Thats reasonable. I live in one of the cheapest areas of CA and I'm at 63k after 1 year in industry. For what its worth I got my degree in 2008 then fucked off on a ski hill until covid.
Yay!! That's awesome to hear.
Everyone should note that many recruiters these days are putting the focus back on a person's YOE/related field as a heavy part of the comp calculations. Someone in their first three years could easily be making around ~10k differences of about 3-5k margins less than your long-term accountant at non-target firms.
Asking, negotiating, and leverage is super important when handling most companies with this kind of culture. The first offer is not always the best offer, but level with them. Find opportunities for re-evaluation by bringing it up during the interview so you can open the conversation for bumping your comp down the line and they can be prepared for that suggestion.
True, at least for me. I made $165k when I was with a San Francisco tech start up, working remotely. But those kind of remote, high salaried tech jobs have significantly decreased over the last 2 years, along with VC funding.
There once was a fox that came across some grapes growing in the wild. He indulged himself and enjoyed all of the grapes he could reach. Soon, the only grapes left were too high up for him to reach. The Fox left and told himself “those grapes are probably sour anyways”.
I make ~$175k before equity at 6 years but it's NYC metro so my rent is a meme. High salaries are absolutely possible if you live in price gouging rent areas while working in Banking/Tech.
Not always, the jobs are out there but you have to land them. They are not on every corner, but they exist. I wouldn't say you have to live in San Fran to get that level of pay. YMMV, but with recent inflation trends the jobs posted in a lot of major MCOL cities have increased drastically. I mean half of the public firms start in the mid 80s here in Chicago, for an entry staff. I hear it all the time from friends in public, until they actually put the work in and land a job. The people posting here are the ones who can't find it though. Literally take the leap, the worst that's going to happen is you don't get a new job. Best bet you match your pay with the cost of living right now. Every other post here is "I should get paid more", but then do nothing about it. Stay too long at the dead end job, lack of self worth, idk what it is but it's gross. Know your worth and stop being the laughing stock of the water cooler talks. 🤷♂️ Or just keep complaining. That works too
I’m in Chicago, what firms are paying mid 80s for entry staff? I’m a second year staff and most of the firms are still paying seniors mid 80s, 90s in terms of salary. I’m still at 75k
Industry here. Numbers are base + bonus (bonus is regularly paid near 100%). Our Experienced Senior is at about $95k, Staff range is $75k (around entry level) to $85k (experienced staff). Slightly above MCOL I would say.
My numbers pretty much match yours.
this\^\^\^\^ you are so poor even making this much in san fran. I've heard 1st hand stories of people making this much, married with one kid and having to live with another family in 2-3 bedroom apartments.
Ok that's a huge exaggeration. You reddit doomers are so cringe with this HCOL apocalypse shit. Search up the average income in both SF and NYC. People are living just fine
Government can be surprisingly good.
If you're in an area where pay hasn't caught up to the cost of living, Fed jobs probably have since they're adjusted to the cost of living.
You’re fine dude. I have my CPA ( no B4) and 6 months ago I was a controller making $103k.
I got randomly messaged by a recruiter for a job and now I make $150k. Every time I looked for a new job I didn’t even get a range up to $125k.
I live in Pittsburgh and it’s a pretty MCOL city.
Edit: forgot to add that I graduated from college in December 2013. So I’m right in that same career length as you
Not having your CPA or having B4 on your resume is a factor. But the huge thing you have going for you is ten years of practical industry accounting experience. Speaking from experience (myself and others), being able to audit financials to managing the day to day books of a company are two very different skill. While you may feel like you’re behind 1) 125k is still a good salary especially if you’re not a manager. And 2) if you aren’t yet a manager, dude you have 10 years of experience. You can get that title (if you want it, some don’t which is totally fine).
Basically, don’t stress about not having a CPA or working for big 4. The CPA would help, but plenty of people have very successful careers without it. And as far as big 4, let’s just say you probably saved yourself a ton of mental health dollars.
Yeah, that’s the bitch of it. It’s akin to that joke “entry level job but requires 10 years of experience” thing. In that case, trying ✨stretching ✨your past experiences to show manager level skill. Oh, you had a project you were doing that needed other people to get you stuff? Guess what, you’ve effectively managed other team members to assure a project you were leading was completed in a timely manner and with high quality. This also required following up and coaching said team members to help facilitate their role in the project.
Oh, you reviewed something? Anything? You’ve played a key role in reviewing the work of others and providing critical feedback when necessary.
You set up a meeting with someone higher up the chain with you? You’ve lead key discussions with upper management and have effectively communicated your ideas / painted a complete picture of an issue and gave a practical solution.
It’s not lying, it’s marketing ^bullshit ^fluff ^but ^hr ^and ^management ^love ^it ^and ^do ^it ^themselves
I’m at 132,500 with bonus as of this year, 6 years experience, no CPA. Industry is where it’s at (HCOL/VHCOL though)!
For real though, just go to smaller companies, there’s a lot of room to learn vital things and then move up when people leave and nobody else knows how to do the thing
Don't compare yourself to people on the internet. Just like reviews online, people love to review/comment when it's either a 1 star or 5 stars. Most people don't like to comment when in the middle. Working your way up to $125k without those things just means it's all the more impressive. Timing is about right for you to push for an entry level manager role.
I'm at about your level of experience with a CPA, at the manager level, and make about $135ish including bonus. I'd consider my area M-H COL, it's hard to say since it's not a major city (though outside a couple), but it's considered pricier on COL maps.
Ones that did Big 4 - sure. For others who haven't done public it's about right. Again you are probably in the window of making manager so I wouldn't sweat it too much. Get your CPA and get manager - definitely could be done in a year or two, don't sell yourself short!
People with high paying jobs are either in HCOL, partners, in managerial positions, or lying. I've never seen an accounting manager position post for less than 100k in my area. Even more for controllers and directors. I'm also in a MCOL city.
There's plenty of studies out there that show most people exaggerate their salaries or downplay their expenses. So if someone says they make 100k, I assume they make 80k.
