In 2023, there were a record amount of accountants and auditors working in the United States, with a workforce that totaled more than 1.4 million people. This was an increase of approximately 40,000 when compared to the previous year.

Accountants and auditors

Auditors and accountants are responsible for preparing financial records, examining these records to ensure their accuracy and compliance, and ensuring that the correct amount of tax is paid. While most companies employ in-house accountants to maintain financial records, to guarantee independence audits are generally conducted by third-party consultancy firms. The leading accounting and audit firms in the United States by some distance are the aptly colloquialized "Big Four" – PwC, Deloitte, EY and KPMG.

Accountants in the U.S.

The number of accountants in the United States can be expected to continue to rise over the short term, with around one quarter of accountancy businesses planning to hire new staff in 2023. California, Texas and New York had the highest employment level in accounting and auditing, totaling around 380,000 people as of May 2022. The state with the highest wages for accountants, however, was in the District of Colombia, with a median annual wage considerably higher than the national average. Nationally, salary ranges for finance and accounting professionals vary greatly depending on experience and seniority. This can fluctuate from around 50,000 U.S. dollars at the low end to as high as 518,000 for Chief Financial Officers.

With a total revenue of over 67 billion U.S. dollars, Deloitte was the largest of the Big Four accounting firms in 2024. The combined revenue of the firms increased steadily in the last decade and exceeded 212 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. The Big Four accounting firms The leading accounting firms in the world are Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG). The firms provide their clients with various professional services that include auditing, corporate finance, and legal advice. Consulting revenue accounted for around 40 percent of Deloitte’s record total in 2024, whereas PwC and EY received most of their revenue from auditing services. International firms with workforces to match When broken down by geographical region, the three biggest firms generated most of their revenue in the Americas region – KPMG’s most lucrative region was its network of firms in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (including India). The United States has remained a major market for all four firms, where Deloitte generated nearly half of its total revenue in 2024. In terms of the number of employees, the four firms had a combined global workforce of more than one million people, as Deloitte once again led the way in 2024.

In 2024, the Big Four accounting firms increased their number of employees. Deloitte increased their workforce by roughly 3,500 between 2023 and 2024. The Big Four - additional information The Big Four are the four global leaders in auditing and accounting. Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst and Young (EY), and KPMG together audit the majority of publicly traded companies worldwide. In 2024, Deloitte employed the largest number of people with a workforce of approximately 460,000 people. Founded in London in 1845 and currently headquartered in New York, the firm had the majority of its workforce in the Americas when broken down by region, closely followed by Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Combined, the Big Four employed more than 1.5 million people worldwide in 2024. Deloitte was the largest auditing firm out of the four in terms of revenue in 2024, with PwC generating approximately 10 billion U.S. dollars less.

In 2023, Deloitte was the largest accounting firm in the United States with a revenue of almost 32.7 billion U.S. dollars. Leading accounting firms - additional information Deloitte was the third largest tax firm in the United States in 2023 behind PwC and Ernst & Young. Worldwide, the company generated a revenue of roughly 65 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. When broken down by region, the largest source of revenue for Deloitte came from the Americas. The number of employees at Deloitte totaled almost 457,000 people in the same year. Accounting services in the United States The number of accountants and auditors in the United States has remained steady between 1.3 and 1.4 million people over the last several years. In 2023, there were 1.4 million people employed in these professions. Although the sector is expected to flourish in terms of numbers, there has been a considerable gender wage gap within the accounting and auditing industry. In 2021, men earned around 230 U.S. dollars more per week than women doing the same job.

In 2023, PwC had both the second highest number of partners as well as the second highest revenue of the leading accounting firms in the United States. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) PwC is the second largest professional service firm among the Big Four auditors in the United States and worldwide. Headquartered in London, the company operates in 155 countries and had over 364,000 employees worldwide in 2023. In the same year, the firm accrued an aggregated revenue of over 50 billion U.S. dollars. When broken down by region, most of their turnover came from the Americas. Accounting services in the U.S. The accounting industry in the United States employed roughly 1.4 million accountants and auditors in 2022. California had the highest employment level in accounting and auditing in the country in the same year. Accountants and auditors in the District of Columbia, however, had the highest wages, and earned on average roughly 110,000 U.S. dollars per year.

