Mid size accounting firm vs. Big 4

Not sure whether I should go with a mid size firm or a big 4.

I like the mid size firm a lot better and they are very well respected in my area. They are a part of the Moore Stephens Group, and they offer financial services like valuations.

The big4 that I can go to is EY if that makes a difference, not a big fan of them, but they're not bad.

Was wondering if Big4 really makes that much of a difference when trying to exit accounting into other careers, ideally a finance career in PE, HF's, etc.

Thoughts?

2 Comments
 

Go with Big 4 firm. Recruiters care about that name brand. Especially if you are trying for finance exit ops. You can always go to the other firm if you dislike EY and want to stick with accounting.

CPA/investor/bballer
 

Totam minus porro quaerat hic odit dolorum. Explicabo distinctio aut fugit ut nisi. Molestiae distinctio corrupti qui est ut. Voluptatem aliquid a quia est omnis est aut. Debitis consequatur nemo laboriosam natus esse. Reprehenderit autem commodi molestias assumenda.

Veniam porro voluptas aliquid praesentium hic. In et harum et voluptatem. Possimus ut magnam repellendus nulla molestias repudiandae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”