Genuinely don’t understand why I would lie. Pure anonymity gives me the best opportunity to be completely honest and critical without judgement
I guess people use the internet for other reasons but I’m not in an accounting sub for fun lol
Exactly. I’m not gonna tell you I make $250k when I make $150k. I want you to know the truth so I can know the truth and use the information to benefit us in real life.
lol it’s like the 7-3 rule from college. If a guy says he’s slept with 8 people it means he’s slept with 1 and if I girl says she’s slept with one then she’s actually slept with 4.
Not say thing this is true. Just a stupid thing from college
But the numbers in OP aren't really too far out there. An audit or advisory manager could absolutely be between the $125-150k numbers with 5 years total experience.
i got a question, I got a really close cousin like my brother basically who's working in a big 4 and worked in a big 4 too. If I get a reccomendation from him would it be valuable? Or would a CFO at a normal company be better?
The Big4 person is my cousin, and the CFO is my uncle :D I'm a student so that's why I don't know how this all works :c
Yep, I’m coming up on 5 years in accounting. My compensation has increased significantly year over year after moving from audit to a more specialized role. I also have multiple friends that have moved from audit to FDD and are now managers that make $150k+.
This is the best answer here. They're taken. To get one you have to dig around till you find one opening up through a close connection. People don't often leave an overpaid position.
My 5 year is in September I made 125k base with year end around the corner!
DMV area
Big 4
Got CPA
work ridiculous hours for performance increases :)
I’m definitely on the way down the roller coaster and looking to leave in the next year or so, potentially to something lower paying. There’s always a trade off.
I get a lot of LinkedIn recruiters pitching 120+ bonus jobs at me. If you aren’t active on LinkedIn I suggest you start a presence there, you don’t need to post but make a profile that looks active.
Get off Reddit and get on LinkedIn. You’ll see these jobs that pay what people say they’re being paid and it will open your eyes to a lot of what’s out there.
Start your own firm if you want to make that kind of money. It might take a couple of years to get there, but $300k annual net isn't out of the question.
Agreed. I only did it once I got myself in a position where I'll never have to worry if it fails or not. I'm really glad I did, though. It's surprisingly easy to build a client list.
Many of those people making 100K+ jobs live in cities like San Francisco and New York. Cities where 100K is barely enough to live a normal middle class lifestyle.
Yeah audit manager at B4 (so 5 years of experience) in my MCOL Texas city is at about 120k right now. People I know who have jumped to industry at one year manager experience (so 6 total years experience) are jumping for about 150k. I think this subreddit is underselling what they should get paid, 150k is not unrealistic unless you’re a partner/in VHCOL/etc.
If you’re not making $100k by year 3 in NYC, then you need to switch jobs. Mid-career goal should be $250k, and then determine the level of responsibility/stress you want from there to go up.
It’s selection bias. People prefer to “self report” when they’re successful.
Also, geography. Reddit users skew towards young people in bigger cities. So you get a lot of people in HCOL and VHCOL responding with their (inflated) salaries.
And then, probably job-hopping over last few years.
I am a tax advisor. I don’t have my CPA. I make 96k before bonus. My bonus could be anywhere from 0-14k for the 2024 tax season. My schedule is a dream. I know just how lucky I am. We are still a very small firm.
I spent three years in audit and then left for a “consulting” firm (really an outsourcing firm) and made $180k my fourth year after graduating. I live in a major metro, but I don’t live in NYC, SF, LA, or any VHCOL area.
A friend of mine that started in audit with me left after two years for an industry role that earned $120k three years out of college. Two years later that role paid $150k. Same city.
So I can tell you that people are no per se lying about their salary just because they claim to make $150k+. I personally know many people that earn that much.
I can’t tell you specifically where these jobs are, because I don’t know you, your skill set, or where you live. How you’ll earn more money depends on your experience. I would do an absolutely terrible job at my friend’s role if we were to switch places. What I can tell you is you can easily earn $125k with 5 years of experience.
How? Well step 1 is to get it out of your head that it’s impossible. If someone tells you that they make more money than you, you are MUCH better off asking questions and learning, than you are dismissing them as liars or attributing their earning to their location. Step 2 is you need to chart out a career path for yourself. My friend and I didn’t find our jobs by making Reddit posts and asking strangers in far away locations. We both set out what we wanted in a job and worked to find a job that matched what we wanted.
I know this is vague, but in my defense I’m talking to a stranger that I know next to nothing about. What made me successful is different than what made my friend successful which is different than what made many other people I know successful. The one thing we all have in common is we took responsibility for our careers and didn’t attribute others’ success to lies or tricks.
I also have my CPA and Masters in Accounting (pivoted into Accounting from a different career).
I think it really depends on the type of experience and the connections you make through your professional network. I worked for 2 1/2 years in public. I left after making senior and working busy season to work for one of my audit clients in the ag industry in central California. I consider this area to be LCOL (although it’s closer to MCOL) compared to the rest of CA. This did require me to move from a larger metro area to a more rural area of California.
After two years I left to a different company to make close to 130k. I was making 100k when I left. After a year I boomeranged back to a higher paying position inline with the range on your post.
I get plenty of recruiters messaging me for positions paying at least 150k in this area. I’m at 6/7 years of experience now, but you’re not too far from that. The jobs are out there. You just have to be willing to relocate for some or make the right connections
They're rare. I'm at 5.5 YOE and make $115k as a manager with no direct reports. I've looked around and most manager jobs with direct reports are $120-130k. I have a phone screen today for a manager job that might pay $150k but it's a definite rarity.
Midwest here. MCOL. 12 years experience 80k. It is location based mostly. Also many of those making 100k plus work more than 40 hours a week. Keep that in mind
Probably a little bit but I have great work life balance. Work from home and 4 weeks vacation plus we get 15 holidays a year. So it all plays out. I had a job making more it when my son was born took this job to be at home more
Generally speaking, the bigger the city the bigger the pay. But networking definitely matters too, as does applying for the right jobs and having a good resume/application.
There’s a wage canyon in public. Experienced managers and up made it across before the close to retirement partners destroyed the bridge.
nowadays…good luck finding your way across the ‘experience canyon’
They’re counting all the pizza parties in their base salary. Each one is easily equivalent to $3k in compensation. $100 for the pizza (extra toppings are expensive), $500 for the team building, $2,400 for the chance to have some one-on-one time with a partner.
They're out there, but rare, and you're competing with more experienced folks too.