In 2024, Deloitte roughly 21 billion U.S. dollars in revenue from its assurance segment, making it the leader in the assurance market among the Big Four. The Big Four worldwide The Big Four consist of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG. These companies are the four largest accounting and audit firms worldwide. In 2024, they brought in more than 212 billion U.S. dollars in global combined revenue. Out of the four, Deloitte had the highest number of employees. Second in the list was Ernst & Young, followed by PwC, and KPMG. The majority of revenue generated by Deloitte came from the Americas region, as was the case with PwC and EY. The Big Four in the U.S. These four companies have the most influence in the accounting and audit sector in the United States, auditing over 80 percent of U.S. public companies. Out of the Big Four, Deloitte brought in the highest gross revenue in the United States. Following Deloitte was PwC, bringing in 22.75 billion U.S. dollars, then Ernst & Young, that brought in 21.46 billion U.S. dollars. KPMG brought in the least, generating 12.2 billion U.S. dollars the same year.

Unsurprisingly the Big Four accounting firms – Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG – maintained the largest workforces of the accounting firms in the United States in 2023, ranging from Deloitte with approximately 171,000 staff to KPMG with their workforce of roughly 50,300. Outside of the Big Four there is a significant drop to the next-largest U.S. accounting firm, RSM, who employed 17,085 U.S. staff. Accounting firm structure Most accounting firms divide their employees into partners, professional staff and administrative staff. Partners sit atop the hierarchy, and can be either equity partners or salaried partners. Equity partners do not receive a fixed salary, instead owning part of the business. This entitles them to a proportion of the distributable profits. Conversely, salaried partners receive a fixed remuneration like other employees, but are often entitled to bonuses based on the firm’s profitability. Next in the hierarchy are professional staff, who are qualified to provide the specific services offered by the firm (for example, accountancy services or taxation advice). Finally there are administrative staff, who provide support to professional staff and partners. Generally the majority of employees are professional staff. In 2023, for example, Deloitte comprised of almost 80 percent professionals. The Big Four versus the rest The distance between the Big Four accounting firms and the others is also reflected in revenue figures , where the gap is even greater than for employee numbers. However, this gap can sometimes mask the size and success of the smaller accountancy firms. RSM reported a global revenue of over seven billion U.S. dollars in 2021, and have grown consistently for each of the last six years. Similarly, BDO reported a global revenue of almost 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, following a period of consistent growth.

The statistic illustrates the total numbers of employed and self-employed financial and accounting technicians in the United Kingdom (UK) between the second quarter of 2001 and the second quarter of 2018. It can be seen that the number of people employed as financial and accounting technicians fluctuated overall during the period under observation, reaching a total of 16 thousand as of the second quarter of 2018.

Deloitte reported total revenue figures of around 67 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, the highest among the Big Four accounting firms. The company also led the rankings in the Americas, but it was PwC who came out on top in the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). Accounting around the world Deloitte generated 36.4 billion U.S. dollars in North and South America in 2024, which was slightly more than half of their revenue worldwide. A similar story was reported by PwC, with almost half of their aggregated worldwide revenue in 2024 being made in the regions of the Asia Pacific and EMEA. PwC experienced particularly strong growth in EMEA where aggregate revenues in the region increased in recent years. Who are the Big Four? The four biggest accounting firms worldwide are Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst and Young (EY), and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG). Known as the Big Four, the companies have a significant oligopoly in the accounting market and generated a combined revenue worldwide of over 212 billion U.S. dollars and employed over one million people globally in 2024. Until 1989, the market had been dominated by eight accounting firms – also known as audit firms or professional services networks – but the number has since halved due to mergers and the collapse of major American accounting firm Arthur Andersen.

The turnover of the legal and accounting industry in Spain increased by 3.5 billion euros (+15.56 percent) in 2022 in comparison to the previous year. With 26.1 billion euros, the turnover thereby reached its highest value in the observed period. Turnover is defined by Eurostat as the total of all sales (excluding VAT) of goods and services carried out by the enterprises of a given sector during the reference period.Find more statistics on the legal and accounting industry in Spain with key insights such as production value and personnel costs.

The turnover of the legal and accounting industry in Germany decreased by 1.8 billion euros (-2.52 percent) since the previous year. Nevertheless, the last two years in this industry recorded a significant higher turnover than the preceding years.Turnover is defined by Eurostat as the total of all sales (excluding VAT) of goods and services carried out by the enterprises of a given sector during the reference period.Find more statistics on the legal and accounting industry in Germany with key insights such as production value and personnel costs.

The turnover of the legal and accounting industry in North Macedonia increased by 37.5 million euros (+24.41 percent) since the previous year. Therefore, the turnover in North Macedonia reached a peak in 2022 with 191.06 million euros. For the purpose of Eurstat Dataset NACE Rev.2 Section K turnover comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period, which corresponds to market sales of goods or services supplied to third parties.Find more statistics on the legal and accounting industry in North Macedonia with key insights such as production value and personnel costs.

