[weed74]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering, and have found no better area to ask this question, but what sorts of benefits are people receving at their public accounting job? Please include a general location to help apply relevance to the situation for myself and others.

My qualifications:

BS – Accounting and Finance

Masters – Accounting

Passed 2 of 4 parts of CPA so far

4 years experience with one 20-30 person firm, Southern Ohio

Benefits:

2 weeks vacation

No set personal/sick time policy

No Comp Time

No reimbursement for CPA or Schooling

Interest free loans for CPA/School (up to $5k)

1% of salary max match on 401k

4-5% of salary profit sharing employer contribution

salary around $50k, bonus generally between $2500-4000

total hours around 2300-2400 each year, of which about 1400-1500 are chargeable

AUD - 84
BEC - 80
REG - 75
FAR - 80

[Keely]

No experience here, recent graduate: I was offered an audit staff position in the DC area. Salary of $53,000, 17 days vacation, 10 days sick time, paid OT at my regular salaried rate (i.e., not time and a half) and I was told to expect 10% OT hours, $1000 raise and $1000 bonus upon passing the exam, 2% match on 401K. No other bonuses. Reimbursement of half of my metro and health club fees.

I originally accepted the above, then passed it up (there's a thread about it on here somewhere, haha) for….

Audit staff position in Houston, TX. Salary of $48,000, 5 weeks vacation/sick time, no OT, $4000 bonus upon passing CPA exam (no automatic raise), semi-annual performance bonus that rounds out to about 10% of salary, 3% match on 401K, cheaper health insurance premiums, and a stipend of $50 a month for a cell phone. They also don't pay for Becker, but they'll advance you the money and then take it out of your paycheck in 24 installments.

I think I will come out with more money taking the second job even without paid OT, because the cost of living here in Houston is absolutely nothing compared to the DC area.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[nbad311]

I did a busy season internship my year before graduation, then got an offer for full-time employment for 51K for when I graduated.

– Mid-size firm, well-known in Atlanta

– Went into a consulting group, so it had its perks (and DISADVANTAGES) and differences compared to tax/audit departments… not 100% “accounting” per se

I did my 3 years, got promoted to senior staff last summer, ended at 63K salary and 25 vacation/sick days. But by then, work had made me a monster. A raging beast one minute, crying sulky slob the next. I was basically on-call every weekend (mainly due to the consulting nature of the work). I was on my smartphone and answering to bosses and managers and clients until I fell asleep at night, there was no predictability to my work schedule. And I worked with guys, all guys (I’m a girl) and it was VERY TOUGH. So I started working with a few recruiters and finally, after months, one found me a position in private industry, doing more “accounting” and less consulting work. My schedule is the same each month, I work with all older females, and LOL – I GET PAID MORE. My schedule is exactly 8-5. No weekends. These women superiors I have understand you have things besides your job, that you aren’t married to the money and soliciting business. I don’t carry a constant weight on my shoulders that consists of fear of getting things done too late, or not responding to emails quick enough. Oh, and now I actually have time and after-work-hours to study for the exam! If you’ve seen Shawshank Redemption, I feel like when Red is released from prison and works at the grocery store, and asks his manager to take pees. And the boss is like, “you don’t have to ask every time you need to take a p*ss… just go”. My new manager and I have had instances like that. I am still reveling in the awesomeness.

So if you have to go into public accounting…. It’s a good place to start. You’ll build a ridiculously strong work ethic and learn how to work fast and with minimal mistakes. You’ll likely come out with a lot of good skills (not just in accounting, but lots of areas of business) and you’ll have a decent set of communication skills.

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[sarah210]

Bumping this thread in light of recent conversations about negotiating.

My offer at a regional firm in the south has:

– starting salary of 50,000 (tax staff)

– medical, dental, vision, etc.

– 3 weeks vacation

– 5 days sick time

– up to 2 weeks comp time for overtime worked during tax season

– 8 holidays

– 401(k)

– free parking (downtown location– other firms you have to pay $50+ a month for this)

They don't pay for anything related to the CPA exam, but they do give you a Becker discount (not that that matters to me, because I've already paid for it out of pocket).

Here's my question: I feel like the offer is very fair for the region, and is actually about $5k more than I expected, but a lot of firms in the area pay a bonus when you become a CPA. Should I ask for a bonus? If so, how? I've never had a “real” job before, and I'm not sure how to negotiate/ask.