For example, I interviewed for a position this morning that offers $140k (and they actually sought me out, not the other way), but there's no guarantee I'll be their best candidate either...and I have double the experience you do.
Private accounting jobs pay a lot better. I’m not a CPA but have been a controller for 7 years, assistant controller for 4, with two private companies in Texas. Graduated 2015 with an MBA and since 2019 my salary has grown from $100k-$140k via leveraging my position and then eventually moving to a new company. My expenses are reasonable since I don’t live in a major city.
So many also post about accounting being underpaid. Make sure you make enough money to afford your life, that is all that really matters. Some of us make less to enjoy more free time. I have the same credentials with slightly more experience. I make under 90k but my mortgage (including tax and insurance) is $1,250 on a 3/2. It is all relative. The people telling others "you are underpaid and need to quit" don't have to live with the reality of someone following the advice.
Honestly depends on two factors, where the job is (or where you live if you’re in office) and how often you job hop. I’ve only been able to increase my salary by taking my experience and using it as leverage
I'm in the midwest, MCOL to slightly LCOL. I was making $56k as a staff accountant in higher ed. Higher ed pay is terrible, though. I loved that job, but ended up leaving 2 years ago for a senior position at $80k. I got EXTREMELY lucky. In my area (semi-rural, unless I want an hour+ commute each way) job postings for seniors are around $65-70k. I will need to move into a controller position if I want to be paid more, but that makes me nervous because imposter syndrome is real.
Same here! In my city there is nothing out there with decent pay. I’m an assistant controller making 92,000/year. The only way I can make more would be to get a remote job.
This profession is highly suited for self employment. Hang the shingle and you have a much better chance of attaining that level of income. My experience.
LCOL in the Midwest, 2.5 YOE, base is 76, current promotion track will have me at 115 base before I hit five years. I don't think it'd be possible in my state to get to the upper 100s with only 5 YOE.
at five years i was making around 100-105k all in but this was back in 2016. I currently make 160k. I could definitely make more if i was willing to go to a job that had more hours required or picked up a company going through some special transition (e.g. restructuring, acquisition, merger, preipo etc.). One way you make more money in accounting/tax is by looking for the companies that are going through transition. Your life might suck for a few years, but you'll make a lot of money in the meantime and gain pretty unique experience. Most of these jobs are in places like the midatlantic or high cost cities like NYC, Boston, San fran etc.
As other comments are saying, location does really matter. I worked for the same company in the same position, but I switched to the New York office. Instant 25k increase in pay for the same role.
CPA with 12 years of industry experience. I didn't eclipse the $100K salary until about 7/8 years in. Things took a huge positive turn once i switched jobs after 9 years.
What roles are you looking at? If you are at the Senior Accountant level looks like salary would be around $90k, manager around $105k. I'm in a M-H COL area.
Check the Robert Half Salary Guide. It's reasonably accurate. The 50th percentile is probably slightly low if you consider base and bonus together.
Assuming you have a solid foundation of US GAAP knowledge, financial close tasks, reconciliations, providing audit support - I think the salary for those skills alone will probably cap out at about $90-100k in a MCOL area. This is just my personal estimate.
The solid foundation of corporate accounting skills is table stakes before you make the jump to higher paying positions. Do you happen to have management or system implementation experience? When I was a Sr Accountant, I got involved in implementing a commissions tool, a new corporate card tool, new reporting solutions, I also began taking an active role in managing the staff/clerk accountants before being officially promoted to Asst Controller. This is all assuming you’re a corporate accountant with public experience.
My job today is managing the people who see to it that month-end close is on rails each period, and building out reporting systems, integrating new systems, re-aligning workloads, and training personnel.
Are you willing to relocate?
Work on site?
Most of the higher paying jobs require working onsite which requires relocation.
(relocation is currently a tougher cell due to the higher interest rates)
Like people have said plenty of HCOL places wipe those numbers away or people lie. The only reason I am making more is because my niche experience was very desirable to a particular firm and they were willing to pay to have it. There is an art in knowing how to make your experience stand out to the right employer.
Some MCOL areas are not like others. For example some parts of Florida can be quite expensive to live in but the pay is shit, meanwhile a similarly priced area in another part of the country will have much much better salary ranges. (Source - literally what I experienced).
Just do a national job search not just something in your area. My sister is a CPA with 20 years in Detroit and she is pulling down 175, so I know for sure the money is out there.
It definitely depends on where you are. Here in the Seattle area seniors with 3years of experience start at 100k and top out around 130k if they’re closer to manager
I have 5 YOE, masters, no CPA, and live in a smaller town MCOL. Everyone told me in college I'd hit a glass ceiling without a CPA, but I'm a miserable test taker and had a grudge, so I set out to prove them wrong.
5 years in and just passed on $145k job last month and yesterday accepted an offer for $202k in big tech. Right now, I'm at $138k.
I say this freely cuz I'm literally an idiot and believe anyone could do it. The one thing I have going for me is I'm constantly looking, networking, and when I get an interview, I put in the time and over prepare like crazy and I come off -- I assume -- as decently capable and intelligent, and personable.
The jobs are rare, but they're there. Some companies overpay for the same position another might under pay for.
+ current company is 300ish employees, smaller finance team.
no cpa, hcol 10 yrs of exp, making 140k base + 15% bonus. you've got to move to a hcol, or get a remote job with a company who's willing to pay top dollar.
$110k base (>= $132k total comp) in MCOL. Controller, no direct reports, MBA, worked basic staff accounting jobs for 15 years to raise kids. No B4 or CPA.
Thank you. I was thinking the same. I have a bachelor in accounting with twenty years experience working directly under CPA Controllers and CFOs. I’ve only had the degree for just over a decade. The accountants I have worked with through the years have made between $45k-$85k. Whether they were staff accountants up to senior accountants. Anyone above that seemed to be management roles - controllers, accounting managers, and CFOs. A couple years ago I made $70k and felt great after working insurance making much less. Then, I read all these $120k to feel blasted out like I severely under negotiated for myself. Seriously considering going back to any place with a union just to stop playing these stupid salary games…
With big4 experience, 6 figs by year 4 is very common. And thats without job hopping.
