[OnmywaytoCPA]

Should we only be concerned about salary or whether we actually have a passion for our job? For example what if you had an offer as an auditor at a Local CPA Firm for $85,000, but you hate auditing. And you also have an offer to be a controller, and your passion is accounting, and you really want this position, but they are only offering $79,000. Also both are located downtown in your city, but only the CPA Firm pays for parking. However you have to drive to multiple clients during the month to complete your audits. The controller position requires no traveling. The CPA Firm will reimburse you for the CPA Exams you pass, but the controller position does not. The CPA firm offers no vacation the first 12 months, but does offer a week during your second year, and two weeks during the third. The controller position offers two weeks vacation off the bat. Both employers are willing to give you a raise after 12 months of employment, but that’s if you have passed all four parts of the CPA Exam. What choice do you make?

REG - 74, Retook 6/10/16, scored a 72 (Hate this exam)
BEC - 69, 79, 8/1/15
AUD - 83, 4/4/15
FAR - 77, 2/27/16

[AccountantPinkHair]

I'd take the job that I actually wanted. The other one might pay more but you are going to have to DRAG yourself to go probably every morning and you admitted you hate auditing. For me I would hate to have the feel of not wanting to go to work everyday, It would be emotionally draining. And no vacation for 12 months seriously sucks.

AUD - 72, 81
FAR - 71, 78
REG - 60, 78
BEC - 60, 71, 71

IF I FALL, I WILL GET BACK UP. IF I AM BEATEN, I WILL RETURN.

[536FrenchmenStreet]

Think of it this way: is it worth the extra $6K/year (which shakes out to about three bucks an hour) to work a job you clearly don't want?

BEC: Fall 2016
AUD: Spring 2016
REG: Summer 2016
FAR: RETAKE

[Rosco920]

This is easy! Take the controller position. You already stated you hated auditing. Don't chase money (not always). You're only talking a $6K difference. I'd skip the $6K and keep my sanity and life balance. I've worked at Ernst and Young for 3 years and I couldn't wait to leave. The decision is totally to you though. Also, consider the learning and opportunities you'll get at either place. You want to make sure you're strategically building your experience to set you up down the road…..at least I would. Good luck!!

BEC 80
AUD 75
FAR 78
REG 87

[OnmywaytoCPA]

Thank you for input everyone. I think you all are right. I should go ahead and accept the controller position. It's just sometimes I feel like I should be making 6 figures by now. I have 11 years of experience, but most of it has been in public. I haven't been able to move into management at any of the firms I worked at because I wasn't a CPA. Then every management level position that I applied for in private, they said I needed experience as a finance manager or controller before I would be considered. Now this opportunity comes along, and I was kinda thinking, wow, I'll at least hit the 90s if not 6 figures, but I guess I just have to face reality and be grateful for the opportunity, because in a couple years, I can move on and use that experience to get that 6 figure job.

REG - 74, Retook 6/10/16, scored a 72 (Hate this exam)
BEC - 69, 79, 8/1/15
AUD - 83, 4/4/15
FAR - 77, 2/27/16

[PublicGuy]

It should be noted that after considering the parking, the CPA firm pays closer to 8k more pretax, plus about 3k more in reimbursement year one for the CPA test.

I side with most others though. Chasing 6 figures simply for the sake of it doesn't mean much if you won't be happy (or relatively happy). The salaries are just too close for this discussion to be close imo.

[536FrenchmenStreet]

“because in a couple years, I can move on and use that experience to get that 6 figure job.”

This is wise and I'm glad you've reached that conclusion. I do want to comment, though, on one other thing you said.

“sometimes I feel like I should be making 6 figures by now”

Understood, and you will probably feel that way until you hit that magic number.

But let me just put on my mother hat for a minute and say that you should try not to let that feeling, when it surfaces again in about six months – push you into a decision where your aggravation-to-pay ratio is all out of whack.

I have been in the workforce for, well, er, a really long time and I promise you that you will never regret taking a job where you enjoy the work, respect your colleagues, and feel appreciated by your boss, even if it means making a lot less $$$ than you would elsewhere.

BEC: Fall 2016
AUD: Spring 2016
REG: Summer 2016
FAR: RETAKE

[the LAST Coffee]

I'd take the controller position just because of the 2 weeks vacation/PTO.

