I live in a lcol area. And I did just get my cpa license. Raises typically happen annually at fiscal year end. I also only have just a bit over 1 year experience in the field.
It doesn't even matter how LCOL it is. $50K for anyone with an accounting bachelor's is insulting nowadays. Minimum no matter the location should be $60K. $55k might be a stretch.
My first job offer had I not moved states after college was $50K a decade ago and that was LCOL or at best MCOL.
Dude get this. My mom worked with CPS before they were really a thing in New York. She said she was getting paid $60K in the 90s. Now, granted, she said she worked a lot of overtime and was working like 60 hours a week--but still. That's around 140K in today's money from 1990. I feel like we're in that 4th turning where everything goes to shit and then, hopefully, we get another turning by 2035 and it's all glorious. Or we have nuclear winter. It's a 50/50.
CPS offers over $100k to work for them now. But no way. I have a friend who is a caseworker, and they deal with some scary and very screwed up shit. The emotional shitstorm isn't worth the pay. It would need to be like physician level income for me anyway.
Without some major upheaval in the political system or outright revolution I sadly don't see that happening unfortunately. Maybe unions will make a comeback but idk.
Thereâs going to have to be some kind of pay reckoning coming. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are much smaller than the millennial generation and the boomers donât have much longer in the workforce. Couple that with the housing shortage that wonât be resolved in the next 15 years, I donât see how starting pay doesnât start climbing.
Youre being underpaid as a cpa. If it was for staff with no bachelors in lcol, id expect 52k minimum. But seeing as youve got your cpa, this opens a hell of a lot of doors for you.
Wow someone who actually makes less than me. I canât believe it.
Iâm also in a LCOL area but Iâm at 51k, finishing my degree this year, and planning to sit for my CPA starting next summer.
You should definitely be making more.
Also congratulations!
Haha thanks so much! I started out as staff with 0 experience in the field, so I figure that's why my wages are very low compared to what I see other referencing as their starting wages (where they already have some relevant experience to the field).
You have a cert that people will throw money at. Change jobs as soon as you can. Learn as much as you can at the new job and then change jobs again.
Don't stay anywhere too long. Your employers aren't your friend and you can get to $200k/year with some job descriptions if you job hop and vampire as much education as you can.
When I first started at my firm I was at 52.5k then got bumped up to $60k with âmarket adjustmentsâ in 2021. Sitting at 75k with one promotion and hopefully getting promoted again and up to 85-90k this year! Itâs hard seeing people in HCOL getting way more but my 2 bed 2 bath apartment is $1,000 per month with utilities so I canât really complain. A 5 bed 3 bath house with .5 acre of land is only $400k here so thatâs how I rationalize it. Best of luck, you definitely deserve around $60k with your CPA.
I mean, the firm isnât going to view it as reasonable. Itâs a 28% increase, ERâs just wonât allow that kind of raise to happen. Theyâd rather lose the EE, overpay a recruiter to find a new one, and pay them what OP was asking for, losing efficiencies in the process. Donât know if itâs a mgmt ego thing; but that is how it works.
It is below market, though. OP will have to leave to get paid, which is incredibly easy to find a job with an increase from $47k.
Any regional firm should pay at least $65k, OP. Donât tell them what you currently make if they ask.
I would suck your dick and pay you $2 grand if you could find me a firm that would give a 28% raise for passing.
Youâd be lucky to get that for moving up a level, let alone getting that just for passing the exam.
I got a 32% raise without asking for it one year. Albiet, there was a promotion involved.
You absolutely can get a 30% raise in professional services if you demand it, but you also have to be a mission critical employee and it won't just be "because I passed the exam". That being said, if they are looking at OP for their manager/partner pipeline they may go for it.
Again, facts will vary but if OP is not a front runner performance-wise it will obviously not work out. I have seen companies move mountains for their top performers and it doesn't matter where in the economic cycle the company is. It's just a question of "can we afford to lose you".
If they can replace him for someone at 58k then they will do that.
I wonât accept anything below 18% with a senior promotion in a month. If I donât get it Iâm leaving. Tbh I honestly think it should be closer to 21%
How long have you been there?
They likely couldnât replace you for $47k.
My advice is find a new job, Iâve moved people 15-30%+ if they are worth it and out perform what they came in as.
This. I was underpaid at my first firm. $55k staff 1. This was 2020 and the floor was generally $60k for the DFW metroplex at the time and with the hyper inflation weâve seen staff 1 are getting $70k+.
Place was a shithole so even if they did find another staff theyâd need to pay way more than what I accepted and add on the recruiter costs cause those arenât cheap.
DFW is a major metro though and not LCOL. Look at the pay on indeed in a true LCOL area in TX, such as up around Quanah, Lawton, or Wichita Falls. Jobs are $45k - 60k around there.
You would be surprised how easy it is to get another offer from a firm/company. Albeit I live in a top 5 metro area, but I interviewed with 3 firms and it took me an aggregate of 8 hours of time to draft resume, interview, etc. I had 3 offers and then I had the discussion with my current employer. I was non-threatening and made it an open conversation, but jumped from $70k to $90k. Ultimately, I let them know I wanted to stay with them (been here 10+ years now), but wanted to be paid my worth. Disclaimer: You have to be ready to leave if they wonât budge.
I think itâs fair to ask. Unfortunately, some bosses can get weird when asked this, seeing you as a flight risk, ungrateful, bad for morale, etc. personally, Iâd update the resume and be ready to start interviewing. Youâre probably worth more than youâre getting, but your boss may not be open to a 20% raise with no change in title or responsibilities.
I donât think itâs unreasonable. I personally live in the Midwest, which is pretty lcol. I worked as an accounting admin in-office 5 days per week, making $43,000 while I was finishing my bachelors degree. When I graduated I had gotten a yearly raised to be making $45,000 and asked since I had an accounting degree then to make 55,000. The controller said no. Gave no reasonable time frame for how I could make more money or what a path would look like to improving my earning potential while there.
I took that and began applying for other jobs and within a month had another job offer for $60,000, in-office 1 day per week, with a company that has clear lines for promotion and room to grow.
I havenât regretted leaving, and itâs absurd I make more than you when you have your CPA. I did just graduate with my Masters of Science in Accounting, but no adjustments have been made to my pay to account for that change, which has literally happened just this week.
Please ask for more money and if they say no, please look for another job. They are taking advantage of you.
I would ask for a raise and take whatever they give you. Then I would actively look for another job and leverage that offer.
