[JessicaG]

Hello Fellow CPA and CPA Candidates,

Okay, so I could just have high hopes for this job, but still I’m disappointed in the offer. Here’s my story. I am a Staff Accountant, and recently passed and got my license about 5 months ago. After getting my license I then applied for a Senior Accountant position. I received confirmation today that I was offered the position. Now, I was told at Staff level that as soon as I passed the exams that I would receive a bump in pay. I currently make in high $30k’s. I never rec’d an increase in pay so I applied for the Senior level which is 2 pay grades higher than my current Staff level. They come back today with an offer of $45k for the senior position. I’m 27 with 3.5 years’ experience in accounting and 2 BS degrees (Accounting and Marketing). I’m in Memphis, TN. Is this $45k acceptable or is the company just low balling me? I really like the company and it has great benefits, but my expectations were in the $50’s at least since it is Senior level. Maybe I’m just being young and impatient…Advice?? Thanks for listening to my whine!

FAR - 70, 80!!!!!
AUD - 67, 90!!!!
REG - 88!!!
BEC - 77!!!! DONE DONE DONE DONE!!

MS License #6381 YAYAYAY!!!! (

[Texan_Stuck_In_OK]

Check salary.com for your market information.

A 88, B 76, F 84, R 76 Passed 2014

Licensed in OK

[Anonymous]

Lowballing.

You should be well into the $50's minimum. Seniors in my area (NE) are coming in around $65k to start these days.

[Anonymous]

I am with both of them, you should be making more.

Senior's in my area (sans license) are between 65-70k. Check Salary.com.

[Lion_of_the_Rock]

if currently making in the 30s I'd say 45 is on par. plus it's TN. maybe ask Butch Jones for a raise?

BEC - 78
AUD - 75
REG - 74, 79
FAR - 75

You have to buy a ticket to win the raffle.

[mla1169]

check out salary.com or Robert half's salary guide. That salary would never fly in the greater boston area but you're not in the greater boston area.

Take away all of your credentials (degrees, cpa, etc) if they're not required for the job because if someone could do this job with a BS in accounting, most companies won't bump the salary because you have 2 degrees and a CPA license.

If senior accoutants have a median salary in your area of $45k you're where you should be. If the median salary is $50k then you're being lowballed.

Also take into consideration the extras. If this position is strictly 9-5, you're going to be below the median salary which anticipates a 45-50 hour work week. And the benefits. If the company pays 75% plus of your health insurance they'll make up for it with a lower salary.

its not enough to ask if you should be making $45k.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[jbisdamon]

Ya that's ridiculous. I got offered more than that out of college in a city way smaller than Memphis but close to the same area.

BEC - 76 7/22/14
AUD - 84 8/30/14
REG - 75 10/16/14
FAR - 87 11/24/14

[stoleway]

OK, if this position is currently with the same company then your new salary could be within the company's policy and percentage increase due to promotions or pay raise. Problem is you started on a very low pay with this company and I think the company bumping your pay up to about 8k-10k more is awesome.

However, 45k is absolutely ridiculous and doesn't come anywhere near the market when you compare yourself with most people in the same position. You need to start looking for new opportunities simply because there's no way the company will negotiate your pay up to 55k or 60k.

REG -63│ 84!!
BEC- 59│70│ 71 │78!
AUD- 75!
FAR- 87!

Mass-CPA

[fuzyfro89]

I will second mla's advice.

What does the job require? What credentials do other senior accountants have? If the job does not require a CPA, then your having a CPA is a good thing, but you can't go around demanding more money than what the position needs.

To make an example by hyperbole, let's say I needed to hire an office janitor. I need someone who shows up on time, knows how to clean, and can pass a background check. Now, let's suppose I receive two candidates. A has prior experience at a similar sized company and a clean background, while B has a MBA and 3 years of financial analysis experience. Should B get paid more to be a janitor than A?

Few steps:

– Check the requirements of the position

– Check comparable pay for CPAs with 2-4 years of experience either online and also by continuing to interview

– Ask for more if both above items show you should be higher… however, you have to be willing to walk if they say no

I don't know about the market for CPAs in Memphis, but that generally sounds low to me.

[tomq04]

Adding my 2 pennies, seems low, but it really depends on benefits being offered.

REG- (1) 76
FAR- (2) 64, (5)74, (7)83 (Over achiever!)
AUD- (3) 70, (4) 75
BEC- (6) 75

[hunter32]

That'd be a great salary if it were 1980….

BEC - 80 (Becker)
AUD - 92 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
FAR - 87 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
REG - 90 (Becker+NINJA MCQ and Audio)

[alboreland]

I agree that you should look somewhere else. I was in a similiar situation with a company that paid little and promotions were very small percentages. My first promotion was 8% and I was told “we went back and forth with HR for this.” I can't imagine what the initial offer was. The senior accountant was promoted to manager and a staff went into the senior position. He did the same job, but wasn't given the title or an increase. We all got every exuse in the book about the pay.

Some companies are just very stingy. I eventually moved into a well paying position after a long search because people were skeptical about the salary I was asking for even though it was reasonable. My advice is to start searching and research salaries so you know what to ask. Try to negotiate with your current employer, but realize that any increase will help you in your next position.

[Anonymous]

The increase sounds good; the problem is you were getting ripped with your low $30k salary. I work at a small firm (9 employees) and started off at $46k straight out of graduate school in February. I'm not a CPA yet either.

Edit: And my health insurance is paid for 100% along with your other typical benefits (401k, life insurance). Oh, and this is in a medium sized city in Alabama.

[soyanks]

You have to understand that they are looking at your current salary, and they are adding certain % of bump for your offered salary.

So if another applicants applied for the same job and the employer is interested in hiring that person, and this person currently makes more than you, that person will most likely get a different (higher) offer because his/her base is higher than your current base.

FAR - 86
REG - 85
BEC - 90
AUD - 84

[waffle_house]

You're a CPA making high 30's? Move to a different state you can make twice that easily…

[Herbieherb]

Yea its tricky when u get licensed and your “market value” goes up, but no one wants to give you what you are worth. I would take that promotion and shop around. You might have to hop around to get nice increases, since companies always lowball offers when they ask for salary history

NEW YORK- DONE

[Author]

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