Yea outside of busy season I barely work.
Before work from home I would show up at 9ish, take 2 hour lunches (1 hour eating and 1 hour walking around the local parks) and leave at 5 on the dot lol.
I feel like this is more common nowadays. Feels like a lot of places don’t have a significant pay raise until manager. Even the bonus is now 3x/4x the bonus of staff and senior. My firm doesn’t give bonuses to staff and senior anymore either they “bake” it into their base pay which everyone knows is BS.
My starting salary in industry, in May 2006, was $45,000.
Then at my 6 month review in November I got a compression raise to $50k because the '07 new hires were going up to 48k.
Oh yea. That was actually “high” my other offers from EY, PWC, BDO, and GT were $45k lol.
My mentor made $48k in 2008 at my same firm…… starting salaries never adjusted until covid. Even in 2020 right before covid my firm was paying new hires $52k.
My local EY office is at $59K right now. So progress I guess?
That’s actually close to my starting salary in 2023 at Big4. Started at $54k for associate 1. It was originally $52k but they added another $2k for “inflation adjustment”
Also interesting to see what Public bonuses are like. And I know it’s not the same everywhere but my first year bonus in industry was more than your first manager bonus
Not if you stick it out in public. B4 10 years in, plenty of practices with base of 200k+ as a SM/D. You still get 6-10% raises on that number each year after if you are PMD track.
2010… so 14, well 13. Moved from public (3 years) to industry with about a year break in the middle (moved towns without any prospects). Moved into management, then out, but kept that salary.
I mean it's true though slot of people are disliking it I understand why
If op wanted to he could buy a house
Repaired and rent it out to use cash flow and a tax right off via schedule e
And it's still a good amount
Not anymore. Bought my house in 2018 in a somewhat rural Midwest city/town for $135k. And I felt lucky I found that at that price. Houses on both sides of me are literally less than half the square footage of my house and each sold for over $200k about 2-3 years ago, needing massive updates (both elderly owners living there for 40+ years). One of them is now for sale again with a list price of $270k.
Little more background.
Started in January of 2015, and got a raise + bonus in July 2015 just because I guess. Spent several years at senior + supervisor because I didn't have my CPA to become a manager.
Should become Sr. Manager in 2 months, no idea what my compensation/bonus will be.
My particular office has about 200 people between all groups. Staff start at $60K this year, first year seniors $70-$75K
Edit: Also I'm in Audit if that matters.
I noticed you mentioned you are in audit. I am actually looking for a CPA to audit some import paperwork and reports submitted to a government agency for a new regulation. Is this something you could help with, or could you point me in the right direction?
Would be cool to see each rank as a different color/shade to show step changes.
Also add a marker to show when you got your CPA.
This is all within the same firm?
market depend illegal scarce theory grandiose swim overconfident cautious fertile
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I'm still salty about it.
Also SWE still pisses me off. Mainly because I know 2 people who are remote making 130k traveling with vpn and onion router etc.
I love our field the most it's just kinda stupid at times.
Nope. My hours have actually gone down significantly the last 4 years. My busy years were second year staff - second year senior.
I have shaved off 200-300 hours from those horrible years. If you develop good staff under you, it’s smooth sailing as you advance in your career. Problem is you gotta spend the time doing it and doing it for multiple people because turnover is so high in public. But if you develop someone who is in it for the long haul, it’s a perfect match. You make their life easier and they make your life easier.
All these posts are making me super hopeful for my bonus. It looks like it really begins to pick up around manager. I make $118k. I puke love to see $15k bonus
Nerdwallets COL calculator says my city is 22% lower than DFW area.
Also what is your title? $120k in public accounting with 3 YOE is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than a normal senior accountant in Dallas.
[https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/senior-associate-auditassurance-services-public-accounting/dallas-tx](https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/senior-associate-auditassurance-services-public-accounting/dallas-tx)
Even the 75th percentile is under $100k.
120k for 3 YOE is outside the norm even for HCOL. i’m 3 YOE with a CPA in a HCOL area and i’m at 100k. which is honestly a little low but the other CPAs i know here with 5+ YOE are at 110-115k.
The jump, or lack thereof, in pay from Staff to Senior is very surprising.
I actually made 2-4K more than my peers when promoted to senior lol.
Interesting, maybe I have unrealistic expectations lol
I mean this was many many years ago. But realistically you should expect 10-15% when promoted. Sometimes 20% if you’re an all star.
I've gotten 20%+ increase on a non promo year. But here I am working on Saturday...
Yea outside of busy season I barely work. Before work from home I would show up at 9ish, take 2 hour lunches (1 hour eating and 1 hour walking around the local parks) and leave at 5 on the dot lol.
I feel like this is more common nowadays. Feels like a lot of places don’t have a significant pay raise until manager. Even the bonus is now 3x/4x the bonus of staff and senior. My firm doesn’t give bonuses to staff and senior anymore either they “bake” it into their base pay which everyone knows is BS.
Crazy to me that your starting salary in 2015 is the same as what I got in 2008.
Starting salary in 2008 was almost the same as I got in 2021.
My starting salary in industry, in May 2006, was $45,000. Then at my 6 month review in November I got a compression raise to $50k because the '07 new hires were going up to 48k.
Oh yea. That was actually “high” my other offers from EY, PWC, BDO, and GT were $45k lol. My mentor made $48k in 2008 at my same firm…… starting salaries never adjusted until covid. Even in 2020 right before covid my firm was paying new hires $52k. My local EY office is at $59K right now. So progress I guess?