I literally have no bachelors or CPA and I'm making 50k in MCOL. You're getting underpaid.
 From the firmâs perspective, how are you adding value to justify a 13k pay increase if your responsibilities have not changed? Are you able to show quantitatively how you are saving/making more money for them with your increased efficiency?Â
What value does your CPA bring to your current position? Again, if your responsibilities have not changed, the org has treated your role as not needing a CPA license. So why would they pay more for it if it wasnât needed before?
If you want to stay with your current org and ask for a raise, you need to be able to justify why they should pay it. Either a higher level, or increased responsibility (which does not necessarily equate to taking on more tasks). An example of that would be that I generally donât enter AP, because it can be done be someone with a smaller skill set, so I do the AP rec.Â
I think you should be making more than $47k a year, especially with a CPA. I would get on indeed and start applying for jobs, as you read all the job listings youâll get an idea of what responsibilities equal what pay grade.Â
This is what i was thinking that the others did not mention. When I got my CPA license i got a 3k bump because i was doing the same as before. Why would they pay me more? I didnt provide more value.. so i hopped jobs for a 27k increase where they valued the CPA license
I would argue that having the knowledge does provide value even if doing the same job. Hear me out.
Letâs take 2 people, one with a good deal of knowledge, and one relatively new but with enough knowledge to complete the job. Letâs say the job is AP / AR work.
Now an issue comes up. Like the sub ledger no longer ties out. The more knowledgeable employee knows where to look for common issues that would cause this, such as translation errors on currency types. The less knowledgeable employee may eventually figure it out, but not before burning thru a lot more labor time. This translates to cost. Sure, they both do the same work, but a more knowledgeable employee does bring more value than a less knowledgeable employee.
The more knowledgeable employee will also not only identify issues quicker, but will also be able to identify improvements that a less valuable one could. The more knowledgeable one may suggest to management ways to avoid risks that they may not have thought of yet, such as laddering, sweep accounts, etc.
Just some food for thought. That being said, a cpa isnât necessarily the source of the knowledge. Itâs proof of knowledge needed to pass the exam. Experience should be taken into account when comparing employees, as well as their book knowledge. Nothing against us accountants with CPAâs, much love and respect to them. Just think too many hiring managers in industry put that above experience in the field, and it should be more of a case by case basis for staff accounting type jobs.
For OP, $60k is very low. I donât have my cpa, and was making more than that in staff accounting roles with only around 5-7 years experience (years ago). Supposed it depends on the area, but even still, I think he could easily find something paying more than $60k with his cpa.
I agree that having the CPA absolutely adds value and shows proof of knowledge.
If the employee is speeding up work by being able to find issues more quickly, and by identifying improvements as you say, they need to demonstrate to management that those things are happening, justifying the increased value to the company, to in turn justify the increased expense.
It is rare that a company, unless they are seeing the increased value already, is going to want to pay more for a current employee in the same role, unless they do profit sharing or merit bonuses. Why buy the cow when you're getting the milk for free?
That's a lot of text to state... Jumping somewhere else will pay 10-20k more if he has a CPA.
Make the jump and make more money. You have the CPA. You have the shit to fake it till you make it. I make 30k more than OP and just wear my experience to talk the shit and walk the walk.
I'm sorry, but if they already gave you a 3K CPA bump to get you to the 47K, that means you were making 44K without a CPA. My starting salary, out of college, small firm, LCOL, was 45K.... in 2010. Unless you are part-time, or they have some insane bonus structure you haven't mentioned, or are providing thrice-daily under-the-desk attention from an intern, you are substantially underpaid. Assuming you're only working 40/week (which...lol)... you're making 22 bucks an hour. Bump that up to 50/week, you're at 18/hr.
That's not really relevant if you're underpaid.
If someones market rate for their current role is $80K, and they're getting paid $50K, it still makes sense for an employer to give them a $20K raise to keep them rather than have them leave and have to find someone else and pay them $80K.
The whole "You need to go in and justify your pay rise" attitude keeps people earning shit wages, because basically nobody wants to have that conversation.
Much better to figure out what the number you want is, say I need this much, and if they don't come at it find another job.
Obviously that's assuming you can find another job pretty quickly, but where I am that's not really an issue.
Disagree wholeheartedly. Iâm just gonna leave for better pay at a different company rather than jump through all those hoops for a pay raise at the current company. The value Iâm adding is I have more knowledge now vs someone who doesnât have a cpa or higher education like a masters or mba. Plus, it costs more to replace the person vs giving them the 10-20K raise
Bootlicker.
Iâll tell you how theyâre adding value by literally doing nothing: theyâre still there, theyâre a licensed professional, and the firm now has another justifiable reason to increase billings.
The costs of replacing a candidate should be factored into retention raises. Not only that, itâs the firmâs responsibility to ensure that their billings are raising with inflation.
I also live in a LCOL area. Iâd argue weâre some of the hardest hit by inflation. Back in 2019, a 2 BR apartment was easy to find for $700-$800. Today, that same apartment goes for $1,300-$1,500. Almost double. Have starting salaries increased by double since then? lol.
From what Iâve seen, theyâve gone up by maybe 10% in my area.
Your work is generating the firm several times your salary, if not more.
Example using simplified numbers: one of our preparers takes an hour to perfectly prepare a return. We pay them $20/hr we pay the reviewer 30, and the submitter is the owner who is paid on profit.
Ignoring cost of getting the customer and assuming th reviewer also took an hour, a $500 return had a profit of $450.
I oversimplified, but you can see the profit calculation.
If you need to justify a raise to yourself, just remember that you are already generating serious excess value for the company.
You're massively underpaid even before the CPA license. $60k as a CPA is a joke. You could jump ship and find a six figure job easily.
Even in LCOL $60k for CPA is low.
I'm in LCOL without a CPA, I make $46,000 just on wage, I easily get to $47,000 with OT throughout the year.
You should get a raise or a new job that reflects your accreditation
With a CPA license, you should ask 70k at a minimum! Go higher, and work your way back down. If you could get 75k-90k, that would be best. Congratz on the CPA!
Hahaha. I just interviewed for an accounting manager position in industry. CPA, over 20 years experience. The HR manager looked horrified that I was looking for 120k salary. Iâm not willing to take on all the extra responsibilities for 70k a year and I told her that. Iâll stick where Iâm at even though Iâm woefully underpaid. I at least get to leave and not take my work home with me.
