Who are the Big 4 in 2025?

The "Big Four" in 2025 remains the same group of global professional services firms: Deloitte, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), EY (Ernst & Young), and KPMG, dominating audit, tax, and consulting, though they faced challenges like layoffs and intense market pressures despite overall revenue growth in 2025. They are the primary auditors for major corporations, including tech giants, and continue to be industry leaders in financial and strategic advisory.

Who are the Big Four audit firms 2025?

• Big Four companies- Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG are the focus of the accounting industry, and most of the large public companies in the world are audited by them.
• These companies have emerged from the former Big Eight and have become the industry's gold standard after decades of consolidation and mergers.

Who are the current Big 4 firms?

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.

Which Big 4 is hardest to get into?

While it varies, Deloitte and PwC are often cited as the toughest Big 4 to get into, especially for consulting roles, due to massive application numbers and strong reputations, though all Big 4 are highly competitive, with KPMG sometimes seen as slightly easier for audit/tax but difficult for Strategy&, and EY also extremely selective in key areas like its UK student programs. Overall, acceptance rates are very low (often under 3%), but it heavily depends on the specific service line (Audit, Tax, Consulting), location, and your qualifications, with some sources pointing to Deloitte's consulting arm and PwC Strategy& as peak difficulty. 

What is the Big 4 revenue in 2025?

Big 4 Revenue

The big 4 accountancy firms together earned over $212.2 billion in 2025.

Which BIG 4 Firm IS THE BEST? We Rank the BIG 4 on Salary, Size & Culture! [PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, EY]

Which Big 4 is the smallest?

KPMG is the smallest of the four and has not made similar acquisitions and also is not as strong in its consulting reputation.

Can a CPA make 300k a year?

Yes, a CPA can absolutely make $300k, especially in senior leadership roles like Partner, CFO, or Director in large firms or corporations, or by owning a successful practice, though it typically requires significant experience (10+ years), specialization, business development, and working in high-cost areas like major cities, with partners at large firms often earning well over $300k. 

Can you make $500,000 a year as an accountant?

Yes, an accountant can make $500k a year, but it's rare and typically requires reaching top-tier positions like partner at a large firm, Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) in a major corporation, or owning a highly successful practice, often involving specialization, significant experience (20+ years), business development, and strategic leadership rather than just basic accounting tasks. It's a long, challenging journey involving high leverage and significant responsibility, not typical for entry-level or standard roles. 

Are the Big 4 struggling?

Partner promotions at the Big Four accounting firms in the UK hit a five-year low for the 2025 cycle, underlining the sector's struggle to protect profits as slowing demand for consulting services erodes revenues. https: //on.ft.com/3LMRZPz. Day by day — the market too becomes repetitive in the UK.

Which is the most prestigious Big 4?

There's no single "most" prestigious Big 4 firm, as prestige varies by service line and individual perception, but PwC and Deloitte are often cited as the top contenders for overall prestige, followed closely by EY and KPMG, with PwC strong in audit/assurance and Deloitte leading in consulting revenue, while EY excels in tech/tax and KPMG is competitive in transaction advisory, according to insights from Prosple and Management Consulted, Vault's rankings, and Big 4 Bound. 

Is BDO or Grant Thornton bigger?

BDO – $14 billion (BDO Accounting Firm Information) RSM $10 billion. Grant Thornton – $8 billion. Crowe $ 5.8 billion.

What is the Big Four starting salary?

What is the starting salary at Big 4 firms?

• Audit associates: $55,000 to $65,000 depending on city.
• Tax associates: $60,000 to $70,000.
• Advisory associates: $70,000 to $85,000.
• Consulting associates: $85,000 to $90,000, the top tier at entry-level.

Who audits Nvidia?

AI juggernaut Nvidia, is being audited by PwC for its 2026 fiscal year, ending January 31, 2026, according to the Nvidia Corporation Annual Review. PwC has audited Nvidia since 2004, the report notes.

Why Big 4 and not big 5?

History of the Big 4 accounting firms

In the late 1990s, the Big 6 became the Big 5 when Price Waterhouse merged with Coopers and Lybrand to form PricewaterhouseCoopers (later stylised as PwC). Five became four in 2001 after the insolvency of Arthur Andersen due to the firm's involvement in the Enron scandal.

