Anybody work for one of the Big 4 accounting firms in chicago?

[madman300]

My G/F, who currently works for D & T in St. Louis, is looking at transfering from the STL office to the Chicago office. However, I would expect that they would be offering her more than an 8% increase in pay to come to a city where the cost of living is an estimated 29% higher.

Does anyone here know the average salery, or what type of salery to expect at one of the Big 4 accounting firms in Chicago?

FYI: She has just under 2 years of experience, has her masters and undergrad degrees in accounting and has her CPA.


thanks

 

[JS80]

That's why the strategy should be start in a big city to get the big salary and move to a low cost city and keep the big city salary.

 

[SurfNSand]

I can give you an idea of what she could expect. But you didn't give specifics other than she is moving. Big4 firms are huge and she could be doing anything within it.

What does she do exactly (Audit, Tax, Advisory, HR, Resource, FA, etc)?
What subgroup of those, specifically, is she (for example: audit-real estate/funds/banking/etc, tax-etc, advisory-transactions/mergers/internal audit/forensic/etc)?
Position level (associate, manager, senior, partner, etc)

 

[madman300]

SurfNSand

- She works in tax and has just under two years of experience so she is still an associate. I believe she will be promoted to a Senior shortly after her transfer.

 

[kstu]

~60-65k base salary

 

[madman300]

KSTU,

Is this from experience or a guess?

madison

 

[Dunbar]

She would be working in the same building as my company's corporate office, right on Lake and Michigan Ave. Figure at least $1k/mo. for a decent 1BR north of the city.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Transfers generally have to wait 1yr till they are promoted as the new office wants to tbe the ones who evaluate her. I would suggest she stay until she is promoted.

Ccost of living does not play a significant role in her salary uplift. Dont expect a 30% raise. I wold expect her to make in the mid/upper 50's as a senior in Chicago.

 

[madman300]

Dunbar,

I think she will be working up the street from me at 111 S. Wacker... in D&Ts building.

 

[madman300]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Transfers generally have to wait 1yr till they are promoted as the new office wants to tbe the ones who evaluate her. I would suggest she stay until she is promoted.

Ccost of living does not play a significant role in her salary uplift. Dont expect a 30% raise. I wold expect her to make in the mid/upper 50's as a senior in Chicago.

Understandable, but we were expecting more like 15%.

 

[SurfNSand]

Originally posted by: kstu
~60-65k base salary

I work at a Big4 in NY and I am assuming the numbers are similar. Can I assume she only passed one of the CPA exams?

Seems a bit odd that someone with less than 2 years experience would be promoted to senior unless she was an exceptional performer. Pretty standard where I work that you need to be here for 3-5 years and be a stand out. Like kstu said, as a senior with one passed exam, she could be looking at 60k-68k depending on performance reviews. Standard associate level is 50k-58k.

From what I was told, the money is better in smaller firms. Her CPA and MBA give her a lot of leverage in terms of asking. Good luck.

 

[SurfNSand]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Transfers generally have to wait 1yr till they are promoted as the new office wants to tbe the ones who evaluate her. I would suggest she stay until she is promoted.

Ccost of living does not play a significant role in her salary uplift. Dont expect a 30% raise. I wold expect her to make in the mid/upper 50's as a senior in Chicago.

I agree with this completely. She should wait to get promoted first before even considering the move. They will find a way to "jerk" you in terms of salary.

The numbers I gave were going up the ranks with my firm and being an exceptional performer.

 

[austin316]

Originally posted by: SurfNSand

Originally posted by: kstu
~60-65k base salary

I work at a Big4 in NY and I am assuming the numbers are similar. Can I assume she only passed one of the CPA exams?

Seems a bit odd that someone with less than 2 years experience would be promoted to senior unless she was an exceptional performer. Pretty standard where I work that you need to be here for 3-5 years and be a stand out. Like kstu said, as a senior with one passed exam, she could be looking at 60k-68k depending on performance reviews. Standard associate level is 50k-58k.

From what I was told, the money is better in smaller firms. Her CPA and MBA give her a lot of leverage in terms of asking. Good luck.

work for a big four and moved to chicago from the midwest. up salary about 10%, so 8% is fair. she will get NO WHERE near 28%.

 

[madman300]

SurfNSand,

As I understand you are usually promoted to senior after, at least, 2 years with Deloitte.

I am not sure what you mean by "she has only passed one of the CPA exams". She is a CPA, she has passed all 4 exams. Lastly, she does not have an MBA but a masters in Accounting: Tax.

 

[homercles337]

I like salery. Its good with peanut butter.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Big 4 has no requirement on passing the CPA exam in order to be promoted to senior. Manager yes, senior no.

It generally takes 2-3yrs of work to be promoted to senior in the Big 4 world. High performers get promoted early.

Standard used to be 2yrs but with the concentration of audit staff working on SOX prjects and not audit work it is taking staff longer to get the neccessary tools to be promoted in 2yrs.

 

[kstu]

Originally posted by: madman300
KSTU,

Is this from experience or a guess?

madison

a little of both

 

[madman300]

bump for evening insight.