REG- 53, 91
BEC- 88
FAR- 62, 85
AUD- 85

Ethics- 93

[Red315]

I have worked for a top 20 large national firm for the last 3 years in advisory as a Senior accountant. I work in Florida.

B.S. Accounting

Masters Accounting

CPA as of 10/12

Salary 58 k upon hiring (I worked with my boss at a prior firm) 63k when I acquired my BA, 68k when I acquired my Masters, 70k (with recent review).

23 PTO days

CPA review course paid at 1,000 is passed within 1 year

CPA bonus – 1k upon passing and 1k 1 year later

Society dues paid by firm

CPE paid by firm

Medical/dental/vision

Life/S.T/L.T disability

401k match of I beleive 1,000 and profit sharing

Advisory is difficult because I am always on call. Things can come up on a Friday night and I have to cancel all plans with my family and work all weekend. Some months I am slammed and other months I am begging for work. Its just the nature of the beast.

Jeanne Aparicio

B - 75 (11/2011, First Attempt)
A - 88 (2/2012, First Attempt)
R - 89 (5/2012, First Attempt)
F - 79 (8/31/2012 First Attempt)

I AM DONE!!!!!! BECKER IS AWESOME!!!!

Licensed Florida CPA 09/2012

[jw_83]

Wow, after reading these posts I think I'm getting underpaid, and definetely not getting enough benefits. But my journey is a little different. I went to school and got my bachelors in graphic design. I live in a small city of about 35,000 people. My last graphic design job I had to drive an hour away and there was no benefits. I then took a job as a receptionist with a company in my town. I made the same amount of money per hour and got insurance, vacation, and 401k. I got promoted and became a bookkeeper. After about 2 years of this I decided to go back to school. I got my masters in accounting. Two months after I graduated I got an offer from a small CPA firm, we do taxes and in the “off” season we do governmental and NFP audits. I started at $33,000, 1 week vacation, and you earn 1 sick day for every month your work, up to 10 sick days a year. 401k after 2 years of employment. I have been here almost 2 years and I am up to $35,000 a year, but our annual reviews are in month. I did get reimbursed for my laptop I had to buy, but it would be nice if they had some incentive for the CPA exam. I am in the process of studying and would have liked to purchase Becker, but it is way out of my budget.

REG - 64, 72, 81!
FAR - 77
AUD - 79
BEC - 72, 79! And Done!

[Anonymous]

I was in the public accounting career for about 5 years before I switched to corporate. I was glad I made the change for the work life balance (plus, better pay for me). Now work for publicly traded company with market cap over 11 billion.

Position: Senior Accountant

B.S Accounting, MBA

Salary: 55k upon hiring, annual 3% raises, 10% Minimum Annual Bonus + profit sharing.

15 PTO days (increased with years worked and salary band)

CPA review course paid up to 1k

Society dues paid by firm

CPE paid by firm

Medical (100% coverage)/dental/ Vison (free)

Life/S.T/L.T disability

401k match + discretionary match at YE

ESO with 100% stock match

Some may prefer the public field, but after 5 years of tax season / audit travel, I was ready to see my family again.

[Red315]

I agree with you. Public is great if you are young, and have no family. It stinks if you are married with kids like I am. I am really itching to get back into private.

Jeanne Aparicio

B - 75 (11/2011, First Attempt)
A - 88 (2/2012, First Attempt)
R - 89 (5/2012, First Attempt)
F - 79 (8/31/2012 First Attempt)

I AM DONE!!!!!! BECKER IS AWESOME!!!!

Licensed Florida CPA 09/2012

[Anonymous]

I graduated with BS in 1998. CPA in 2001. Left public accounting in 2002 at around 40k or so. Raised daughter and worked from home doing bookkeeping, taxes, and whatnot.

I'm in an area with a few small firms south of Louisville.

Recently, I wanted to resume my CPA career now that my daughter is in school. I went to work with one of the small firms in December on a trial basis (contractor) for a couple of audits so she could feel me out with a possible move to 30-35k and no other details. Since firms locally are slim pickings, i accepted that arrangement.