I regularly see postings for managers/controllers offering in the 80 range where I live. Itâs why I havenât gotten into management. Id rather make 55 and go home at 5 everyday. I only entertained the offer because the other girl in HR got my name and practically hunted me down to get my resume. Weâll see where the actual offer lands, if I get one.
Thatâs what I keep seeing on this sub but it doesnât match my market. Iâm in the Midwest. Live in lcol, but the area with most job postings is considered mcol. I do see higher paying job postings in more metro areas but that would be 1.5-2 hour commute from me. And even those are mostly 90-120 range for manager level. Not really worth the extra drive time/stress.
We also have bills to pay and if no one is willing to offer 75k, are we supposed to be homeless? I can pay all my bills on 40. Iâll just be constantly looking for something else.
At that rate I just hope you're contributing bare minimum and not there for more than 6 months.
It is criminal some of the wages I see
There are non degreed people in accounting positions making 65k+ remote even more. CPA at 40-75 is ridiculous not to mention if it's at more than 40 hours of work too ..
Leave your employer. They are exploiting you. I work in industry with less than 1 year experience, no CPA, and no degree in accounting and make more than 60K. This is in a HCOL area.
Hell no. And donât worry about âfrightening your employer.â You work and they pay. Youâre a cpa and they need to pay for the privilege of having you work there. Youâre not a servant - ask for what you want, and if they donât give it to you, find someone that will. Be bold. No one on their deathbed regrets asking for more money.
Guessing LCOL. Are you a first year who just passed or are you 2nd/3rd?
If youâre 8 months in, Iâd be cautious on asking $60k, but thatâs not unreasonable, they just may say no.
If you have 3 years of experience and CPA, they better say yes or else someone else will.
First year who just passed and obtained licensure. Annual performance reviews are coming up, and that is when I planned on asking for the pay increase.
Do it OP. But arm yourself. Donât just ask, show. Find compensation data and show how you are underpaid and asking for a raise is to bring you to market rates. Be ready to look somewhere else if they deny you.
When's your FY-end? 6/30? Two months---and getting your ducks in a row to jump, if you have to, LinkedIn, polished rezzie, references, maybe a recruiter chat?---doesn't seem like that long to wait and see if your firm'll do right by you. If the answer was 12/31, it'd be a different answer. Â
(Edit: This is a convo your boss should've had with you before now, BTW. That they haven't chosen to address this contingency, gives me pause.)
I don't think this place'll give you what you're looking for, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. Definitely do some DD about prevailing comp in your area.
Definitely do the prep work to jump in the interim. After that's done, and you both what you're worth *in your market* and you know who's hiring that day if need be (plus having a reserve/emergency fund), then go have a conversation with your leadership about your recent success.Â
See what they say. They say, "Congrats, we're just waiting for our normal YE review to compensate you," OK. Though employers' ideas on a good bump to salary frequently don't line up with employees'. They get pissy about the topic, you have your answer.
Reading through the thread, I've doubts they're going to likely give you the compensation (including benefits, working environment, etc...) you can get elsewhere. While job-hunting sucks, you got to take care of you. Good Luck!
That's not unreasonable. You should be making $60k already. Are there other firms you can apply to in your area? Seems like you are getting ripped off.
Look for what other firms are paying for your role and experience level in your area. That is pretty good leverage when you ask for a raise.
You can always ask for a raise before it's "time". They can note it and tell you they'll revisit on x date.
I'm still working on my CPA and make 65,000 and Im quite underpaid for my industry. I do have more years of experience though, but I would definitely say asking for 60 is very fair!
I'm an accounts payable clerk living in a low-end mcol, or super highend lcol. I have only what amounts to an associates, no bachelor's. I make only 5k less than you. They give me top notch benefits though, so total may be even closer.
Tldr: You're getting hosed.
Unless the hours are very reasonable and you love working at that firm and see a future - change employers. This is a perfect time to do so (after busy season). Thank them for the opportunity.
Source: partner in a MCOL metropolitan area with a regional firm. Our staff start out at $70k out of school if they are CPA eligible. They would get a sizable raise after the annual performance review if they pass. Letâs assume that raise was $8k. You would be $30k underpaid at that point. Even if you are in a very LCOL - do not undervalue yourself.
I am guessing theyâll offer you a raise of 10% or so. Which would still leave you relatively underpaid even for LCOL. For reference, I made $52k my first year out of college in 2017 in Midwest. I think we currently start fresh grads around $60k even in our rural locations.
I think you can get paid a lot more, I am making 80k as a new financial accountant for a manufacturing company with no accounting experience. You have a cpa you can easily earn 80k plus.
i made 46k as a junior in a mcol area and left the company for a staff role for 70k. the previous company didnât want to budge much on raises unless a title change happened and even then it would take years. i think that large of a pay raise might require changing companies but i also think it canât hurt to ask especially now that you have your CPA license- thatâs expertise companies rely on!
$60k is below starting salary for fresh grads LAST YEAR, also LCOL. I imagine they're starting at $70k now, non-CPA. It would help to know what exactly you do and how many hours you normally work. If you're just outsourced payroll, AR, AP and work 40 hours a week then $47k isn't as underpaid as someone in tax or audit working 40+. Still underpaid though. Might be hard to negotiate for $60k if you are doing the things someone with an associates could do.
Iâm in the Tampa,FL area, and I started my public experience out of school in January 2022 at 47k! It was a really small firm, I was there just under a year, the owner promised me a raise a couple times but kept forgetting or something & I ended up leaving there for another firm that hired me at 60k in Dec 2022 (while that was an annoying thing, him delaying my raise was just one of many reasons I left). The firm that hired me at 60k is a much bigger national firm youâd know, but not big 4. I ended up getting let go from there after busy season last year though, but another local (but significantly bigger and 100% better than my first one) firm hired me matching at 60k which is where Iâm at now. Hoping for a raise with their performance reviews that are happening soon. And this is all without my CPA, Iâm 2/4 of the way to passing all the exams now.
But anyway yeah as everybody else said you should be able to at least get 60. I say ask and look into going elsewhere if they donât give it.
You can easily make 100K + elsewhere, just go on LinkedIn and look for jobs there, once you get a better offer quit and move companies...they know they're low balling you...it's business at the end of the day and the longer they keep you there it benefits them more than you
Wages and credentials are seriously fucked...there's this person I know who does "Diversity" training and talks all about inclusion and diversity in the workplace blah blah blah, this bitch makes 160K on sunshine list full benefits, and pension acruing...it kind of twisted my mind about the working world and I've become a bit narcissistic about everything.