I cannot fathom a CPA firm only offering 2 weeks PTO after 3 years of working for them when myself fresh from college at a 15-people CPA firm I get 3 weeks PTO off the bat. I love my PTO, I use them to take time off and travel to Japan and visit friends but for other people who love to work, it may not matter much to them. My two cents.

FAR 84 (AUG '15)
BEC 83 (AUG '15)
AUD 79 (OCT '15)
REG 71, 78! (NOV '15, FEB '16)

[Anonymous]

I'd agree with the others that based on what you've said, the Controller job would be the better option for you. The money isn't that much different, and you might find that your hourly pay would be about the same since auditing can at times be a lot more hours due to commute etc. The money itself (not accounting for the parking) is just about $85 per week difference after federal taxes (income, medicare, and SS). Even less once you count state etc. So, it's not really enough to be worth worrying about. Is it money? Yeah. It's as much as someone makes at a minimum wage job part-time. Etc. etc. etc. But you're not at a minimum-wage job, so it's not significant, really, between $79k and $85k. If it will pave the way to what you want in the future, and pay the bills now, and as a boost you'll enjoy it, that's what really matters.

And…taking a job you hate just cause it pays more isn't a good thing. That's why I never got a job in the Big 4,cause I don't think I'd like it, so I've never done it. I made it to Controller at a small college at the age of 24, so it worked OK for me. You don't have to hate what you do to get somewhere good. 🙂 If the only job offer you've got is something you won't enjoy, but it's your only option, then yes you do it. But if you've got a good offer and a bad one, take the good one!

P. S. And agree with the poster above me – having at least some PTO in the first year is definitely important!!!!

[OnmywaytoCPA]

Huge thank you to everyone for the advice. I accecpted the offer for the controller position. When I originally made this post. I left out one small detail. I was already working for the CPA Firm as an auditor, and got another offer while working there to be a controller. My current boss countered with 85,000 and reimbursement for the CPA Exam. I was kinda torn between the two because I only worked at the CPA firm for about 18 months and didn't want to seem like I was job hopping, but when the offer came to be a controller, I couldn't pass it up because I hate auditing and I always wanted to be a controller. Now, the only problem I'm facing is that I actually feel really bad for the CPA I'm working for. He acted someone had just ran over his puppy when I gave him my resignation.

REG - 74, Retook 6/10/16, scored a 72 (Hate this exam)
BEC - 69, 79, 8/1/15
AUD - 83, 4/4/15
FAR - 77, 2/27/16

[jm962011]

I know you already made your decision but I find that insane that the CPA firm didn't offer any PTO! You'd have to consider that into the compensation piece… I mean do they really expect someone to work for 12 months straight without a week of vacation??? Also, if you're working 60 hours as an auditor but 40 hours as the controller, that goes into the calculation as well.

One last thing to consider would be health/dental/vision insurance, FSA or HSA, 401k match… For example, if you put in 10% to your employer sponsored 401k, and they give you a 50% match on the first 4% (that means they will give you 2% of your salary as long as you're putting in at least 4%), that is an extra $1,580 per year. I also had an employer that gave us $1,000 in HSA funds with no vesting requirement. Larger corporations with multi-state employees can get better insurance rates as well whereas I have seen with smaller CPA firms have crappy benefits.

I think you might've made the best decision for yourself considering you don't want to be an auditor, and probably compensation wise too, but don't forget to consider these things in the future for your next opportunity 🙂

[The.Underdog]

As an accountant, I think cost vs benefit analysis will help you answer this question, haha.

FAR - 86
AUD - 93
REG - 8/31/16
BEC -84

[GorJess]

Based on the scenario given above, I would take the controller position.

Began my CPA journey in 2012 using Gleim and mistakenly paid to take all 4 parts within 6 months:
AUD - 51, 47 (did not study properly)
REG - 39 (did not study at all, just took it on a whim)
Did not sit for FAR or BEC
I gave up in 2013... 🙁

Resumed my CPA journey in 2016 using Gleim again with the following plan:
FAR - study Feb thru Jun, take exam 6/5/16
AUD - study Jun thru Aug, take exam 8/28/16
REG - study Sep thru Dec, take exam 12/4/16
BEC - study Dec thru Feb, take exam 2/26/17

[Author]

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