After doing one audit in 3 weeks instead of two (you need time to learn the office, where things are, their way of doing things, etc), she paid me 12.50 an hour. The other audit got stalled needing more info from client. Haven't been paid for that one. But now doing a slightly bigger audit of a city in which i'm still contractor that is apparently making 12.50 an hour.

She promised to make me an employee in Feb if things go well at 12.50 an hour.. Keep in mind this wasn't the deal in December. Remember 30-35K? Only two audits or a month to “feel” me out? I scored a 100 on her bookkeeping test. She lamented the fact she's been burned before by people who don't know what they're doing or don't have adequate skills. She knows my CPA experience was from 1998-2002 but i did perform audits, taxes, bookkeeping and was senior staff level at the time. But she still wanted to do the trial basis.

I accepted because I thought she'd do the right thing once I easily proved myself. But 12.50 an hour seems a reversal. No benefits have been discussed. I only got paid after the job was completed, so that was little over a month with no pay at all.

Is 12.50 a disgrace? I feel slighted and depressed. I should apply in Louisville and look around probably. She's indicated that she bills me at 50/hr and can't do better than 12.50 (25%). She says she bills herself at 80/hr in comparison. It's a smaller area she says than Louisville, which is true, but it's not that small. Perhaps when i get quicker and more experienced, she might be able to raise this she said. But after she went back on the 30-35k, i'm not sure what to believe. It's nice to be close to home and have the flexibility of a very small firm (2 partners, a cpa, and 4 staff), but I just feel like i'm going backwards from where I left off in 2002.

Any thoughts if i should just quit this and look elsewhere?

[Rukus]

Wait you are a CPA and a CPA firm is paying you 12.50/hr? Sorry, I understand wanting a trial period, but 12.50/hr is ridiculous. You deserve more, and it sounds like you would be better served saying thank you for the opportunity and moving on. Especially, after the waffling and not paying you until the job is done. No disrespect, but if she really bills herself out at $80/hr for audit work, then you are never going to make much at that firm.

FAR - 81 (8/31/12)
AUD - 93 (10/19/12)
BEC - 79 (11/27/12)
REG - 92 (2/8/13) DONE! All 1st attempt!

[Anonymous]

My very small firm just hired an intern – sophmore in college with two accounting classes under her. She's paid $12 an hour. What she's paying you is ridiculous. However, you can look at it as using her for some more recent cpa firm experience to put on your resume and keep looking to get out. I find it hard to believe she bills herself at 80$ an hour. My firm bills me out at $50 and I've only been there a year and don't have my cpa yet. Wow. Sorry. That's tough.

[mypetmeatball]

B4 Southeast Region – no experience – IT Audit/Advisory Services

54k base

3k signing bonus

5k CPA bonus

I'm definitely happy with it; money goes a long way down here. I was born and raised in NJ and it would be a lot harder to stretch this salary up there.

[kgirl]

Compensation Breakdown:

My salary is $36,000 annually and have fully paid for health insurance.

No dental or vision insurance.

2 weeks of paid vacation.

I've passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam and have 5 years public accounting experience. I'm in SW PA, about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh. Anybody want to hire me? Lol

[kgirl]

And I forgot- my boss promised to reimburse part of my exam fees (which I paid fully out of pocket- exam fees, review course fees) and he's backing out on the agreement. Plus he promised a raise when I passed the exam and is backing out on the agreement.

I knew something was wrong when he refused to put our agreement in writing. I've got experience with accounting in industries of manufacturing, non-profit, local government, construction, wholesale distribution and retail. So who wants to hire me?

[FlipACoin]

kgirl-$36000 is disgusting for somebody of your experience level. I get the fact that I'm in socal and thus have a very different cost of living but even taking that into account, it's just depressing. Please get out of there and start making some $$$$$. FP&A, Internal Audit, Corp Accounting…ANY of those will pay more for probably much less hours….If there are no great jobs in your area consider relocating if you can……

[GreenMonkey]

Just thought I'd post my info in case it proves useful for someone:

Big 4 Chicago (audit), hired after winter internship, starting later this year.

Salary: 55k

No signing bonus

CPA Bonus: 5k + all materials/fees covered

(The other Big 4 in Chicago have offered 57.5K or the equivalent including signing bonus, so I'm hoping my firm matches by the time I start this fall)

REG- 91
AUD- 97
BEC- 91
FAR- May

[Author]

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