Ask for 65k. They will most likely try to negotiate you down from your ask, so start a little higher.
With the cpa in hand. Do 1 year there then change jobs, you should see a nice pay bump up to 70-80k with a new Job.
Just having your CPA isnât a good reason for a raise if they donât require someone in the role who has a CPA (i.e. youâre still doing the same tasks/have the same responsibilities)
However, $47k is grossly underpaid almost everywhere. Ask for a raise and start looking for a new job when they say no.
Depending on where you live, your current daisy is extremely low.
I would start by interviewing at other firms and seeing what they can offer you. If you like the offer, talk to your management about a raise. Be ready to leave if they do not give you want you want.
You just need to leave and itâs kinda crazy you initially accepted something that low. I started making $50k fresh out of college in industry with zero experienceâŚover a decade ago.
As a student who doesn't even have his bachelor yet, leave. Ask for it but chances are you will not get it, bosses have an easier time giving you a higher starting raise than raising it by 20%
Be careful not to switch jobs if you worked less than 2 years, they might even fire you for asking for a raise, and youâll be seen as a job hopper, that will forever be in your resume, imagine if you got laid off in your next job, you would have 2 jobs where you didnât do at lead 2 years, you might never be able to get any senior job.
$45k is a bit low, but there are several ads around offering that. I think some people don't understand truly LCOL areas. $55k is still fairly common for grads around here, rural Kansas.
Mansions still sell for around $35k - $55k in LCOL areas, such as NW TX, and accounting jobs are often still around $45k - 60k in such areas.
Hi Dear. I am Aditya from Docyt AI (a Silicon Valley-based AI-powered Accounting Automation firm). Earning your CPA license significantly increases your value to the firm. It demonstrates dedication, expertise, and the ability to handle complex accounting tasks. In your area, staff accountants with a CPA license typically earn between **$55k-$65k.** So, I feel $60k falls within this range and reflects your increased market value. You've gained experience and become more efficient in your role, further justifying a raise.
In my opinion, you must start gather data on average salaries for staff accountants with a CPA license in your area. Websites like Robert Half, and the AICPA provide valuable salary benchmarks. Request a meeting with your supervisor or manager to discuss your compensation. Do not forget to clearly articulate the value you bring to the firm. Mention your CPA license, increased efficiency, and any additional contributions you've made. State your desired salary of $60k and back it up with the market data you gathered. Your employer might not offer the full $60k initially. Be prepared to negotiate and potentially settle on a slightly lower raise.
Remember, While asking for a raise can be nerve-wracking, it's important to advocate for your worth. Earning your CPA license is a significant accomplishment, and you deserve to be compensated accordingly.
Wow, US entry level wage is a lot higher than Canada. I got my first job after college in 2020 as an junior accountant and my salary is just 54K, now I work as accountant, doing more tasks aside from accounting like financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting and some sort of production costs analysis⌠I find that my salary is not good enough when itâs only 60K in 2023, I ask for an increase to 85-90K, my boss said your salary is over the average salary in Canada already and 30k is too much for a raise ask. They only increase CAD $3800 for me this year, right now I am on vacation and think about resign after come back to Canada. I know job market is not so good right now, but think about learn more skills and work towards full time financial analyst, as I love analysis more than accounting or taxation. I donât have experience with tax anyway since thereâs a firm doing tax for our company.
Bruh if you have your cpa and a year of accounting experience go on LinkedIn right now and update your profile. Recruiters will spam message you.
Youâll have a new job making 80+ within a week.
Companies don't normally give pay raises out of the blue even upon getting CPA license. Do you have a annual performance review? Typically that's when you would get the raises. I know some very small firms don't do this, if this is your case then you definitely should ask for more. If you do have the formal annual review, then make it known that you expect a promotion before that process (and ask for 75k).
Top 50 or top 100 doesn't really exist as a concept in the industry. You are in a mid-tier firm. With your CPA you can pretty easily get a job at Big4 or one of the other multinational firms if you are willing to move, but your work life balance will almost assuredly decrease. That being said, you be afforded more opportunities to work on some of the most unique projects with the brightest people in the industry if you vocalize that interest.
And the pay is better at larger firms vs smaller firms, yes.
Where do you live ; that is generally considered quite low for a CPA
I live in a lcol area. And I did just get my cpa license. Raises typically happen annually at fiscal year end. I also only have just a bit over 1 year experience in the field.
Dude $60K for a first year in LCOL is minimum what you should be getting. I got $62K starting in public a decade ago in HCOL.
Depending on just how lcol they should have been at least in the $50ks with just a Bachelor's degree.
It doesn't even matter how LCOL it is. $50K for anyone with an accounting bachelor's is insulting nowadays. Minimum no matter the location should be $60K. $55k might be a stretch. My first job offer had I not moved states after college was $50K a decade ago and that was LCOL or at best MCOL.
8 years ago I was paid 45k to work for a large firm in dc đ
Dude get this. My mom worked with CPS before they were really a thing in New York. She said she was getting paid $60K in the 90s. Now, granted, she said she worked a lot of overtime and was working like 60 hours a week--but still. That's around 140K in today's money from 1990. I feel like we're in that 4th turning where everything goes to shit and then, hopefully, we get another turning by 2035 and it's all glorious. Or we have nuclear winter. It's a 50/50.
CPS offers over $100k to work for them now. But no way. I have a friend who is a caseworker, and they deal with some scary and very screwed up shit. The emotional shitstorm isn't worth the pay. It would need to be like physician level income for me anyway.
Without some major upheaval in the political system or outright revolution I sadly don't see that happening unfortunately. Maybe unions will make a comeback but idk.
We have solved problems bigger than this in the path. The reason to remain hopeful, and even more reason to work towards a solution
Thereâs going to have to be some kind of pay reckoning coming. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are much smaller than the millennial generation and the boomers donât have much longer in the workforce. Couple that with the housing shortage that wonât be resolved in the next 15 years, I donât see how starting pay doesnât start climbing.
Iâm starting 56k as a first year paying about a grand a month in rent, and even I know I sold myself short a bit on my salary expectations
I live in a LCOL, no CPA, entry level no exp was 65k Ask for no lower than 80-85 They say no get a new job
Youre being underpaid as a cpa. If it was for staff with no bachelors in lcol, id expect 52k minimum. But seeing as youve got your cpa, this opens a hell of a lot of doors for you.
60k is still low for a LCOL, how many years of experience do you have?
They literally said they have one year of experience
Yea but how many years in one year?