The revenue generated by accounting services in the United States reached 145.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, up from roughly 144 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The revenue generated by this service was the highest it had ever been in 2023.

The turnover of the legal and accounting industry in Poland increased by 1.1 billion euros (+12.47 percent) in 2022. Therefore, the turnover in Poland reached a peak in 2022 with 10 billion euros. Notably, the turnover in this industry continuously increased over the last years.For the purpose of Eurstat Dataset NACE Rev.2 Section K turnover comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period, which corresponds to market sales of goods or services supplied to third parties.Find more statistics on the legal and accounting industry in Poland with key insights such as production value and personnel costs.

In 2022, of the total accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services sales in Canada, 68 percent were accounted for by business clients. The lowest share of accounting services sales went to sales outside Canada, i.e. exports, totaling 5.5 percent.

The turnover of the legal and accounting industry in the Netherlands increased by 1.2 billion euros (+6.02 percent) since the previous year. With 21.7 billion euros, the turnover thereby reached its highest value in the observed period. Notably, the turnover in this industry continuously increased over the last years.For the purpose of Eurstat Dataset NACE Rev.2 Section K turnover comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period, which corresponds to market sales of goods or services supplied to third parties.Find more statistics on the legal and accounting industry in the Netherlands with key insights such as production value and personnel costs.

Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) employed around 328,000 people worldwide in 2022, with approximately 122,000 of those employees working in the assurance service line and close to 106,000 employed in the advisory services sector.

Employment growth in Asia PwC has member firms around the globe and has continually increased its worldwide workforce since 2010. For several years, the majority of the firm’s employees were based in the geographical regions of Western Europe and the Americas; however, Asia became the region with the second greatest number of PwC employees in 2020. The company’s growth in Asia is further highlighted by its revenue figures in the region, which continue to increase since 2013.

What are assurance and advisory services? In 2022, around 70 percent of PwC’s total workforce was employed in the assurance and advisory service lines. Employees in the assurance sector provide clients with information regarding potential risks in their market. Due to rapidly changing technologies, qualified employees must be fully trained so they can deliver expert solutions across all markets. Employees working in advisory operations face particular demand from the financial services market. It is their responsibility to offer clients support, helping them to solve their problems and achieve objectives.

In 2023, Ernst & Young was the leading accounting firm in the United States in terms of tax services revenue, with a revenue of almost 5.6 billion U.S. dollars. PwC was the second-biggest accounting firm, with a U.S. revenue of approximately 5.5 billion U.S. dollars from tax services in 2023.

In 2024, EY had a total global workforce of almost 400,000 people. The majority of employees worked in the EMEIA region with a total of roughly 157,000. EY - Global powerhouse Headquartered in London, EY, one of the Big Four accounting firms, operate in over 150 countries worldwide. The firm generated a total revenue of approximately 51 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, a significant growth compared to the previous year. The region with the highest revenue in 2024 was the Americas. The Big Four The Big Four consist of Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and KPMG. These firms are the biggest auditing and accounting firms in the world that offer various professional services such as assurance, corporate finance, and legal services. They have a significant influence on the auditing sector worldwide. The combined revenue of the Big Four was approximately 204 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. Deloitte has consistently generated the highest amount of revenue, with KPMG bringing in the least out of the four. When broken down by function, advisory and consulting generated the highest revenue across the Big Four in 2023.

Deloitte employed roughly 460,000 members of staff worldwide in 2024. Between 2006 and 2024, Deloitte increased its number of employees by over 325,000 people. Deloitte – additional information Deloitte, or to give it its full name, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, was founded in London in 1845 and as of 2017 had its headquarters located in New York City. Deloitte is one of the largest professional services firms and is included in the Big Four along with Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG. Deloitte provides a range of services encompassing tax, consulting, financial advisory and audit, and enterprise risk. Since 2006, Deloitte have reported their worldwide revenue divided by these functions. Audit and assurance services remained the largest revenue generator for the company since 2006 when the service amounted to 9.8 billion U.S. dollars. In 2018, the consulting service exceeded the revenue of audit and risk services and in 2023 it contributed with almost 30 billion U.S. dollars. Deloitte versus the Big Four In terms of number of employees worldwide, Deloitte ranked first out of the big four accounting firms in 2023. With 460,000 employees on its payroll, Deloitte had more employees than its nearest rival EY which counted approximately 350,000. In a breakdown of the revenue of the big four accounting/audit firms worldwide by geographical region in 2023, Deloitte was ranked top firm in the Americas region. When it came to the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific region however, PwC generated a higher revenue than Deloitte.