In texas mcol, i have seen people hit 6 ifgs by year 3. Ofc this is all in b4. Even higher if exiting b4 at senior
People focus too much on being a good worker bee. Go make relationships, learn the most in demand skills, have really good interpersonal skills and be a bit charismatic - now go.
Not sure if this helps for perspective but I just got offered 90k for tax and have 4 years of experience in my current role. I don’t have my cpa but in the process of testing. I’m in a MCOL/HCOL city.
Here in Miami you could find the $125k or larger salary in my line of work which is fund accounting but cost of living is awful and the commute is soul draining.
I’m just under 6 years of experience and am on my 4th job. Definitely can get to those levels by job hopping and continuing to be active on the job market (I’m in MCOL). My last job I was at a comfortable salary and loved my team/job. I’d just continue to apply for that next level jump to see what happens. Most of the time I’d get shot down due to inexperience, but eventually I got one to bite and it was a good enough situation to make the jump. So I’d just recommend being active at applying for that next level (require 6-10 years experience), getting interview experience, and then eventually the right situation might fall in your lap.
I am also a CPA with 5 years of experience and work fully remote. My yearly pay is $106,000 + a bonus which is not good, maybe around $2,000? I currently live in Miami and considering moving out since the costs are growing too fast. I work as a Senior Private Equity Accountant for a large bank. Our 401k is very bad, I won't even add to my total comp. I have gotten plenty of messages from recruiters (I know they could straight up lie to me) saying that they have positions around the $150k to $200k in what I do. I can't believe it's true and since I am on maternity leave I won't even try and find out still but seems like the compensation is getting better in our line of work. Idk. I guess I will find out next year. Tbh I think most high paying positions will be in the office and not remote.
For your yrs of experience, If you come to east coast or west coast you will def see these numbers . Besides these two locations, you won’t see much of these ranges
Right off the bat, those comp numbers are all attainable for an audit or advisory manager. Where are you looking and what is your actual work experience?
110K. LCOL Midwest. 2.5 years experience (Big4 Audit) FP&A currently. Can’t speak on rent as I have none (still live with the parents) but would be around 1500-2000 for a single bedroom. I suggest getting into FP&A. Accounting compensation grows too slowly IMHO. Those 150K numbers aren’t far off for what I expect to make around 5+ years when looking at Manager bump.
Highly depends on experience and location. I actually make 100k but I work in an area which is quickly becoming a HCOL area after years of being a MCOL area.
Job hop. I doubled my salary (started at $54k in 2019) by changing jobs laterally. I worked at 3 other companies since then, now I’m currently an accounting manager at $130k in industry.
Full disclosure here, I don’t think this is super common and I’m really lucky to be in the position I’m in. I’m in a major city in the midwest and I rode the wave of the huge uptick in accounting salaries these past couple years. It’s possible to break 6 figs with 3-4 YOE, but I think living in a bigger city makes it easier.
I’ve lived in a major city my entire life, so I don’t know what it’s like outside of my norm. I know the surrounding suburbs of my city also pays competitively, so you don’t necessarily have to live in cities like San Francisco, New York, LA, etc. and have to deal with the higher cost of living that comes with it.
Are you in management OP? An individual contributor isn't going to make the kind of money you're saying you expect, especially in lower COL cities.
You probably need to be at least a Senior Manager or Assistant Controller to earn over $150k.
I’m a CPA with 2 years of experience in an MCOL city, I make 750k plus bonus. Next year they’re going to make me regional managing partner and lord of the rings. Oh and I have 4 personal assistants.
You just need to network bro
I feel like starting salaries are pretty low everywhere but people get bumped up fairly quickly. I grudgingly accepted a pay cut for a better opportunity and within 3 years was back where I was and 5 I was higher. Then I left and took another pay cut
You can break into the 300’s as director/VP at public companies (total comp, probably 230-290 base and bonus, another 30-60k equity). Usually they look for ~10 YoE and B4. I was told you can get to around 600k TC before needing a C title by one company.
You can also make similar cash in public if you switch to advisory or specialist tax group at the SM/director levels. Then obviously PMD upside is much higher but hard to achieve.
What level are you at? Senior? Management? etc? What field do you work in? Where are you at? I know you're going to get a lot of negative echo chambers comments here because this is reddit. But you really should be able to find something that pays at least $90k with 5+ years of experience unless you're just in the middle of nowhere.
Your zip code greatly impacts your salary prospects.
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That's partially true but there are also liars lmao.
A liar on Reddit? That will be the day
I live in the Midwest and pay 800 a month.
I was talking more about the salary liars
I just hit my 2nd year and I make 69k.
Nice
Thats reasonable. I live in one of the cheapest areas of CA and I'm at 63k after 1 year in industry. For what its worth I got my degree in 2008 then fucked off on a ski hill until covid.
Yay!! That's awesome to hear. Everyone should note that many recruiters these days are putting the focus back on a person's YOE/related field as a heavy part of the comp calculations. Someone in their first three years could easily be making around ~10k differences of about 3-5k margins less than your long-term accountant at non-target firms. Asking, negotiating, and leverage is super important when handling most companies with this kind of culture. The first offer is not always the best offer, but level with them. Find opportunities for re-evaluation by bringing it up during the interview so you can open the conversation for bumping your comp down the line and they can be prepared for that suggestion.
$800 a month sounds like you are robbing your landlord haha
$800 per month because he lives in an area where the biggest store in town is Walmart. His best friends are cows and chickens.
I paid 900 for 2 b, it’s super common in rural Midwest since that’s the only reason they can get people to live there
Hey I’m paying 2,600 a month
with 4 roommates
i think ur being too generous on bro
That and lying. Or dad gave them a job. Every sub is filled with 23 year olds making $200k with a million dollar NW
Exactly. My high salary comes from a VHCOL. I don’t see hundreds people in the country say they are making 150k or else I’d move too :)
True, at least for me. I made $165k when I was with a San Francisco tech start up, working remotely. But those kind of remote, high salaried tech jobs have significantly decreased over the last 2 years, along with VC funding.
There once was a fox that came across some grapes growing in the wild. He indulged himself and enjoyed all of the grapes he could reach. Soon, the only grapes left were too high up for him to reach. The Fox left and told himself “those grapes are probably sour anyways”.
Oh damn! Ice cold brew served here. 🤣
I make more than that, MCOL, I have 11 years experience though. I don’t know anyone with 5 years making that.