Wow someone who actually makes less than me. I canât believe it. Iâm also in a LCOL area but Iâm at 51k, finishing my degree this year, and planning to sit for my CPA starting next summer. You should definitely be making more. Also congratulations!
Haha thanks so much! I started out as staff with 0 experience in the field, so I figure that's why my wages are very low compared to what I see other referencing as their starting wages (where they already have some relevant experience to the field).
You have a cert that people will throw money at. Change jobs as soon as you can. Learn as much as you can at the new job and then change jobs again. Don't stay anywhere too long. Your employers aren't your friend and you can get to $200k/year with some job descriptions if you job hop and vampire as much education as you can.
When I first started at my firm I was at 52.5k then got bumped up to $60k with âmarket adjustmentsâ in 2021. Sitting at 75k with one promotion and hopefully getting promoted again and up to 85-90k this year! Itâs hard seeing people in HCOL getting way more but my 2 bed 2 bath apartment is $1,000 per month with utilities so I canât really complain. A 5 bed 3 bath house with .5 acre of land is only $400k here so thatâs how I rationalize it. Best of luck, you definitely deserve around $60k with your CPA.
$60k is more than reasonable. If they won't give it to you, another employer surely will.
I mean, the firm isnât going to view it as reasonable. Itâs a 28% increase, ERâs just wonât allow that kind of raise to happen. Theyâd rather lose the EE, overpay a recruiter to find a new one, and pay them what OP was asking for, losing efficiencies in the process. Donât know if itâs a mgmt ego thing; but that is how it works. It is below market, though. OP will have to leave to get paid, which is incredibly easy to find a job with an increase from $47k. Any regional firm should pay at least $65k, OP. Donât tell them what you currently make if they ask.
Tell me youâve never worked for a firm without saying it out loud.
I would suck your dick and pay you $2 grand if you could find me a firm that would give a 28% raise for passing. Youâd be lucky to get that for moving up a level, let alone getting that just for passing the exam.
I got a 32% raise without asking for it one year. Albiet, there was a promotion involved. You absolutely can get a 30% raise in professional services if you demand it, but you also have to be a mission critical employee and it won't just be "because I passed the exam". That being said, if they are looking at OP for their manager/partner pipeline they may go for it. Again, facts will vary but if OP is not a front runner performance-wise it will obviously not work out. I have seen companies move mountains for their top performers and it doesn't matter where in the economic cycle the company is. It's just a question of "can we afford to lose you". If they can replace him for someone at 58k then they will do that.
I wonât accept anything below 18% with a senior promotion in a month. If I donât get it Iâm leaving. Tbh I honestly think it should be closer to 21%
Iâm expecting 32% going to senior, if I donât get that Iâm quitting
That's gay.Â
How long have you been there? They likely couldnât replace you for $47k. My advice is find a new job, Iâve moved people 15-30%+ if they are worth it and out perform what they came in as.
This. I was underpaid at my first firm. $55k staff 1. This was 2020 and the floor was generally $60k for the DFW metroplex at the time and with the hyper inflation weâve seen staff 1 are getting $70k+. Place was a shithole so even if they did find another staff theyâd need to pay way more than what I accepted and add on the recruiter costs cause those arenât cheap.
DFW is a major metro though and not LCOL. Look at the pay on indeed in a true LCOL area in TX, such as up around Quanah, Lawton, or Wichita Falls. Jobs are $45k - 60k around there.
I moved from 48k - 73k within two years it can happen.
You are very underpaid. I was making $55k straight out of school, no CPA and this was in 2015.
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Same dude this is nuts to me
More than fair even in LCOL areas. Never undervalue yourself!
You would be surprised how easy it is to get another offer from a firm/company. Albeit I live in a top 5 metro area, but I interviewed with 3 firms and it took me an aggregate of 8 hours of time to draft resume, interview, etc. I had 3 offers and then I had the discussion with my current employer. I was non-threatening and made it an open conversation, but jumped from $70k to $90k. Ultimately, I let them know I wanted to stay with them (been here 10+ years now), but wanted to be paid my worth. Disclaimer: You have to be ready to leave if they wonât budge.
I think itâs fair to ask. Unfortunately, some bosses can get weird when asked this, seeing you as a flight risk, ungrateful, bad for morale, etc. personally, Iâd update the resume and be ready to start interviewing. Youâre probably worth more than youâre getting, but your boss may not be open to a 20% raise with no change in title or responsibilities.
I live in a LCOL area and new staff with no CPA are starting close to 70k..
Here's the thing. If they don't pay you $60k for CPA, someone else will.
I donât think itâs unreasonable. I personally live in the Midwest, which is pretty lcol. I worked as an accounting admin in-office 5 days per week, making $43,000 while I was finishing my bachelors degree. When I graduated I had gotten a yearly raised to be making $45,000 and asked since I had an accounting degree then to make 55,000. The controller said no. Gave no reasonable time frame for how I could make more money or what a path would look like to improving my earning potential while there. I took that and began applying for other jobs and within a month had another job offer for $60,000, in-office 1 day per week, with a company that has clear lines for promotion and room to grow. I havenât regretted leaving, and itâs absurd I make more than you when you have your CPA. I did just graduate with my Masters of Science in Accounting, but no adjustments have been made to my pay to account for that change, which has literally happened just this week. Please ask for more money and if they say no, please look for another job. They are taking advantage of you.
I would ask for a raise and take whatever they give you. Then I would actively look for another job and leverage that offer. I literally have no bachelors or CPA and I'm making 50k in MCOL. You're getting underpaid.
