Friend left for industry after a 1.5 years and now makes 74k in a Midwest city. I currently am in my first year making 50k in Midwest. Even if I get a 10% combined raise/bonus / year (con't)

@OP the difference is the intangible value of the knowledge gained and opportunities opened by working at B4. These both have enormous intangible value. The firm understands that these have value and so they pay you a bit less than the market rate, presumably because at most industry jobs you do not have this added intangible value. Staff always bitch about their low salary, without even considering they're getting tremendous intangible value out of the job.

Add time value of money and tax advantaged savings to that and it does change the scenario quite a bit. Like I said before though, switch PA firms and get that raise. Move or talk to your management. Firms pay recruiting fees, signing fees, Increased wages, and lose productivity when people move so it's often times better to just give you a few grand raise. And if you think your firm is struggling and wouldn't care about losing you then move to a firm that is doing well. There are also better raises and promotions at a growing office than a stagnating or shrinking one.

I don't disagree about the knowledge gains, but it always bothers me when $20k is classified as "a bit less"

Switch firms. US wages are rising at the fastest rate in a decade. Force these firms to pay you your fair share.

Stay in public for 3 or 4 years. You'll be better off than your friend.

Right now im fucking making like 13 an hour like stop feeding this intangible bullshit stuff. In PA you work nonstop the higher up you get. If you want a life it's not worth it

^Then leave. Nobody is making you stay. There's a reason you work here. If you don't feel the intangible value is worth it then there's the door. Stop bitching about choices you make. This isn't slavery. Nobody is stopping you from leaving for a corporate job...

It's not a competition. Focus on your career goals and then take it from there - the money will come regardless. If you enjoy public or even can just tolerate it, then I would stay a few more years and then make the jump. If you truly hate public, however, then sure take an industry job and pay bump earlier, but keep in mind the possibility for stalled wages for years to come, especially if you stay at that first industry job.

It'll take ~ 4 years to make close to that? Friend's hours are obviously less crazy too. For those that stick around why have you?

I say this as someone who went from 61k as staff 2 to 78k and 4k signing bonus as a senior 1 because I moved.

Put it in excel. Run your friends salary with 3% raises and yours with 8%. Now run it for the next 10 years and see who has earned more. If you don't hate this job then I think you'll see that sticking around is worthwhile in the long run.

lol senior 1, staff who got the highest rating last year got 6%, no bonus. Did I mention that EY has the shittiest 401k match of al time? Factor that and bonus in and it's not as far off as you think especially since you work so much

Like holy shit it's bad as a staff two I can't even imagine being a senior

^world needs ditch diggers too

Assurance manager 1 you're right I needed to do the math. I needed to see the calculation in excel.

The pay isn't great anywhere as an accountant is the point. And I personally haven't been able to find a new job in a big city. We picked a shitty career. Good for you if you enjoy it but it sucks

@pwc2 if you can't exit for more than the average grad making 50k you're doing something wrong. And I've had 10% raises in non promotion years... that's your firm's issue.

Your friend will get 3-5% raises for his career unless he job hops. If you stay 3 years at big4 you can exit for quite a bit more than he did anyways.

You'll also get promoted faster than your friend

The friend here has two busy seasons done and the OP is a first year. The gap should be seen as a bit less at 20k.