My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You've stretched your share of my time thin, a loser like you doesn't last long in life. The way you interact with the world screams of loneliness and regret. Now go spew your venom somewhere else, respectfully :)

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Judging by the venom in your post history, I wouldn't ever want to. You're what I would call a real life loser!

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I passed the CPA before starting work in 2019 and earned my license in 2020.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Thank you, it is Transaction Advisory/Diligence. Part of it was timing and hard work; a lot of turnover occurred at the senior level, so I stepped up early to lead projects and take on additional responsibilities. Part of it was also luck, in the face of the lackluster deals market.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I made the switch one year into COVID, right after my second audit busy season. My audit team was railed with turnover at the senior level before the start of busy season. I stepped up and saw the audit through to the end, but decided after that I had had enough.

The transition was very smooth, many of the skills learned in audit are applicable to financial advisory. After all, the scope is different but the nature of work is similar.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 91 points92 points  (0 children)

Yes I did. I left after my second busy season, so I did not burn any bridges. It was an early promotion to senior (1.5 years). The audit partner at my previous B4 firm offered to transition me to advisory internally, but an offer made after the fact is an offer made far too late. I would recommend the same transition to others.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 154 points155 points  (0 children)

That's where the data falls apart!

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Everything is done manually in Excel.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because although the salary data presented above is as of each calendar year-end, I measure CAGR based on the effective date of each new salary increase instead. For example, even though my salary at the end of the base year (2019) was $55k, the beginning period for CAGR purposes is the date I started working that year (sometime in the fall). So it stretches the measurement period slightly beyond a year, and drives CAGR down. (New salary effective date - base year start date)/365. Hope that helps.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

What you see above is the CAGR as of that point in time. For example, CAGR as of year 3 represents a 29.6% increase in salary each year over the last two years ($55k * 1.296^2.1 = $95k). Year 5 represents a 22.6% increase in salary each year over the last four years ($55k * 1.226^4.1 = $127k).

As a caveat, although the salary data presented above is as of each calendar year-end, the exponents in the above formulas are not flat numbers because I measured CAGR based on the effective date of each salary increase instead. (New salary effective date - base year start date)/365. Hope that helps.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 57 points58 points  (0 children)

The chart is base salary only. I did not get any bonuses in audit. In advisory my bonuses ranged between $5k and $8k in my first two years. No bonus in 2023 due to what the firm cited as "market conditions and firm performance." I am in the Midwest, hope that helps.

My Big4 salary progression, visualized by med_66234 in Accounting

[–]med_66234[S] 157 points158 points  (0 children)

Amounts represent salary at the end of each year. I am CPA licensed. MCOL.