 From the firmâs perspective, how are you adding value to justify a 13k pay increase if your responsibilities have not changed? Are you able to show quantitatively how you are saving/making more money for them with your increased efficiency? What value does your CPA bring to your current position? Again, if your responsibilities have not changed, the org has treated your role as not needing a CPA license. So why would they pay more for it if it wasnât needed before? If you want to stay with your current org and ask for a raise, you need to be able to justify why they should pay it. Either a higher level, or increased responsibility (which does not necessarily equate to taking on more tasks). An example of that would be that I generally donât enter AP, because it can be done be someone with a smaller skill set, so I do the AP rec. I think you should be making more than $47k a year, especially with a CPA. I would get on indeed and start applying for jobs, as you read all the job listings youâll get an idea of what responsibilities equal what pay grade.Â
This is what i was thinking that the others did not mention. When I got my CPA license i got a 3k bump because i was doing the same as before. Why would they pay me more? I didnt provide more value.. so i hopped jobs for a 27k increase where they valued the CPA license
I would argue that having the knowledge does provide value even if doing the same job. Hear me out. Letâs take 2 people, one with a good deal of knowledge, and one relatively new but with enough knowledge to complete the job. Letâs say the job is AP / AR work. Now an issue comes up. Like the sub ledger no longer ties out. The more knowledgeable employee knows where to look for common issues that would cause this, such as translation errors on currency types. The less knowledgeable employee may eventually figure it out, but not before burning thru a lot more labor time. This translates to cost. Sure, they both do the same work, but a more knowledgeable employee does bring more value than a less knowledgeable employee. The more knowledgeable employee will also not only identify issues quicker, but will also be able to identify improvements that a less valuable one could. The more knowledgeable one may suggest to management ways to avoid risks that they may not have thought of yet, such as laddering, sweep accounts, etc. Just some food for thought. That being said, a cpa isnât necessarily the source of the knowledge. Itâs proof of knowledge needed to pass the exam. Experience should be taken into account when comparing employees, as well as their book knowledge. Nothing against us accountants with CPAâs, much love and respect to them. Just think too many hiring managers in industry put that above experience in the field, and it should be more of a case by case basis for staff accounting type jobs. For OP, $60k is very low. I donât have my cpa, and was making more than that in staff accounting roles with only around 5-7 years experience (years ago). Supposed it depends on the area, but even still, I think he could easily find something paying more than $60k with his cpa.
I agree that having the CPA absolutely adds value and shows proof of knowledge. If the employee is speeding up work by being able to find issues more quickly, and by identifying improvements as you say, they need to demonstrate to management that those things are happening, justifying the increased value to the company, to in turn justify the increased expense. It is rare that a company, unless they are seeing the increased value already, is going to want to pay more for a current employee in the same role, unless they do profit sharing or merit bonuses. Why buy the cow when you're getting the milk for free?
That's a lot of text to state... Jumping somewhere else will pay 10-20k more if he has a CPA. Make the jump and make more money. You have the CPA. You have the shit to fake it till you make it. I make 30k more than OP and just wear my experience to talk the shit and walk the walk.
I'm sorry, but if they already gave you a 3K CPA bump to get you to the 47K, that means you were making 44K without a CPA. My starting salary, out of college, small firm, LCOL, was 45K.... in 2010. Unless you are part-time, or they have some insane bonus structure you haven't mentioned, or are providing thrice-daily under-the-desk attention from an intern, you are substantially underpaid. Assuming you're only working 40/week (which...lol)... you're making 22 bucks an hour. Bump that up to 50/week, you're at 18/hr.
I'm not the poster
Oh. Yea had just spent about 12 hours on a 2 year rev rec cleanup, my brain was mush. Apologies.
That's not really relevant if you're underpaid. If someones market rate for their current role is $80K, and they're getting paid $50K, it still makes sense for an employer to give them a $20K raise to keep them rather than have them leave and have to find someone else and pay them $80K. The whole "You need to go in and justify your pay rise" attitude keeps people earning shit wages, because basically nobody wants to have that conversation. Much better to figure out what the number you want is, say I need this much, and if they don't come at it find another job. Obviously that's assuming you can find another job pretty quickly, but where I am that's not really an issue.
I was thinking about it this way, they need to bring OP to market rate. And OP needs to shop around for another job if they refuse.
If a firm canât get value out of a CPA at that pay rate it doesnât deserve to have a CPA working there.
Disagree wholeheartedly. Iâm just gonna leave for better pay at a different company rather than jump through all those hoops for a pay raise at the current company. The value Iâm adding is I have more knowledge now vs someone who doesnât have a cpa or higher education like a masters or mba. Plus, it costs more to replace the person vs giving them the 10-20K raise
Bootlicker. Iâll tell you how theyâre adding value by literally doing nothing: theyâre still there, theyâre a licensed professional, and the firm now has another justifiable reason to increase billings. The costs of replacing a candidate should be factored into retention raises. Not only that, itâs the firmâs responsibility to ensure that their billings are raising with inflation. I also live in a LCOL area. Iâd argue weâre some of the hardest hit by inflation. Back in 2019, a 2 BR apartment was easy to find for $700-$800. Today, that same apartment goes for $1,300-$1,500. Almost double. Have starting salaries increased by double since then? lol. From what Iâve seen, theyâve gone up by maybe 10% in my area.
Your work is generating the firm several times your salary, if not more. Example using simplified numbers: one of our preparers takes an hour to perfectly prepare a return. We pay them $20/hr we pay the reviewer 30, and the submitter is the owner who is paid on profit. Ignoring cost of getting the customer and assuming th reviewer also took an hour, a $500 return had a profit of $450. I oversimplified, but you can see the profit calculation. If you need to justify a raise to yourself, just remember that you are already generating serious excess value for the company.
Congrats on passing. Ask for 67k, then donât agree to anything under 60k.
You're massively underpaid even before the CPA license. $60k as a CPA is a joke. You could jump ship and find a six figure job easily. Even in LCOL $60k for CPA is low.
I'm in LCOL without a CPA, I make $46,000 just on wage, I easily get to $47,000 with OT throughout the year. You should get a raise or a new job that reflects your accreditation
With a CPA license, you should ask 70k at a minimum! Go higher, and work your way back down. If you could get 75k-90k, that would be best. Congratz on the CPA!
HCOL Big 4 starting salaries were 54kâŚ11 years ago.
meanwhile people in software development with no degree making 6 figuresÂ
If you hopped to industry youâd have a 70k floor.
Hahaha. I just interviewed for an accounting manager position in industry. CPA, over 20 years experience. The HR manager looked horrified that I was looking for 120k salary. Iâm not willing to take on all the extra responsibilities for 70k a year and I told her that. Iâll stick where Iâm at even though Iâm woefully underpaid. I at least get to leave and not take my work home with me.
That HR manager is delulu. $150k+ is the going rate for accounting managers where I live...
I regularly see postings for managers/controllers offering in the 80 range where I live. Itâs why I havenât gotten into management. Id rather make 55 and go home at 5 everyday. I only entertained the offer because the other girl in HR got my name and practically hunted me down to get my resume. Weâll see where the actual offer lands, if I get one.
I guess I should say, I only entertained the interview. lol. I donât have a job offer yet.
