Ed. note: Now with more numbers! Scroll down for a comparison of public accounting salaries from 2021 to 2024 by year and the percentage change for each.
Staffing authority Robert Half has released its much-anticipated 2024 Salary Guide and just like years past, the guide is packed with intel not only on finance and accounting but the greater job market that we really don’t care about. We’ll be deconstructing various aspects of the guide over the next few weeks, for now we’re taking a look at basic public accounting salaries and service lines.
If this is your first time checking out this industry-leading salary guide, Bob puts salaries into three buckets based on title holder’s usefulness:
- 25th percentile: New to the role, with little or no experience; requires more than casual instruction or supervision to perform day-to-day duties
- 50th percentile: Has the experience to consistently perform core responsibilities without direct supervision; very comfortable with processes and subject matter associated with the role
- 75th percentile: Value to the organization goes far beyond the ability to perform normal job duties; has rare qualifications that enable consistent contribution in unique ways; ready for next career level when available
Salaries below are starting salaries only, meaning this is what you would expect to make if you’re new, and include compensation only, not bonuses or benefits.
With that in mind, here are eight public accounting positions and their starting salaries for 2024:
| JOB TITLE | 25th PERCENTILE | 50th PERCENTILE | 75th PERCENTILE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Manager/Director Tax Services | $124,500 | $159,500 | $192,000 |
| Manager of Tax Services | $92,750 | $112,750 | $131,000 |
| Senior Tax Associate | $67,250 | $83,250 | $93,250 |
| Tax Associate | $52,750 | $64,750 | $74,750 |
| Senior Manager/Managing Director, Audit/Assurance Services | $121,500 | $150,250 | $174,250 |
| Manager, Audit/Assurance Services | $90,000 | $106,250 | $124,750 |
| Senior Associate, Audit/Assurance Services | $57,750 | $72,750 | $82,750 |
| Associate, Audit/Assurance Services | $49,000 | $60,500 | $69,500 |
Let’s compare the 2024 public accounting salary numbers to the same positions from Robert Half’s 2023 Salary Guide:
| JOB TITLE | 25TH PERCENTILE | 50TH PERCENTILE | 75TH PERCENTILE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Manager/Director Tax Services | $118,500 | $146,250 | $175,750 |
| Manager of Tax Services | $92,750 | $112,750 | $131,000 |
| Senior Tax Associate | $65,250 | $78,500 | $90,500 |
| Tax Associate | $51,250 | $63,000 | $72,750 |
| Senior Manager/Managing Director, Audit/Assurance Services | $116,750 | $144,500 | $167,500 |
| Manager, Audit/Assurance Services | $80,000 | $100,000 | $114,000 |
| Senior Associate, Audit/Assurance Services | $57,250 | $72,000 | $82,000 |
| Associate, Audit/Assurance Services | $48,500 | $59,750 | $68,750 |
In the interest of keeping things simple, we’ll compare public accounting salaries at the 50th percentile level for the two major service lines (2023 -> 2024), you’re welcome to do your own math on the rest. Percentage change is in parentheses and rounded to two decimal places.
Tax services
Senior Manager/Director Tax Services: $146,250 -> $159,500 (+9.06%)
Manager of Tax Services: $112,750 -> $112,750 (no change)
Senior Tax Associate: $78,500 -> $83,250 (+6.05%)
Tax Associate: $63,000 -> $64,750 (+2.78%)
Audit and Assurance services
Senior Manager/Managing Director, Audit/Assurance Services: $144,500 -> $150,250 (+3.98%)
Manager, Audit/Assurance Services: $100,000 -> $106,250 (+6.25%)
Senior Associate, Audit/Assurance Services: $72,000 -> $72,750 (+1.04%)
Associate, Audit/Assurance Services: $59,750 -> $60,500 (+1.26%)
That’s all for now, see you again soon with salaries for non-public accounting roles and a deeper dive on the public accounting numbers.
Update: Plugging some more numbers in for you since we know how much you love numbers. Let’s look at the salary numbers for 2021 -> 2022 -> 2023 -> 2024 and the percentage change from the year prior at the 50th percentile. The 2024 salary figures are bolded for additional clarity.
Tax services
Senior Manager/Director Tax Services: $137,500 -> $141,500 (+2.91%) –> $146,250 (+3.36) -> $159,500 (+9.06%)
Manager of Tax Services: $107,000 -> $110,000 (+2.8%) –> $112,750 (+2.5%) -> $112,750 (no change)
Senior Tax Associate: $73,250 -> $75,500 (+3.07%) -> $78,500 (+3.97%) -> $83,250 (+6.05%)
Tax Associate: $59,750 -> $61,500 (+2.93%) -> $63,000 (+2.44%) -> $64,750 (+2.78%)
Audit and Assurance services
Senior Manager/Managing Director, Audit/Assurance Services: $134,750 -> $139,750 (+3.71%) -> $144,500 (+3.4%) -> $150,250 (+3.98%)
Manager, Audit/Assurance Services: $93,500 -> $96,250 (+2.94%) -> $100,000 (+3.9%) -> $106,250 (+6.25%)
Senior Associate, Audit/Assurance Services: $66,750 -> $68,750 (+3%) -> $72,000 (+4.73%)-> $72,750 (+1.04%)
Associate, Audit/Assurance Services: $54,500 -> $56,750 (+4.13%) -> $59,750 (+5.29%)-> $60,500 (+1.26%)
After getting my CPA, law degree, and 4 grueling years in big4, I finally hit a 6-digit salary.
Two years later, my now wife, riding her psychology degree and two years of part-time work at a start-up, received an offer in corporate marketing for $105,000.
Accounting pay is SHITE, I tell ya, SHITE.
These Numbers still seem low. Most Assurance professionals in Big 4 who started in Summer of 2021 are currently at $82,000 base up to $94,500 base.
Incredibly shocking to hear the accounting profession is in serious trouble. So to get in the door you basically needs a masters degree, non-stop studying for a horrible exam, and then youre rewarded with working 55+ hours a week more than half the year and get paid salaries that most people without degrees or student loans earn that work way less. What an awesome profession I can’t believe more people aren’t running to it. I have friends that sell cars that make $175,000. This is honestly beyond pathetic.
I received my MAC in 1987 with tax specialty from one of the top accounting programs, and CPA 2 years later. I saw the writing on the wall then, an moved into IT, and hit six figures five years later and when I retired (early) in the mid-six figures, as a woman in a fortune 10 company.
Why on earth would any new grad consider this dismal “upside”?
Opinion of 1, here.
Blessings to you all.
These numbers are 30 to 50% lower than the actual pay not including bonus. Robert Half should be embarrassed by reporting that.