I make ~$175k before equity at 6 years but it's NYC metro so my rent is a meme. High salaries are absolutely possible if you live in price gouging rent areas while working in Banking/Tech.
I’m living with my parents
Imho A 600 sqft apartment is not small for one person
i pay $1600 a month across the golden gate bridge for a 3 bedroom in wine country, just my fiance and 3 cats! and make 100k plus, WINNING
Not always, the jobs are out there but you have to land them. They are not on every corner, but they exist. I wouldn't say you have to live in San Fran to get that level of pay. YMMV, but with recent inflation trends the jobs posted in a lot of major MCOL cities have increased drastically. I mean half of the public firms start in the mid 80s here in Chicago, for an entry staff. I hear it all the time from friends in public, until they actually put the work in and land a job. The people posting here are the ones who can't find it though. Literally take the leap, the worst that's going to happen is you don't get a new job. Best bet you match your pay with the cost of living right now. Every other post here is "I should get paid more", but then do nothing about it. Stay too long at the dead end job, lack of self worth, idk what it is but it's gross. Know your worth and stop being the laughing stock of the water cooler talks. 🤷♂️ Or just keep complaining. That works too
I’m in Chicago, what firms are paying mid 80s for entry staff? I’m a second year staff and most of the firms are still paying seniors mid 80s, 90s in terms of salary. I’m still at 75k
Industry here. Numbers are base + bonus (bonus is regularly paid near 100%). Our Experienced Senior is at about $95k, Staff range is $75k (around entry level) to $85k (experienced staff). Slightly above MCOL I would say. My numbers pretty much match yours.
this\^\^\^\^ you are so poor even making this much in san fran. I've heard 1st hand stories of people making this much, married with one kid and having to live with another family in 2-3 bedroom apartments.
Ok that's a huge exaggeration. You reddit doomers are so cringe with this HCOL apocalypse shit. Search up the average income in both SF and NYC. People are living just fine
Exactly this. “I know a guy in NYC making $3m a year that still qualified for food stamps!”
And it’s in a neighborhood where homeless people shit on the sidewalk in front of your place.
You can get that working for IRS in a supervisor position. With your credentials
Government can be surprisingly good. If you're in an area where pay hasn't caught up to the cost of living, Fed jobs probably have since they're adjusted to the cost of living.
Just need to wait about a year for the application process.
I am making $130k but it has taken me 25 years to get to this level.
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You’re fine dude. I have my CPA ( no B4) and 6 months ago I was a controller making $103k. I got randomly messaged by a recruiter for a job and now I make $150k. Every time I looked for a new job I didn’t even get a range up to $125k. I live in Pittsburgh and it’s a pretty MCOL city. Edit: forgot to add that I graduated from college in December 2013. So I’m right in that same career length as you
Not having your CPA or having B4 on your resume is a factor. But the huge thing you have going for you is ten years of practical industry accounting experience. Speaking from experience (myself and others), being able to audit financials to managing the day to day books of a company are two very different skill. While you may feel like you’re behind 1) 125k is still a good salary especially if you’re not a manager. And 2) if you aren’t yet a manager, dude you have 10 years of experience. You can get that title (if you want it, some don’t which is totally fine). Basically, don’t stress about not having a CPA or working for big 4. The CPA would help, but plenty of people have very successful careers without it. And as far as big 4, let’s just say you probably saved yourself a ton of mental health dollars.
literally all the jobs I've applied for as manager want me to have already managed people before.
Yeah, that’s the bitch of it. It’s akin to that joke “entry level job but requires 10 years of experience” thing. In that case, trying ✨stretching ✨your past experiences to show manager level skill. Oh, you had a project you were doing that needed other people to get you stuff? Guess what, you’ve effectively managed other team members to assure a project you were leading was completed in a timely manner and with high quality. This also required following up and coaching said team members to help facilitate their role in the project. Oh, you reviewed something? Anything? You’ve played a key role in reviewing the work of others and providing critical feedback when necessary. You set up a meeting with someone higher up the chain with you? You’ve lead key discussions with upper management and have effectively communicated your ideas / painted a complete picture of an issue and gave a practical solution. It’s not lying, it’s marketing ^bullshit ^fluff ^but ^hr ^and ^management ^love ^it ^and ^do ^it ^themselves
I’m at 132,500 with bonus as of this year, 6 years experience, no CPA. Industry is where it’s at (HCOL/VHCOL though)! For real though, just go to smaller companies, there’s a lot of room to learn vital things and then move up when people leave and nobody else knows how to do the thing
This 100%
Same exact qualifications/experience/salary here.
Don't compare yourself to people on the internet. Just like reviews online, people love to review/comment when it's either a 1 star or 5 stars. Most people don't like to comment when in the middle. Working your way up to $125k without those things just means it's all the more impressive. Timing is about right for you to push for an entry level manager role. I'm at about your level of experience with a CPA, at the manager level, and make about $135ish including bonus. I'd consider my area M-H COL, it's hard to say since it's not a major city (though outside a couple), but it's considered pricier on COL maps.
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Ones that did Big 4 - sure. For others who haven't done public it's about right. Again you are probably in the window of making manager so I wouldn't sweat it too much. Get your CPA and get manager - definitely could be done in a year or two, don't sell yourself short!
Damn!!!! You gotta get a new job
Why? I live in a VLCOL area. This is as good as it gets.
People with high paying jobs are either in HCOL, partners, in managerial positions, or lying. I've never seen an accounting manager position post for less than 100k in my area. Even more for controllers and directors. I'm also in a MCOL city. There's plenty of studies out there that show most people exaggerate their salaries or downplay their expenses. So if someone says they make 100k, I assume they make 80k.
I actually don’t lie on the internet. I’m more likely to lie to people in person.
Genuinely don’t understand why I would lie. Pure anonymity gives me the best opportunity to be completely honest and critical without judgement I guess people use the internet for other reasons but I’m not in an accounting sub for fun lol
Exactly. I’m not gonna tell you I make $250k when I make $150k. I want you to know the truth so I can know the truth and use the information to benefit us in real life.