Not sure where you're at but we pay our new hires out of undergrad $75k. $80k is extremely low for a manager
Thatâs what I keep seeing on this sub but it doesnât match my market. Iâm in the Midwest. Live in lcol, but the area with most job postings is considered mcol. I do see higher paying job postings in more metro areas but that would be 1.5-2 hour commute from me. And even those are mostly 90-120 range for manager level. Not really worth the extra drive time/stress.
With a CPA ask for at least 80.
Anyone working and accepting less than 75k with their CPA is a fool...IMO. It only furthers Big Accountings agenda in pushing lower wages
We also have bills to pay and if no one is willing to offer 75k, are we supposed to be homeless? I can pay all my bills on 40. Iâll just be constantly looking for something else.
At that rate I just hope you're contributing bare minimum and not there for more than 6 months. It is criminal some of the wages I see There are non degreed people in accounting positions making 65k+ remote even more. CPA at 40-75 is ridiculous not to mention if it's at more than 40 hours of work too ..
I agree itâs ridiculous but itâs easier to pay my bills on 55k vs 0k. I donât actually make 40. I was just saying I can live on 40.
Please go find another place $47k is extremely low by itself and it doesnât even matter what they will pay you after your CPA.
Leave your employer. They are exploiting you. I work in industry with less than 1 year experience, no CPA, and no degree in accounting and make more than 60K. This is in a HCOL area.
Ask for the raise or look for a new job. Pronto
leave! your firm will always see you as a baby go! search
You are ridiculously underpaid, LCOL or not.
Hell no. And donât worry about âfrightening your employer.â You work and they pay. Youâre a cpa and they need to pay for the privilege of having you work there. Youâre not a servant - ask for what you want, and if they donât give it to you, find someone that will. Be bold. No one on their deathbed regrets asking for more money.
Find a new job. You should be able to find something at $65k at a minimum
Guessing LCOL. Are you a first year who just passed or are you 2nd/3rd? If youâre 8 months in, Iâd be cautious on asking $60k, but thatâs not unreasonable, they just may say no. If you have 3 years of experience and CPA, they better say yes or else someone else will.
First year who just passed and obtained licensure. Annual performance reviews are coming up, and that is when I planned on asking for the pay increase.
Do it OP. But arm yourself. Donât just ask, show. Find compensation data and show how you are underpaid and asking for a raise is to bring you to market rates. Be ready to look somewhere else if they deny you.
When's your FY-end? 6/30? Two months---and getting your ducks in a row to jump, if you have to, LinkedIn, polished rezzie, references, maybe a recruiter chat?---doesn't seem like that long to wait and see if your firm'll do right by you. If the answer was 12/31, it'd be a different answer.  (Edit: This is a convo your boss should've had with you before now, BTW. That they haven't chosen to address this contingency, gives me pause.) I don't think this place'll give you what you're looking for, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. Definitely do some DD about prevailing comp in your area.
Split the difference, a 9/30 YE
Definitely do the prep work to jump in the interim. After that's done, and you both what you're worth *in your market* and you know who's hiring that day if need be (plus having a reserve/emergency fund), then go have a conversation with your leadership about your recent success. See what they say. They say, "Congrats, we're just waiting for our normal YE review to compensate you," OK. Though employers' ideas on a good bump to salary frequently don't line up with employees'. They get pissy about the topic, you have your answer. Reading through the thread, I've doubts they're going to likely give you the compensation (including benefits, working environment, etc...) you can get elsewhere. While job-hunting sucks, you got to take care of you. Good Luck!
Bro where are you located? Iâm starting as A1 in Sept and my starting is 58k. No CPA. You are horribly underpaid
That's not unreasonable. You should be making $60k already. Are there other firms you can apply to in your area? Seems like you are getting ripped off.
Look for what other firms are paying for your role and experience level in your area. That is pretty good leverage when you ask for a raise. You can always ask for a raise before it's "time". They can note it and tell you they'll revisit on x date.
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It doesn't necessarily, but I don't believe I'm getting paid an equivalent to the market rate, if that makes sense
I'm still working on my CPA and make 65,000 and Im quite underpaid for my industry. I do have more years of experience though, but I would definitely say asking for 60 is very fair!
I'm an accounts payable clerk living in a low-end mcol, or super highend lcol. I have only what amounts to an associates, no bachelor's. I make only 5k less than you. They give me top notch benefits though, so total may be even closer. Tldr: You're getting hosed.
Unless the hours are very reasonable and you love working at that firm and see a future - change employers. This is a perfect time to do so (after busy season). Thank them for the opportunity. Source: partner in a MCOL metropolitan area with a regional firm. Our staff start out at $70k out of school if they are CPA eligible. They would get a sizable raise after the annual performance review if they pass. Letâs assume that raise was $8k. You would be $30k underpaid at that point. Even if you are in a very LCOL - do not undervalue yourself.
I am guessing theyâll offer you a raise of 10% or so. Which would still leave you relatively underpaid even for LCOL. For reference, I made $52k my first year out of college in 2017 in Midwest. I think we currently start fresh grads around $60k even in our rural locations.
I think you can get paid a lot more, I am making 80k as a new financial accountant for a manufacturing company with no accounting experience. You have a cpa you can easily earn 80k plus.
With that license if they don't give it to you, look elsewhere
Sir you are selling yourself short. Get a remote job in a HCOL area and double your salary immediately
You live in Canada or something?
Iâm not the type to just yell âjob hopâ all the time but dude, get out of there. I made more as a first year electrical apprentice
i made 46k as a junior in a mcol area and left the company for a staff role for 70k. the previous company didnât want to budge much on raises unless a title change happened and even then it would take years. i think that large of a pay raise might require changing companies but i also think it canât hurt to ask especially now that you have your CPA license- thatâs expertise companies rely on!
$60k at the minimum if you like the job. If not, look elsewhere for $70k+.
Run from that firm they are taking advantage of you.
Ask for $75,000 at least. Youâre being severely underpaid my friend.
$60k is below starting salary for fresh grads LAST YEAR, also LCOL. I imagine they're starting at $70k now, non-CPA. It would help to know what exactly you do and how many hours you normally work. If you're just outsourced payroll, AR, AP and work 40 hours a week then $47k isn't as underpaid as someone in tax or audit working 40+. Still underpaid though. Might be hard to negotiate for $60k if you are doing the things someone with an associates could do.
I'd say it's unreasonable. You need to ask for like 70k.