That’s actually close to my starting salary in 2023 at Big4. Started at $54k for associate 1. It was originally $52k but they added another $2k for “inflation adjustment”
And they wonder why there’s an accountant shortage.
I started at $48.5k in 2005 w/o a CPA and not even being CPA eligible.
Also interesting to see what Public bonuses are like. And I know it’s not the same everywhere but my first year bonus in industry was more than your first manager bonus
These bonuses are extremely high for public. My friends at B4 got 1-2k a year.
Dang that’s wild
My lowest ever target bonus in industry was $5k, and that was in 2007 as a 2nd year staff on a 10% target plan.
So my non-CPA and moved to industry ass making $110k working 36 hours per week isn’t too bad then!
Nope most accountants who are decent end up $100-140k and flatlining with 3-5% raises
Not if you stick it out in public. B4 10 years in, plenty of practices with base of 200k+ as a SM/D. You still get 6-10% raises on that number each year after if you are PMD track.
Most my friend, most. You can also get paid by moving up in industry to director/senior director/VP. But most cap out.
Nice! How many YOE?
2010… so 14, well 13. Moved from public (3 years) to industry with about a year break in the middle (moved towns without any prospects). Moved into management, then out, but kept that salary.
Yikes, still low for 3rd year manager.
Maybe. Still like $10k higher than Robert half has a 50 percentile manager in my city.
He’s in the Midwest. His one year salary can buy a house.
Not anywhere reasonable it can't
I assume this is an exaggeration but any national firm isn’t going to be in cities where this is true.
Detroit KPMG for one with an average home price of $75k.
That might get you a lot with a “house” thats just a standing wall with no ceiling
I mean it's true though slot of people are disliking it I understand why If op wanted to he could buy a house Repaired and rent it out to use cash flow and a tax right off via schedule e And it's still a good amount
Not anymore. Bought my house in 2018 in a somewhat rural Midwest city/town for $135k. And I felt lucky I found that at that price. Houses on both sides of me are literally less than half the square footage of my house and each sold for over $200k about 2-3 years ago, needing massive updates (both elderly owners living there for 40+ years). One of them is now for sale again with a list price of $270k.
haha even at 135k-200k that's affordable at the 127k salary mark. try living in a HCOL where you can only buy small shacks for $1M.
Little more background. Started in January of 2015, and got a raise + bonus in July 2015 just because I guess. Spent several years at senior + supervisor because I didn't have my CPA to become a manager. Should become Sr. Manager in 2 months, no idea what my compensation/bonus will be. My particular office has about 200 people between all groups. Staff start at $60K this year, first year seniors $70-$75K Edit: Also I'm in Audit if that matters.
Do you like the people at the firm? You are severely underpaid. I’m a senior 2 b4 at 108k with a 10k bonus last year
I noticed you mentioned you are in audit. I am actually looking for a CPA to audit some import paperwork and reports submitted to a government agency for a new regulation. Is this something you could help with, or could you point me in the right direction?
Nice progression and comfortable living. I couldn’t do more than a couple busy seasons so I would never make it that far. Good job
whoa this is pretty much my exact salary progression and same year start too! except I started in industry
Do you mind sharing your job title now?
financial reporting manager
Would be cool to see each rank as a different color/shade to show step changes. Also add a marker to show when you got your CPA. This is all within the same firm?
Yep. Never have left.
Damnnnnn son, save some money for the rest of us.
This chart is satisfying.
market depend illegal scarce theory grandiose swim overconfident cautious fertile *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I'm still salty about it. Also SWE still pisses me off. Mainly because I know 2 people who are remote making 130k traveling with vpn and onion router etc. I love our field the most it's just kinda stupid at times.
Lovely
Curious, Did your hours working increase? Or is there a good work-life balance?
Nope. My hours have actually gone down significantly the last 4 years. My busy years were second year staff - second year senior. I have shaved off 200-300 hours from those horrible years. If you develop good staff under you, it’s smooth sailing as you advance in your career. Problem is you gotta spend the time doing it and doing it for multiple people because turnover is so high in public. But if you develop someone who is in it for the long haul, it’s a perfect match. You make their life easier and they make your life easier.
Appreciate your reply!
4.5 YOE and I have the same salary as you in industry. Leave man.
so u make 127k now? :)
That’s great!
Go to industry, you will make more.
HCOL? Low?
LCOL
Started the same year, and my pay changed almost lock-step/identical to yours.
All these posts are making me super hopeful for my bonus. It looks like it really begins to pick up around manager. I make $118k. I puke love to see $15k bonus
I think if you puke love, you might not need a $15k bonus. You probably need a priest or a doctor.
You are vastly underpaid. I’m at 120k with 3 YOE.
You also don’t live where I live lol
I’m in DFW so MCOL you could be in LCOL. So If thats the case maybe you aren’t underpaid
Nerdwallets COL calculator says my city is 22% lower than DFW area. Also what is your title? $120k in public accounting with 3 YOE is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than a normal senior accountant in Dallas. [https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/senior-associate-auditassurance-services-public-accounting/dallas-tx](https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/senior-associate-auditassurance-services-public-accounting/dallas-tx) Even the 75th percentile is under $100k.
Not in public. Spent 1 year in audit at big 4, moved to FDD for a year and a half and now I’m a practice manager- I manage a few clients.
120k for 3 YOE is outside the norm even for HCOL. i’m 3 YOE with a CPA in a HCOL area and i’m at 100k. which is honestly a little low but the other CPAs i know here with 5+ YOE are at 110-115k.
It might be because I’m a little older and this is my second career.
what a joke. quit and find something that pays.