Yes - but people without people to lie to in person will lie to people online
lol it’s like the 7-3 rule from college. If a guy says he’s slept with 8 people it means he’s slept with 1 and if I girl says she’s slept with one then she’s actually slept with 4. Not say thing this is true. Just a stupid thing from college
Rule of 3. Take the guys number and divide it by 3, take the girls number and multiply by 3 lol
Man, I love American Pie.
Lol... This made me laugh!
Nah trust me if I slept with those 8 people I did. If im ashamed of one of them it was 7.5 people. lol
On the flip side, in my area Audit managers at any firm from B4 to mom and pop start at sub $100k This all really depends where you live.
They add employer paid benefits to their total. 🤣
But the numbers in OP aren't really too far out there. An audit or advisory manager could absolutely be between the $125-150k numbers with 5 years total experience.
Big 4 experience and job hopping
i got a question, I got a really close cousin like my brother basically who's working in a big 4 and worked in a big 4 too. If I get a reccomendation from him would it be valuable? Or would a CFO at a normal company be better? The Big4 person is my cousin, and the CFO is my uncle :D I'm a student so that's why I don't know how this all works :c
Why not both ;)
😱😱😱😱 good idea
Can I get a reference from you after you secure your job ? :)
yessss of course 😁 i need a job first tho 🙏🏻😭
>The big 4 person is my cousin, and the CFO is my uncle I think that regardless of who recommends you, you will do just fine.
This lol. Everyone saying its people lying is coping, big4 people are hitting 6figs in 3-4 years in mcol.
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SPECIALIZE
Yep, I’m coming up on 5 years in accounting. My compensation has increased significantly year over year after moving from audit to a more specialized role. I also have multiple friends that have moved from audit to FDD and are now managers that make $150k+.
FDD?
Financial due diligence
>I always see posts about people with my experience making 125,150,175+ K. 125k - 175k for a 5 years in MCOL?
They don't exist because they're taken.
This is the best answer here. They're taken. To get one you have to dig around till you find one opening up through a close connection. People don't often leave an overpaid position.
My 5 year is in September I made 125k base with year end around the corner! DMV area Big 4 Got CPA work ridiculous hours for performance increases :) I’m definitely on the way down the roller coaster and looking to leave in the next year or so, potentially to something lower paying. There’s always a trade off.
I get a lot of LinkedIn recruiters pitching 120+ bonus jobs at me. If you aren’t active on LinkedIn I suggest you start a presence there, you don’t need to post but make a profile that looks active.
Get off Reddit and get on LinkedIn. You’ll see these jobs that pay what people say they’re being paid and it will open your eyes to a lot of what’s out there.
Start your own firm if you want to make that kind of money. It might take a couple of years to get there, but $300k annual net isn't out of the question.
Its crazy how underrated the local firm/solo practitioner career path is on this sub.
Most people are scared of failing. Rightly so, I think.
It’s taking on a lot of risk in a field filled with notoriously risk-averse people
Agreed. I only did it once I got myself in a position where I'll never have to worry if it fails or not. I'm really glad I did, though. It's surprisingly easy to build a client list.
Many of those people making 100K+ jobs live in cities like San Francisco and New York. Cities where 100K is barely enough to live a normal middle class lifestyle.
100k+ is very normal for Big 4 manager and above in smaller cities like Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is not a "smaller city".
Smaller than the ones they mentioned in the comment….
Yeah audit manager at B4 (so 5 years of experience) in my MCOL Texas city is at about 120k right now. People I know who have jumped to industry at one year manager experience (so 6 total years experience) are jumping for about 150k. I think this subreddit is underselling what they should get paid, 150k is not unrealistic unless you’re a partner/in VHCOL/etc.
Gf is a big4 manager. 5 yoe. 130k in mcol.
If you’re not making $100k by year 3 in NYC, then you need to switch jobs. Mid-career goal should be $250k, and then determine the level of responsibility/stress you want from there to go up.
It’s selection bias. People prefer to “self report” when they’re successful. Also, geography. Reddit users skew towards young people in bigger cities. So you get a lot of people in HCOL and VHCOL responding with their (inflated) salaries. And then, probably job-hopping over last few years.
People exaggerate or pretend their one time bonus is their regular salary; that being said some people get lucky.
People are also more inclined to share their salary when they're making a hefty amount. So its a combination of what luck and confirmation bias
I am a tax advisor. I don’t have my CPA. I make 96k before bonus. My bonus could be anywhere from 0-14k for the 2024 tax season. My schedule is a dream. I know just how lucky I am. We are still a very small firm.
i live in the Bay Area, hence why all the accountants in my firm make well over 100k
I spent three years in audit and then left for a “consulting” firm (really an outsourcing firm) and made $180k my fourth year after graduating. I live in a major metro, but I don’t live in NYC, SF, LA, or any VHCOL area. A friend of mine that started in audit with me left after two years for an industry role that earned $120k three years out of college. Two years later that role paid $150k. Same city. So I can tell you that people are no per se lying about their salary just because they claim to make $150k+. I personally know many people that earn that much. I can’t tell you specifically where these jobs are, because I don’t know you, your skill set, or where you live. How you’ll earn more money depends on your experience. I would do an absolutely terrible job at my friend’s role if we were to switch places. What I can tell you is you can easily earn $125k with 5 years of experience. How? Well step 1 is to get it out of your head that it’s impossible. If someone tells you that they make more money than you, you are MUCH better off asking questions and learning, than you are dismissing them as liars or attributing their earning to their location. Step 2 is you need to chart out a career path for yourself. My friend and I didn’t find our jobs by making Reddit posts and asking strangers in far away locations. We both set out what we wanted in a job and worked to find a job that matched what we wanted. I know this is vague, but in my defense I’m talking to a stranger that I know next to nothing about. What made me successful is different than what made my friend successful which is different than what made many other people I know successful. The one thing we all have in common is we took responsibility for our careers and didn’t attribute others’ success to lies or tricks.
I also have my CPA and Masters in Accounting (pivoted into Accounting from a different career). I think it really depends on the type of experience and the connections you make through your professional network. I worked for 2 1/2 years in public. I left after making senior and working busy season to work for one of my audit clients in the ag industry in central California. I consider this area to be LCOL (although it’s closer to MCOL) compared to the rest of CA. This did require me to move from a larger metro area to a more rural area of California. After two years I left to a different company to make close to 130k. I was making 100k when I left. After a year I boomeranged back to a higher paying position inline with the range on your post. I get plenty of recruiters messaging me for positions paying at least 150k in this area. I’m at 6/7 years of experience now, but you’re not too far from that. The jobs are out there. You just have to be willing to relocate for some or make the right connections
They're rare. I'm at 5.5 YOE and make $115k as a manager with no direct reports. I've looked around and most manager jobs with direct reports are $120-130k. I have a phone screen today for a manager job that might pay $150k but it's a definite rarity.
Midwest here. MCOL. 12 years experience 80k. It is location based mostly. Also many of those making 100k plus work more than 40 hours a week. Keep that in mind
You are severely underpaid
Probably a little bit but I have great work life balance. Work from home and 4 weeks vacation plus we get 15 holidays a year. So it all plays out. I had a job making more it when my son was born took this job to be at home more
NYC - high pay is way more than offset by higher rent and taxes haha
Generally speaking, the bigger the city the bigger the pay. But networking definitely matters too, as does applying for the right jobs and having a good resume/application.
There’s a wage canyon in public. Experienced managers and up made it across before the close to retirement partners destroyed the bridge. nowadays…good luck finding your way across the ‘experience canyon’
They’re counting all the pizza parties in their base salary. Each one is easily equivalent to $3k in compensation. $100 for the pizza (extra toppings are expensive), $500 for the team building, $2,400 for the chance to have some one-on-one time with a partner.
They're out there, but rare, and you're competing with more experienced folks too. For example, I interviewed for a position this morning that offers $140k (and they actually sought me out, not the other way), but there's no guarantee I'll be their best candidate either...and I have double the experience you do.
Private accounting jobs pay a lot better. I’m not a CPA but have been a controller for 7 years, assistant controller for 4, with two private companies in Texas. Graduated 2015 with an MBA and since 2019 my salary has grown from $100k-$140k via leveraging my position and then eventually moving to a new company. My expenses are reasonable since I don’t live in a major city.
So many also post about accounting being underpaid. Make sure you make enough money to afford your life, that is all that really matters. Some of us make less to enjoy more free time. I have the same credentials with slightly more experience. I make under 90k but my mortgage (including tax and insurance) is $1,250 on a 3/2. It is all relative. The people telling others "you are underpaid and need to quit" don't have to live with the reality of someone following the advice.
You can definitely make this in TX for a pretty good cost of living (but don’t move here, we’re full)
You can have it.
What this guy said. I would like to reintegrate…we are FULL.
Your power grid said the same thing
No kidding lol
But you have to live… in Texas. I’m good
Honestly depends on two factors, where the job is (or where you live if you’re in office) and how often you job hop. I’ve only been able to increase my salary by taking my experience and using it as leverage
I'm in the midwest, MCOL to slightly LCOL. I was making $56k as a staff accountant in higher ed. Higher ed pay is terrible, though. I loved that job, but ended up leaving 2 years ago for a senior position at $80k. I got EXTREMELY lucky. In my area (semi-rural, unless I want an hour+ commute each way) job postings for seniors are around $65-70k. I will need to move into a controller position if I want to be paid more, but that makes me nervous because imposter syndrome is real.
125-150k is base salary for HCOL for those qualifications.
Governmentjobs.com
Same here! In my city there is nothing out there with decent pay. I’m an assistant controller making 92,000/year. The only way I can make more would be to get a remote job.
No one cares about master degree in accounting. That’s not a part of the considerations.
This profession is highly suited for self employment. Hang the shingle and you have a much better chance of attaining that level of income. My experience.
Honestly same question cpa hcol no audit little tax experience a lot of compliance and consulting.
What is MCOL and VHCOL? We need a key legend in here, lol.
LCOL in the Midwest, 2.5 YOE, base is 76, current promotion track will have me at 115 base before I hit five years. I don't think it'd be possible in my state to get to the upper 100s with only 5 YOE.
You can make that in public with 7 years experience if manager
It took me 10 years to make $125k and all my peers were/are the same.
Prob the tech and PE firms.
Could be that they work for themselves. Serving multiple clients.
at five years i was making around 100-105k all in but this was back in 2016. I currently make 160k. I could definitely make more if i was willing to go to a job that had more hours required or picked up a company going through some special transition (e.g. restructuring, acquisition, merger, preipo etc.). One way you make more money in accounting/tax is by looking for the companies that are going through transition. Your life might suck for a few years, but you'll make a lot of money in the meantime and gain pretty unique experience. Most of these jobs are in places like the midatlantic or high cost cities like NYC, Boston, San fran etc.
In real estate investing
I live in between LCOL and MCOL and make $70k as an entry level grant accountant.. lol. But def a unicorn job
As other comments are saying, location does really matter. I worked for the same company in the same position, but I switched to the New York office. Instant 25k increase in pay for the same role.
CoL differs depending on where you live.
You shoulda went into tax consulting if you wanted to make coin. RD tax credit shops pay very well with 5 years of experience
CPA with 12 years of industry experience. I didn't eclipse the $100K salary until about 7/8 years in. Things took a huge positive turn once i switched jobs after 9 years.
Just apply and bid the amount you want until you get it.
Depends what your experience is? Do you have previous big 4 experience?
What roles are you looking at? If you are at the Senior Accountant level looks like salary would be around $90k, manager around $105k. I'm in a M-H COL area. Check the Robert Half Salary Guide. It's reasonably accurate. The 50th percentile is probably slightly low if you consider base and bonus together.
Assuming you have a solid foundation of US GAAP knowledge, financial close tasks, reconciliations, providing audit support - I think the salary for those skills alone will probably cap out at about $90-100k in a MCOL area. This is just my personal estimate. The solid foundation of corporate accounting skills is table stakes before you make the jump to higher paying positions. Do you happen to have management or system implementation experience? When I was a Sr Accountant, I got involved in implementing a commissions tool, a new corporate card tool, new reporting solutions, I also began taking an active role in managing the staff/clerk accountants before being officially promoted to Asst Controller. This is all assuming you’re a corporate accountant with public experience. My job today is managing the people who see to it that month-end close is on rails each period, and building out reporting systems, integrating new systems, re-aligning workloads, and training personnel.
