What is the average age to make Big 4 partner?

Asked by: Mireya Leuschke DVM  |  Last update: July 3, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (11 votes)

Big 4 firms (EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG) are strategically promoting younger partners (average age 33-35). Earlier the average age to become a non-equity partner was around 38-40 years. 35-40% of all Big 4 partners are now below the age of 45, compared to 30% 2-3 years ago.

What age do people make partners at Big 4?

The new Big 4 partners' average age between 33 and 35.

Is 45 too old for CPA?

Benefits of Taking the CPA Exam Later

While the average CPA Exam candidate is just 29 years old,3 there are no age limitations on who can become a CPA. In fact, if you're mature in your career, there are many benefits of earning your CPA license later in your career.

What percentage of people make partner at Big 4?

In case of the 54 Big 4 directors, we find that 29 (53.7 percent) remain director, 13 (24.1 percent) make partner, and 12 (22.2 percent) leave Big 4 audit firms. These descriptive results suggest broad variation in career movements for senior managers as well as directors.

How much do partners at Big 4 make?

The Big 4 accounting firms salary ranges from $55,000 for associates to $390,000+ for directors, with partners earning $250,000 to $5 million. Consulting roles pay the most, while audit and tax salaries start lower, showing function is more important than the firm.

Steve Jobs on Consulting

23 related questions found

Are Big 4 partners wealthy?

As of 2024, the average income across all partners was $938,000 each year. Here are some approximate Big 4 firms'—PwC, KPMG, EY, and Deloitte—partner earnings broken down by seniority: Years 1-5 (new partners): $500,000. Years 6-10 (senior partners): $1.25 million – $1.5 million.

How much does a 30 year old CPA make?

Certified Public Accountants in the U.S. typically earn an average of $80,000 to over $100,000 per year, a figure that increases with experience and specialization and represents a 21% premium over non-credentialed accountants, while also offering higher job satisfaction and long-term career demand.

Is it hard to become a PwC partner?

You will need to survive the partnership admissions process – this tough process is followed by up to 3 more partnership panel interviews at sector team and geography levels. If you want to become a partner at PwC in the USA, you need to factor in a partner track process that is 3 years long!

Will AI replace Big 4 auditors?

Deloitte, which includes Deloitte & Touche in its global network, sponsors CFO Journal. The firm views agentic AI as enhancing the human auditor's capabilities to continuously improve audit quality, not replacing them, said Will Bible, the firm's digital products leader.

Do all CPAs make 6 figures?

According to recent data highlighted in many CPA Salary reports, the median salary for accountants and auditors was about $79,880 in 2023. However, experienced CPAs, especially in management or executive roles, can earn well into six figures.

Which is harder, CPA or bar?

Key Takeaways. The CPA Exam consists of four sections focused on accounting, while the Bar Exam varies by state and tests legal knowledge and reasoning. Average pass rates are around 50% for the CPA Exam and 70% for the Bar Exam, reflecting differing levels of difficulty.

Are 75% of accountants retiring?

It's estimated in the next 10 years 75% of CPAs will be retired. That is a large amount of institutional knowledge that companies will be loosing quickly. This doesn't even account for the fact that presently, almost every accounting function is running as thin as they possibly can.

Which pays more, CFP or CPA?

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Cpa Cfp job category, we found that Self Employed Cpa jobs have average salaries greater than Cpa Cfp jobs. Significantly, Self Employed Cpa jobs pay $181,224 (177.8%) more than the average Cpa Cfp salary of $101,940.

What age do PwC partners retire?

Compulsory retirement age for Partners at PwC is 60 so the question is whether an another reason for doing this now is so that Marco can table a change in the governance rules to increase the retirement age to allow him to do the customary two terms as Chair (each term is 4 years and you can serve up to 2).

What is the McKinsey rule of 3?

You are forced to choose the 3 most important reasons

If you want to be thorough and exhaustive, you may come up with a huge number of reasons (like 5 or 10) to support your argument. Rather than actually presenting all of the reasons, focus on the 3 most important that will be the most effective with your audience.

How much money do partners at KPMG make?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $117,500 and as low as $30,500, the majority of Kpmg Partner salaries currently range between $116,500 (25th percentile) to $116,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $116,500 annually across the United States.

Will CPAS become obsolete?

While AI will undoubtedly change the nature of accounting work, it's unlikely to make accountants extinct. Instead, the profession is poised for a shift: as automation takes over routine tasks, the demand for accountants who can offer strategic insight, interpret complex data, and provide trusted advice will only grow.

What jobs are 100% safe from AI?

Jobs least likely to be affected by automation are commonly found in the following fields:

  • Health Care: Nurses, doctors, therapists, and counselors.
  • Education: Teachers, instructors, and school administrators.
  • Creative: Musicians, artists, writers, and journalists.

Is 30 too old to get into consulting?

Not too late - you'll have to accept being older than peers but if that doesn't bother you then there is no barrier except trying to get in the door.

What GPA do you need for a PwC internship?

PwC's minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. However, based on Glassdoor interview data and candidate reports, competitive applicants typically have a GPA of 3.4 or higher. For more selective service lines like Strategy& or Deals Advisory, the effective GPA bar rises to around 3.6 or above.

How long does it take to hit partner at PwC?

Most people take 10-15 years to become a Big 4 partner.

Can you make 300k as a CPA?

The ideal candidate has a CPA, public accounting experience, and a strong technical accounting background. This high-impact position offers a salary of $275k-$300k plus bonuses and equity ...

Why are CPAs declining?

Declining interest among students

Fewer students are choosing accounting as a major, and the pipeline of future CPAs has been shrinking for years. Enrollment declines today translate directly into fewer entry-level hires now and a smaller pool of experienced accountants down the line. Perception plays a role here.

Can a CPA make 200K a year?

Tax Director - Up to $200K Base + Bonus + Commission (Path to Partner) Senior Tax Manager OR Tax Director | Hybrid | Mid-sized CPA Firm About Us We are a dynamic, mid ... Base upwards of $200K DOE, Bonus, additional compensation (10% commission) for new business brought ...