[Never_Give_Up1]

Wondering what people out there work hour wise at their big 4 office or other employment. I have an interview at E&Y at one of their Texas locations and am wondering what to expect if I get back in the game.

Put your division you work in and busy season hours and non busy season hours per week.

I use to work at a regional firm as an auditor.

Busy season – Average 60 hours a week (peak: 70-75)

Rest of year 40 – 55

FAR - 81
REG - 81
AUD - 82
BEC - 81

Ethics - Done
State License Exam - Done

License - Licensed CPA in Utah

[oilgaslb]

Just for a refreshing change of answer: I'm in private, 25-35 employees, and normal hours are 40 max, during close about 45, and busy season is about 45 plus a few Saturdays (about 3 if I recall this last Jan/Feb). I knew public accounting hours were bad, but I had no idea they were THAT bad! 🙁

[Anonymous]

I've worked a year in small-firm public tax-focused accounting, but will still through this out there for comparison…”small” means me (college grad, first accounting experience), a part-time college student during the school year, and one accountant who isn't even a CPA. But…with that caveat…

Busy season: Every Saturday Feb-Apr 15, hourly so OT limited, but at least 45 hours a week, usually more like 50+, last 8 days of tax season was over 100 hours.

Non-busy season: We were only open 28 hours a week (9-5, 1hr lunch, 4 days/wk), but in order to meet my experience requirement, I'd get there early, stay late, and sometimes come in on our day off, averaging in the 34-38 hrs/wk range.

[Anonymous]

I've worked a year in small-firm public tax-focused accounting, but will still through this out there for comparison…”small” means me (college grad, first accounting experience), a part-time college student during the school year, and one accountant who isn't even a CPA. But…with that caveat…

Busy season: Every Saturday Feb-Apr 15, hourly so OT limited, but at least 45 hours a week, usually more like 50+, last 8 days of tax season was over 100 hours.

Non-busy season: We were only open 28 hours a week (9-5, 1hr lunch, 4 days/wk), but in order to meet my experience requirement, I'd get there early, stay late, and sometimes come in on our day off, averaging in the 34-38 hrs/wk range.

[Anonymous]

I don't really understand why anyone would stay in public if they were working over 80 hours a week. No overtime, small bonuses, and low salaries… Just doesn't add up to something worth doing. I'm 40 regular, 60-70 tops busy season. Plan right, don't waste time at work when its ‘slow,' go home earlier.

[Anonymous]

I don't really understand why anyone would stay in public if they were working over 80 hours a week. No overtime, small bonuses, and low salaries… Just doesn't add up to something worth doing. I'm 40 regular, 60-70 tops busy season. Plan right, don't waste time at work when its ‘slow,' go home earlier.

[tough_kitty]

I heard bigger CPA firms make you sign a 2-year contract. A lot of people I know left public accounting shortly after that.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

I heard bigger CPA firms make you sign a 2-year contract. A lot of people I know left public accounting shortly after that.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[Anonymous]

Big 4 has no contracts, you can leave whenever you want. Most people leave between May and August.

[Anonymous]

Big 4 has no contracts, you can leave whenever you want. Most people leave between May and August.

[Never_Give_Up1]

I have friends in the Salt Lake City at KPMG and Denver at Deloitte. They say that every busy season they have hit at least 100 hours in a week. It is not constant. Most of the time 75 during busy. But if stuff goes wrong and they get behind, up crops the 100 hour work week.

The pay can't be that bad. A Senior makes anywhere from 75-90k at a big 4 company according to Robert Half. The smaller firms are less though. That is pretty good pay for only 3-6 years experience. Where I live you have to have tons of experience and a CPA to be making over 75k.

FAR - 81
REG - 81
AUD - 82
BEC - 81

Ethics - Done
State License Exam - Done

License - Licensed CPA in Utah

[Never_Give_Up1]

I have friends in the Salt Lake City at KPMG and Denver at Deloitte. They say that every busy season they have hit at least 100 hours in a week. It is not constant. Most of the time 75 during busy. But if stuff goes wrong and they get behind, up crops the 100 hour work week.

The pay can't be that bad. A Senior makes anywhere from 75-90k at a big 4 company according to Robert Half. The smaller firms are less though. That is pretty good pay for only 3-6 years experience. Where I live you have to have tons of experience and a CPA to be making over 75k.

FAR - 81
REG - 81
AUD - 82
BEC - 81

Ethics - Done
State License Exam - Done

License - Licensed CPA in Utah

[tough_kitty]

My friend has 4 yrs of experience in public accounting, the last two of which are with big 4 and he makes only $65K plus bonuses but he says he usually works 50-60 hrs per week.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

My friend has 4 yrs of experience in public accounting, the last two of which are with big 4 and he makes only $65K plus bonuses but he says he usually works 50-60 hrs per week.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[Tripp11]

Our Firm has 25-30 professionals and 5 paraprofessionals. One of our unique benefits is that we pay hourly. Every hour you work, you get paid.

I've been here since 1996, and our work week is 40-45 hours. If a project is time sensitive, some of us might work 12 hours in a day, but that is abnormal.

I'm not sure why anyone would work in an environment where the staff are worked 80+ hours a week. I realize why some firms do that though. They have their people on salary and they run them ragged to improve their margins, but it just seems they are abusing their biggest asset, their staff.

AUD - 93
BEC - 80
REG - 86
FAR - 83

[Tripp11]

Our Firm has 25-30 professionals and 5 paraprofessionals. One of our unique benefits is that we pay hourly. Every hour you work, you get paid.

I've been here since 1996, and our work week is 40-45 hours. If a project is time sensitive, some of us might work 12 hours in a day, but that is abnormal.

I'm not sure why anyone would work in an environment where the staff are worked 80+ hours a week. I realize why some firms do that though. They have their people on salary and they run them ragged to improve their margins, but it just seems they are abusing their biggest asset, their staff.

AUD - 93
BEC - 80
REG - 86
FAR - 83

[Author]

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