VAULT RELEASES 2027 RANKINGS OF BEST ACCOUNTING FIRMS TO WORK FOR
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, April 22, 2026
PwC Recognized as the Best Overall Firm to Work For and Most Prestigious
NEW YORK, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vault, the leader in data-driven employer rankings and verified employee reviews, today released its 2027 ranking of the Best Overall Accounting Firms to Work For. Vault also ranks the Most Prestigious Accounting Firms, Best Accounting Firms by Employment Factor, and Best Accounting Firms by Practice Area.
To obtain data for the rankings, Vault distributed a survey to U.S. accountants. More than 8,000 accountants at all levels participated between December 2025 and February 2026. Survey respondents rated their firms across several categories, including compensation, culture, hours, training, work/life balance, and wellness. Accountants were also asked to rate firms, excluding their own, based on perceived prestige overall and in three major practice areas (Audit & Assurance, Forensic, and Tax).
According to Eric Stutzke, SVP & General Manager of Vault, “Our survey collected comments from thousands of accountants, and provides a snapshot of public accounting at this moment in time. Many respondents noted that the industry is in a state of uncertainty due to the recent flurry of mergers and acquisitions. Also, while it appears that many firms are adopting new technologies, the rollouts of these technologies often present challenges.”
Key findings from Vault’s survey of accountants and the rankings include:
For the 14th Year in a Row, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP is the Best Overall Accounting Firm to Work For. PwC, which employs over 75,000 people in the United States, is the Best Overall Accounting Firm to Work For. Ernst & Young (EY) LLP takes the No. 2 spot, and KPMG LLP is No. 3. There was no change in the top 3 from last year. PwC’s employees praise the firm for offering growth opportunities, as well as opportunities to move across departments and office locations (the firm has more than 70 offices in the United States). Over 80% of the Fortune Global 500 companies work with PwC, and employees note that exit opportunities for PwC accountants are plentiful and excellent because of the firm’s stellar reputation.
PwC is also the Most Prestigious Accounting Firm. Accountants at other firms agree with PwC’s employees about the weight of the PwC name in the industry. In the overall prestige rankings, PwC was No. 1, Deloitte LLP was No. 2, and EY was No. 3. PwC is also the No. 1 firm in all three major practice areas (Audit & Assurance, Forensic, and Tax). Deloitte was No. 2 in all three areas.
Plante Moran Receives Recognition for Culture. Plante Moran, which is headquartered in Michigan and has about 4,000 employees, took No.1 in multiple Quality of Life areas, including Firm Culture and Relationships with Supervisors. Accountants at the firm praise the firm’s leadership for emphasizing the importance of work-life balance. They also mention that the firm has a strong business outlook and strong relationships with long-term clients.
Long Hours are Prevalent in Public Accounting. The workload in public accounting is highly seasonal, and accountants continue to mention that the long hours during “busy season” are a concern. Some also mention that it can be challenging to replace older employees that retire or employees that choose to exit public accounting for other fields, leading to even more concerns about workload. Many accountants also complain about the amount of time they spend on administrative tasks.
The Top 10 Overall Accounting Firms to Work For for 2027:
- PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) LLP
- Ernst & Young LLP (EY)
- KPMG LLP
- Plante Moran
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Baker Tilly
- CohnReznick
- PKF O’Connor Davies
- RSM US LLP
- Eide Bailly LLP
View all the Vault Accounting Rankings.
About Vault
Vault is the leader in career research, exploration, and discovery for professionals and students. Through our proprietary data-driven Vault rankings, verified employee and intern reviews, and extensive network spanning hundreds of campuses and universities, we have been the trusted provider of career intelligence solutions for emerging talent for over two decades. Our exclusive company rankings, in-depth employer profiles, and valuable employee and intern reviews encompass a wide range of industries, including Law, Banking, Accounting, Consulting, and the top Internship programs. Vault is a business unit of Infobase, a leading provider of information literacy solutions empowering academic and professional success.
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SOURCE Vault
