. I am replanting myself to your city and I am now starting to look into places to live at. Any suggestions on locations? Any recommendations on a good orthodontist? Anything else I should know about your city?

like

What's going on at PwC advisory?

like

What are the highest paying tax group in big four? M&A, TP?

like

Does anyone ever feel like they have become the most negative person after entering public accounting?

like

I'm getting fatter and wrinklier every hour I stay in PA.

like

Anybody wanna refer me to PWC 👀

like

I don't upvote other people's comments when I comment on a post here; cause I want my comment to have my votes #sorrynotsorry

like

I got rejected for an interview from Big 4 NY Audit, even had referrals from Manager + level people. 3 years w/ audit senior at mid size firm, 2 years fed tax at big 4, and 1.5 years Internal Audit healthcare. Currently self employed for a year to work on investing. Do I literally need a partner level referral to get back into Audit? I thought there was an accountant shortage.

like

print more think less

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal