How Are Public Accounting Salaries Stacking Up For 2022? (Part 4, Accounting Principals)

Posted on by Jason Bramwell

Accounting Principals has finally released its salary guide for 2022, and the main takeaway is average base salaries for roles in public accounting are expected to increase 6.4% across the board next year. So you guys get a salary adjustment that would barely cover the current inflation rate. Hooray.

For 2022’s salary guide, Accounting Principals provided salary data for employees in three tiers based on experience:

  • Low: Zero to two years of experience in that position or one similar.
  • Medium: Three to 10 years of experience in that position or one similar.
  • High: Ten or more years of experience in that position or one similar.

Below are the average base salaries for each of the 11 public accounting jobs in AP’s 2022 salary guide, listed by experience with a comparison of 2021’s projected salary and 2022’s projected salary (2021 -> 2022):

Accounting services

  • Low experience: $53,844 -> $57,312
  • Medium experience: $63,062 -> $67,124
  • High experience: $71,198 -> $75,784

Accounting services, senior

  • Low experience: $58,994 -> $62,794
  • Medium experience: $71,198 -> $75,784
  • High experience: $99,723 -> $106,146

Audit/assurance services associate

  • Low experience: $54,430 -> $57,935
  • Medium experience: $66,040 -> $70,293
  • High experience: $75,282 -> $80,131

Audit/assurance services associate, senior

  • Low experience: $59,409 -> $63,235
  • Medium experience: $69,205 -> $73,662
  • High experience: $79,952 -> $85,102

Audit/assurance services manager

  • Low experience: $69,205 -> $73,662
  • Medium experience: $91,563 -> $97,460
  • High experience: $103,734 -> $110,415

Audit/assurance services manager, senior

  • Low experience: $85,477 -> $90,982
  • Medium experience: $93,841 -> $99,884
  • High experience: $110,877 -> $118,018

Tax services associate

  • Low experience: $50,386 -> $53,631
  • Medium experience: $56,147 -> $59,763
  • High experience: $66,821 -> $71,125

Tax services associate, senior

  • Low experience: $71,198 -> $75,784
  • Medium experience: $82,385 -> $87,691
  • High experience: $87,462 -> $93,095

Tax services manager

  • Low experience: $88,503 -> $94,203
  • Medium experience: $103,750 -> $110,432
  • High experience: $133,162 -> $151,567

Tax services manager, senior

  • Low experience: $92,563 -> $98,525
  • Medium experience: $112,911 -> $120,183
  • High experience: $142,396 -> $151,567

Partner

  • Low experience: $144,430 -> $153,732
  • Medium experience: $216,424 -> $230,362
  • High experience: $324,480 -> $345,378

For more information, here is our previous coverage of 2022 accounting salary projections.

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Bonus Watch ’10: “Performers” Getting More Love at Deloitte

Last month we told you about some Deloitte partners in the Northeast that were dropping some “Applause Awards” on “strong performers,” possibly to help calm some nerves.

At that time, our sources indicated that “partners have also hinted at more money coming their way.” It now sounds like those hints are resulting in some greased palms:

[S]ome $1,000 [Outstanding Performance Awards] have been circulating in NE AERS for “performers”. Similar to the $100 applause awards for the larger segment of consultants, I think partners are trying to head off a mass exodus; not sure if the 1k will make a difference; but it does seem to be keeping people from quitting prior to hearing about their year-end comp adjustments

So regardless of what some Deloitte HR types might think, there are partners out there that are worried about people leaving and they seem to understand that throwing a little cash around does wonders for cooling some anxious heads.

Comp Watch ’11: Deloitte Audit Comp Call Details Are In

Thanks to our tipster who spilled the dirty details just moments ago:

No specific salary increases or bonuses were addressed, as the call was high-level. But here are the approximate levels:

Raise and Bonus Percentages:

3-rated (average) – 7% salary increase, 5% bonus
2-rated (middle) – 8.5% salary increase, 7% bonus
1-rated (highest) – 10% salary increase, 10% bonus

Milestone promotions (senior, manager, senior manager) would be 3 to 5% on top of the salary increases above. No additional bonuses or raises for new managers.

As expected, Deloitte talked a bit about salary multipliers, but not nearly to the extent that PwC did in their presentation. Of note on this front are the fact that experienced audit seniors can expect to earn 1.3x their starting salaries, as opposed to 1.5x at PwC. Also notable is the Deloitte model is “total compensation” (salary + bonus + rewards received), whereas PwC’s structure appears to apply only to salary.