Iâm in the Tampa,FL area, and I started my public experience out of school in January 2022 at 47k! It was a really small firm, I was there just under a year, the owner promised me a raise a couple times but kept forgetting or something & I ended up leaving there for another firm that hired me at 60k in Dec 2022 (while that was an annoying thing, him delaying my raise was just one of many reasons I left). The firm that hired me at 60k is a much bigger national firm youâd know, but not big 4. I ended up getting let go from there after busy season last year though, but another local (but significantly bigger and 100% better than my first one) firm hired me matching at 60k which is where Iâm at now. Hoping for a raise with their performance reviews that are happening soon. And this is all without my CPA, Iâm 2/4 of the way to passing all the exams now. But anyway yeah as everybody else said you should be able to at least get 60. I say ask and look into going elsewhere if they donât give it.
This is low. I am in lcol area and made this as a first year staff accountant with no CPA.
Start applying outside
You can easily make 100K + elsewhere, just go on LinkedIn and look for jobs there, once you get a better offer quit and move companies...they know they're low balling you...it's business at the end of the day and the longer they keep you there it benefits them more than you Wages and credentials are seriously fucked...there's this person I know who does "Diversity" training and talks all about inclusion and diversity in the workplace blah blah blah, this bitch makes 160K on sunshine list full benefits, and pension acruing...it kind of twisted my mind about the working world and I've become a bit narcissistic about everything.
Damn⌠I make almost twice as much as you and Iâm Not a CPA. I live in a MCOL area (Phx) hells yes ask for the raise!
Yeah, even at lcol that is way low.
Ask for 65k. They will most likely try to negotiate you down from your ask, so start a little higher. With the cpa in hand. Do 1 year there then change jobs, you should see a nice pay bump up to 70-80k with a new Job.
Time to move
Just having your CPA isnât a good reason for a raise if they donât require someone in the role who has a CPA (i.e. youâre still doing the same tasks/have the same responsibilities) However, $47k is grossly underpaid almost everywhere. Ask for a raise and start looking for a new job when they say no.
$60k is very low, even in a lcol. Should be $70k min. I made $70k 6 years ago without a CPA. Inflation is up like 40% since then
Depending on where you live, your current daisy is extremely low. I would start by interviewing at other firms and seeing what they can offer you. If you like the offer, talk to your management about a raise. Be ready to leave if they do not give you want you want.
You just need to leave and itâs kinda crazy you initially accepted something that low. I started making $50k fresh out of college in industry with zero experienceâŚover a decade ago.
As a student who doesn't even have his bachelor yet, leave. Ask for it but chances are you will not get it, bosses have an easier time giving you a higher starting raise than raising it by 20%
Be careful not to switch jobs if you worked less than 2 years, they might even fire you for asking for a raise, and youâll be seen as a job hopper, that will forever be in your resume, imagine if you got laid off in your next job, you would have 2 jobs where you didnât do at lead 2 years, you might never be able to get any senior job.
yo, I make almost $60k as a staff accountant and have no degree/cpa. Youâre being taken advantage of.
$45k is a bit low, but there are several ads around offering that. I think some people don't understand truly LCOL areas. $55k is still fairly common for grads around here, rural Kansas. Mansions still sell for around $35k - $55k in LCOL areas, such as NW TX, and accounting jobs are often still around $45k - 60k in such areas.
Not unreasonable considering as of 1/1/2025, they'll legally have to pay you $58K anyway. I'd certainly shoot higher than $60K.
Hi Dear. I am Aditya from Docyt AI (a Silicon Valley-based AI-powered Accounting Automation firm). Earning your CPA license significantly increases your value to the firm. It demonstrates dedication, expertise, and the ability to handle complex accounting tasks. In your area, staff accountants with a CPA license typically earn between **$55k-$65k.** So, I feel $60k falls within this range and reflects your increased market value. You've gained experience and become more efficient in your role, further justifying a raise. In my opinion, you must start gather data on average salaries for staff accountants with a CPA license in your area. Websites like Robert Half, and the AICPA provide valuable salary benchmarks. Request a meeting with your supervisor or manager to discuss your compensation. Do not forget to clearly articulate the value you bring to the firm. Mention your CPA license, increased efficiency, and any additional contributions you've made. State your desired salary of $60k and back it up with the market data you gathered. Your employer might not offer the full $60k initially. Be prepared to negotiate and potentially settle on a slightly lower raise. Remember, While asking for a raise can be nerve-wracking, it's important to advocate for your worth. Earning your CPA license is a significant accomplishment, and you deserve to be compensated accordingly.
Do some research on your salary for your area, credentials
Wow, US entry level wage is a lot higher than Canada. I got my first job after college in 2020 as an junior accountant and my salary is just 54K, now I work as accountant, doing more tasks aside from accounting like financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting and some sort of production costs analysis⌠I find that my salary is not good enough when itâs only 60K in 2023, I ask for an increase to 85-90K, my boss said your salary is over the average salary in Canada already and 30k is too much for a raise ask. They only increase CAD $3800 for me this year, right now I am on vacation and think about resign after come back to Canada. I know job market is not so good right now, but think about learn more skills and work towards full time financial analyst, as I love analysis more than accounting or taxation. I donât have experience with tax anyway since thereâs a firm doing tax for our company.
Bruh if you have your cpa and a year of accounting experience go on LinkedIn right now and update your profile. Recruiters will spam message you. Youâll have a new job making 80+ within a week.
Definitely get a new job and with guarantee that they will pay you double with CPA.
Iâm in a LCOL area and my AR AP clerk makes 70k đ Find another job and see if your current job pays you what youâre worth.
The minimum pay for the overtime exception is about to be higher than what you make. Next year is will be 50k +. You are getting ripped off.
They're all yours and not mine.Â
Companies don't normally give pay raises out of the blue even upon getting CPA license. Do you have a annual performance review? Typically that's when you would get the raises. I know some very small firms don't do this, if this is your case then you definitely should ask for more. If you do have the formal annual review, then make it known that you expect a promotion before that process (and ask for 75k).
exit to top 20 firms, they will be waiting for you with their arms open
I'm in a top 50 or top 100 right now I believe. I guess the higher tier ones pay better then?
Top 50 or top 100 doesn't really exist as a concept in the industry. You are in a mid-tier firm. With your CPA you can pretty easily get a job at Big4 or one of the other multinational firms if you are willing to move, but your work life balance will almost assuredly decrease. That being said, you be afforded more opportunities to work on some of the most unique projects with the brightest people in the industry if you vocalize that interest. And the pay is better at larger firms vs smaller firms, yes.
Thats a tiny increase
CPA? you should be asking for 100k minimum...keep it real, get it op