Amid CPA shortage, accountants name firm culture as top consideration when choosing an employer
PwC is the Best Accounting Firm to Work For and Most Prestigious Accounting Firm
NEW YORK, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Vault, the leader in data-driven employer rankings and verified employee reviews, today released its 2025 rankings of the Best Accounting Firms to Work For, providing a comprehensive look at the U.S. public accounting landscape. The rankings include the Vault Accounting 25, a signature list of the best overall firms to work for. Vault also ranks the Most Prestigious Accounting Firms, Best Accounting Firms by Employment Factor, and Best Accounting Firms by Practice Area.
The top consideration for accountants when choosing an employer is firm culture
Vault Top Ranked Accounting Seal
To obtain data for the rankings, Vault distributed a survey to U.S. accountants. More than 13,000 accountants at all levels participated between December 2023 and February 2024. Survey respondents rated their firms in several categories, including compensation, culture, diversity, hours, training, work/life balance, and wellness. Accountants were also asked to rate firms, other than their own, in terms of overall prestige and prestige in three major practice areas (Audit & Assurance, Forensic, and Tax).
According to Eric Stutzke, SVP & General Manager of Vault, “The findings from our accounting survey are especially important for firms right now as the entire industry faces a talent shortage. Fewer students are graduating with accounting degrees and a smaller number are opting to sit for the CPA exam, while tenured accountants are voluntarily leaving the field or retiring. Our survey also revealed that the top consideration for accountants when choosing an employer is firm culture – as a result, firms should ensure their recruitment marketing efforts emphasize positive and unique aspects of their culture to differentiate themselves and showcase their core values.”
Key findings from Vault’s survey of accountants include:
PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) LLP is the Best Accounting Firm to Work For in the U.S. PwC, which has more than 70 offices in the U.S., is on top of the Vault Accounting 25 for the 12th year in a row. KPMG takes the #2 spot.
PwC is also the Most Prestigious Accounting Firm. PwC also ranks first in Prestige, edging out second-place Deloitte. PwC is also the #1 firm in all three major practice areas (Audit & Assurance, Forensic, and Tax).
Specialized firms had a strong showing in the Quality of Life Rankings. Schellman & Co., a CPA firm headquartered in Florida that specializes in IT audit and attestation, leads multiple Quality of Life categories, including Satisfaction, Firm Culture, Business Outlook, and Compensation. In many categories, H&CO, LLP, another Florida-based firm, takes the #2 spot. H&CO, LLP specializes in providing corporate, tax, and advisory services to multinational companies and foreign investors.
Firm culture is the top consideration for accountants when choosing an employer. Other important considerations for accountants are compensation, ability to work remotely, type of work, and work-life balance.
The Top 10 Accounting Firms to Work For for 2025:
PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) LLP
KPMG
EY LLP
BDO USA, P.C.
Plante Moran
CohnReznick LLP
Baker Tilly US, LLP
RSM US LLP
Schellman & Co.
Moss Adams
View all the Vault Accounting Rankings.
About Vault
Vault is the leader in career research, exploration, and discovery for professionals and students. Through our proprietary data-driven Vault rankings, verified employee and intern reviews, and extensive network spanning hundreds of campuses and universities, we have been the trusted provider of career intelligence solutions for emerging talent for over two decades. Our exclusive company rankings, in-depth employer profiles, and valuable employee and intern reviews encompass a wide range of industries, including Law, Banking, Accounting, Consulting, STEM, and the top Internship programs.
SOURCE Vault
