If you aim for a career in public accounting, you’re already familiar with the “Big 4.” Four mega-firms that together employ millions and make billions each year; Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) together offer some of the most highly sought-after positions in the profession and unlimited career potential.
Learn all about your chances of landing one of these Big 4 jobs, average salaries for professionals at these firms, and how you can beat the odds to get a foot in the door.
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How difficult is it to get a Big 4 job?
The short answer: it’s not easy to land one of the Big 4 jobs available each year. There are millions of annual applicants to Big 4 firms in the US alone!1
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.1
- PwC: A Times article published in 2023 cited that PwC received 304,000 applicants for 7,500 positions2—about 2.5% acceptance rate.
- Deloitte: Deloitte has nearly 2 million applicants in the US per year, with about 17,000 new hires, for an acceptance rate hovering around 0.85%.3
- KPMG: Worldwide in 2023, KPMG had an acceptance rate of around 4%, with over 225,000 applicants for its internship, graduate, and entry-level positions. That said, once you get your foot in the door by successfully completing one of the KPMG internship positions, your chances of getting a full-time offer go up to 90%!4
- EY: UK-based EY student programs accepted about 2.9% of its applicants in 2024—a total 2,000 of its 70,000 hopefuls.1
Salaries of Big 4 jobs
Even internships and entry-level Big 4 jobs tend to pay well—better than the industry average.5 When compared side-by-side with non-Big 4 firm average annual salaries for similar roles, it’s clear why the Big 4 jobs are in high demand:
Average annual Big 4 salaries vs Non-Big 4 firms5 | ||
Job title | Big | Non-Big 4 |
| Tax & Audit Intern | $74,100 | $68,000 |
| Consulting & Advisory Intern | $82,000 | $75,000 |
| Tax & Audit Staff/Analyst | $75,000 | $72,000 |
| Consulting & Advisory Staff/Analyst | $90,000 | $80,000 |
The Big 4 firms share similar average salaries for starting positions, as well as similar salary ranges for senior management and directors. Entry-level roles range from around $55,000 - $75,000 per year, while growth potential at any Big 4 firm can exceed $1 million annually.6
How to get a Big 4 job
While each firm has its own recruitment and interview process, all Big 4 jobs require that you submit an online application, fill out online and/or in-person assessments, and successfully complete an interview.1
Making yourself stand out during this process is essential to getting one of the highly competitive Big 4 jobs.
Boost your resume
Your resume is your first shot at standing out among the literal millions of applicants for Big 4 jobs. If you don’t have a resume that grabs attention, you will likely never make it past the first round of the recruitment process.
In addition to including your prior work experience and internships, use your resume to highlight your academic and professional accomplishments and awards, certifications that you’ve completed, and even community involvement and volunteer activities that demonstrate your well-roundedness as a team member and a leader. You can also list the continuing professional education (CPE) courses you’ve completed, which will help you stand out in specific specializations. And, of course, review and re-review to make sure your resume is free of grammatical and formatting errors.
Get top grades
You need excellent academic performance if you want to land a position at a Big 4 firm. Other Big 4 job applicants will have a great transcript; you should, too, if you want to be competitive among the candidates. If you’re currently in school, think about your future and put in the work now to excel in your classes and gain the foundational knowledge you need as an accounting professional.
Start early (with internships)
Rather than waiting until after you graduate to begin applying for Big 4 jobs, start as soon as you can through the many internship programs that these firms offer. Remember that interns have a much greater chance of moving into full-time positions. Plus, you can apply every summer or for a part-time position, before the pressure is on to find a long-term job.
Get connected!
If your school has career networking events, you can get to know professionals in the industry, or you can attend conferences and events—do it! Your biggest advantage for a foot in the door is to be connected in the profession, find mentors and sponsors, and learn from those with real-world experience. Considering how difficult it is to get a Big 4 job, having someone on the inside who knows your name and can vouch for your abilities is an invaluable benefit.
Prepare for the interview
If you’re fortunate enough to land an in-person interview at a Big 4 firm, you want to nail it. Study common accounting interview questions and be ready with answers that highlight your strengths, prove your readiness for the position, and make a lasting impression.
Additional interview techniques include researching the position and the firm, being ready with your own questions, and being relaxed, amicable, professional, and well-prepared.
Become a CPA
The single most important certification needed for a Big 4 career is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license. Becoming a CPA shows that you have the skills and knowledge to offer top services, plus the authorization to perform any needed task for the firm. Being a CPA makes you much more attractive to hiring managers and, if you don’t earn your CPA license, you will experience severely limited career potential within public accounting.
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- https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/big-four-acceptance-rate
- https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/article/millionaire-factories-what-does-it-take-to-get-ahead-at-the-big-four-qn9222vpm
- https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/big-four-acceptance-rate
- https://thecambridgeconsultant.com/kpmg-acceptance-rate/
- https://www.big4transparency.com
- https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/how-much-accountants-earn-big-four-deloitte-pwc-kpmg-ey/472385