What is the starting salary at the Big 4 Consulting firms?

Each firm's strategy arm, Monitor Deloitte, PwC Strategy&, EY-Parthenon, and KPMG Strategy, offers defined career paths and strong opportunities for advancement. Salaries at Big 4 consulting firms range from $75,000 to over $500,000, with bonuses and profit-sharing for senior consultants and partners.

What salary to afford a $1,000,000 house?

To afford a $1 million house, you generally need an annual salary between $200,000 and $300,000, depending heavily on your down payment, credit, and other debts, but experts suggest aiming for around $250,000+ for comfort with a 20% down payment. A common guideline (28% rule) suggests your total housing costs shouldn't exceed 28% of your gross income, while some lenders look at a 36-45% debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, meaning a larger salary is needed for higher payments. 

What jobs in the US pay $300,000 a year?

Jobs paying $300,000 or more in the U.S. are concentrated in medicine, finance, law, and high-level tech/executive roles, including specialist doctors (surgeons, anesthesiologists), C-suite executives, investment bankers, partners in big law firms, senior tech leaders (VPs/Directors of Engineering), management consultants (Partners), private equity executives, and top-tier sales directors, often involving significant bonuses, commissions, or profit-sharing. Some roles, like senior airline pilots or successful entrepreneurs/tradespeople, can also reach this level without traditional degrees. 

Is the CPA harder than the bar?

There's no definitive answer, as it's subjective, but many who've taken both find the CPA Exam harder due to its four distinct sections, breadth of technical accounting knowledge, and the need to pass all within 18 months (a marathon), while the Bar Exam is often seen as a more intense, physically demanding sprint over two days testing broad legal concepts. The CPA's difficulty often comes from its multifaceted nature and the challenge of mastering different accounting/tax areas, whereas the Bar's challenge lies in the sheer volume of legal information and mental stamina required over consecutive days. 

Which Big 4 is the hardest to get in?

How difficult is it to get a Big 4 job?

• 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%.

What profession makes $400,000 a year?

Professions making $400,000 a year typically fall into medicine (specialized surgeons, anesthesiologists), law (partners in major firms), finance (investment banking, C-suite execs), big tech (senior engineers, executives), high-level sales (enterprise tech, medical devices), and executive leadership (CEOs), often requiring advanced degrees, specialized skills, and extensive experience, though top sales roles might bypass degree requirements for performance.
 

Which is the no. 1 high salary job in the world?

The #1 highest-paying job globally is generally considered the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), overseeing major corporations with potential earnings in the millions, though specialized Surgeons (Neurosurgeons, Cardiologists) and Anesthesiologists consistently rank at the top for medical professionals, earning hundreds of thousands to over a million annually. Other top earners include tech roles like AI/ML Engineers, Data Scientists, and high-level finance positions like Investment Bankers, reflecting a blend of executive leadership and specialized skills in high-demand fields. 

What salary is top 1% in the USA?

To be in the top 1% of earners in the U.S., you generally need a household income between approximately $700,000 and over $1 million, with the exact amount varying significantly by state, though national estimates hover around the $790,000 mark for average individual wages, while some analyses show thresholds from under $400k in low-cost states to over $1 million in high-cost areas like Connecticut.
 

Do all CPAs make 6 figures?

No, not all CPAs make six figures immediately, but the credential significantly boosts earning potential, with many achieving it within a few years in public accounting, especially in high-cost areas or senior roles, while lower-level positions might start in the high five figures before reaching six figures with experience. Starting salaries vary, but career progression, location (High Cost of Living vs. Low Cost of Living), firm size (Big Four vs. smaller), and experience level are key factors in reaching six-figure incomes, which are common for senior managers and partners. 

How rare is it to make $500,000 a year?

Making $500,000 a year is quite rare, placing you in a very high income bracket, often the top 1% or 2% of earners in the U.S., with roughly only 1 in 127 jobs paying that much, though over a million Americans achieve this, and it's more common in certain high-paying industries or roles like senior executives, specialized doctors, or successful entrepreneurs.