[Anonymous]

Hello Everyone,

I am currently residing in New York and will be working my first few years there probably. I am considering moving to California one day and would like some pointers from others currently living and working in Accounting there.

Where is a good neighborhood to live in that is not a far travel to your job?

What industries do most accounting firms deal with there?

How are the salaries/ job security?

And any other tips you think may be useful. Thank you for the help!

[CPA50]

Hi David,

All I can say is California is HUGE. It's really like several states. Visit a few times and narrow down WHERE you want to be. Salaries in LA are very different than salaries in Eureka. Tech pays much differently than agriculture.

Best wishes for a successful transplant.

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The adventure continues...

[Anonymous]

Hi there!

The highest paying accounting jobs tend to be in San Francisco (IT, finance industries accounting related), Los Angeles (IT, finance, manufacturing, service), Orange County (construction, IT, medical device, manufacturing), and San Diego (medical device/pharmaceutical, and manufacturing).

I've worked in public accounting, and now am in private so I am well versed in the industries and their concentrations. Over all, IT and manufacturing pay the most closely with financial services. The companies here look for strong technical accounting with mix of Big 4 and private mostly. Of course, there are a variety in between.

Feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions!

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the advice @Cricket! So you are saying that once I start working, I should try to get more accounting experience in those industries you mentioned? And is Big 4 a necessity?

[hasy]

Honestly. Orange County. All the B4 offices are IN Irvine, aside from KPMG, which is Lake Forest. I live in a city 10 miles away from Irvine, where all the better food and better night life is. Takes me 30 min or less to get to work in the WORST traffic conditions, like an accident. 15 min without traffic. If not B4, we have SEVERAL reputable accounting firms in the area. It varies for industry. But mostly tech in norcal, biotech/health/retail/entertainment in SoCal. Job security, you're only as good as your worth, so make it worth it for them to keep you.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

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[Anonymous]

I've worked in Big 4 in the bay area and currently live in SF.

If you're looking for a job in the bay area, figure out where exactly you want to live.

If you're looking for a more suburban feel, it's San Jose. PwC, EY and Deloitte are located in downtown SJ. Most companies in SJ are Semi-conductor companies.

Looking for a place close to work? You might want to try the Peninsula: Mountain View, Redwood City or San Mateo. These cities are located in the middle (between San Jose and San Francisco) and are home to huge names in tech. You got your Google, Facebook, EA, Oracle headquartered here. I would also look at South San Francisco (Not actually part of the City of San Francisco). Most South City companies are pharmaceutical.

If you're looking to work in San Francisco, you want to live there. (You could also live in the east bay, but you will have to take BART) as traffic is terrible getting into SF in the mornings and GL finding parking. There are many different companies in SF, lots of start-ups (Uber) and many old and established companies. Many big VC's are located in SF.

Jobs are plentiful up and down the Bay, you just need to choose the area where you want to live. Personally, I live in SF and commute to the Peninsula.

[Anonymous]

Hi david, Big 4 isn't a necessity there are lot of other firms if you want to go the public route. If any of those industries interest you the you can narrow it down that way. Starting by where in CA you want to live is a good way to go, then I'm sure you can find an industry that interests you. Do you have any ideas of where you want to live?

[Author]

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