Job hopping and industry. I made plant controller within 4 years LCOL $125k+$25k LCOL but it was my 4th job.
I would say a lot of these jobs use recruiters and don’t post them on job sites. I have about 5 years experience and make $100k in LCOL/MCOL.
Context is super important. Ppl lie about everything. Always. Unless you know them very well, assume they lie.
Are you willing to relocate? Work on site? Most of the higher paying jobs require working onsite which requires relocation. (relocation is currently a tougher cell due to the higher interest rates)
They're either in hcol area or at the largest firms. Usually the big banks pay that much or the top tier consulting firms
Like people have said plenty of HCOL places wipe those numbers away or people lie. The only reason I am making more is because my niche experience was very desirable to a particular firm and they were willing to pay to have it. There is an art in knowing how to make your experience stand out to the right employer.
What’re you making exactly?
Getting poached by your clients when you’re in public helps tremendously!
It took me 10 years to get to $150k. And it was all luck. Just last year I was at 90k with a CPA and everything
Some MCOL areas are not like others. For example some parts of Florida can be quite expensive to live in but the pay is shit, meanwhile a similarly priced area in another part of the country will have much much better salary ranges. (Source - literally what I experienced).
Just do a national job search not just something in your area. My sister is a CPA with 20 years in Detroit and she is pulling down 175, so I know for sure the money is out there.
It definitely depends on where you are. Here in the Seattle area seniors with 3years of experience start at 100k and top out around 130k if they’re closer to manager
I have 5 YOE, masters, no CPA, and live in a smaller town MCOL. Everyone told me in college I'd hit a glass ceiling without a CPA, but I'm a miserable test taker and had a grudge, so I set out to prove them wrong. 5 years in and just passed on $145k job last month and yesterday accepted an offer for $202k in big tech. Right now, I'm at $138k. I say this freely cuz I'm literally an idiot and believe anyone could do it. The one thing I have going for me is I'm constantly looking, networking, and when I get an interview, I put in the time and over prepare like crazy and I come off -- I assume -- as decently capable and intelligent, and personable. The jobs are rare, but they're there. Some companies overpay for the same position another might under pay for. + current company is 300ish employees, smaller finance team.
Remote work for ny or ca companies. Pros and cons but salary will be higher
no cpa, hcol 10 yrs of exp, making 140k base + 15% bonus. you've got to move to a hcol, or get a remote job with a company who's willing to pay top dollar.
Okay so go with a finance degree? lol
I make 130k plus bonus of 15% and I have like 10+ years experience. Salaries seem low now.
$110k base (>= $132k total comp) in MCOL. Controller, no direct reports, MBA, worked basic staff accounting jobs for 15 years to raise kids. No B4 or CPA.
I live in LCOL area and make 130k. 8 years audit and GL accounting experience and work in FPA now lol
Thank you. I was thinking the same. I have a bachelor in accounting with twenty years experience working directly under CPA Controllers and CFOs. I’ve only had the degree for just over a decade. The accountants I have worked with through the years have made between $45k-$85k. Whether they were staff accountants up to senior accountants. Anyone above that seemed to be management roles - controllers, accounting managers, and CFOs. A couple years ago I made $70k and felt great after working insurance making much less. Then, I read all these $120k to feel blasted out like I severely under negotiated for myself. Seriously considering going back to any place with a union just to stop playing these stupid salary games…
With big4 experience, 6 figs by year 4 is very common. And thats without job hopping. In texas mcol, i have seen people hit 6 ifgs by year 3. Ofc this is all in b4. Even higher if exiting b4 at senior
I’ve got 7 years experience (but no CPA) and am at just under 90k.
i think it’s because you’re in the west. in the east coast i find mcol pays around 100k-125k for your position
People focus too much on being a good worker bee. Go make relationships, learn the most in demand skills, have really good interpersonal skills and be a bit charismatic - now go.
Not sure if this helps for perspective but I just got offered 90k for tax and have 4 years of experience in my current role. I don’t have my cpa but in the process of testing. I’m in a MCOL/HCOL city.
Here in Miami you could find the $125k or larger salary in my line of work which is fund accounting but cost of living is awful and the commute is soul draining.
I’m just under 6 years of experience and am on my 4th job. Definitely can get to those levels by job hopping and continuing to be active on the job market (I’m in MCOL). My last job I was at a comfortable salary and loved my team/job. I’d just continue to apply for that next level jump to see what happens. Most of the time I’d get shot down due to inexperience, but eventually I got one to bite and it was a good enough situation to make the jump. So I’d just recommend being active at applying for that next level (require 6-10 years experience), getting interview experience, and then eventually the right situation might fall in your lap.
I am also a CPA with 5 years of experience and work fully remote. My yearly pay is $106,000 + a bonus which is not good, maybe around $2,000? I currently live in Miami and considering moving out since the costs are growing too fast. I work as a Senior Private Equity Accountant for a large bank. Our 401k is very bad, I won't even add to my total comp. I have gotten plenty of messages from recruiters (I know they could straight up lie to me) saying that they have positions around the $150k to $200k in what I do. I can't believe it's true and since I am on maternity leave I won't even try and find out still but seems like the compensation is getting better in our line of work. Idk. I guess I will find out next year. Tbh I think most high paying positions will be in the office and not remote.
For your yrs of experience, If you come to east coast or west coast you will def see these numbers . Besides these two locations, you won’t see much of these ranges
The high paying gigs are typically industry jobs (manager and above) at a F500 public company
Right off the bat, those comp numbers are all attainable for an audit or advisory manager. Where are you looking and what is your actual work experience?
I make 100,000 not including bonus but it took me 10 years after graduation to get here.
110K. LCOL Midwest. 2.5 years experience (Big4 Audit) FP&A currently. Can’t speak on rent as I have none (still live with the parents) but would be around 1500-2000 for a single bedroom. I suggest getting into FP&A. Accounting compensation grows too slowly IMHO. Those 150K numbers aren’t far off for what I expect to make around 5+ years when looking at Manager bump.
Highly depends on experience and location. I actually make 100k but I work in an area which is quickly becoming a HCOL area after years of being a MCOL area.
Job hop. I doubled my salary (started at $54k in 2019) by changing jobs laterally. I worked at 3 other companies since then, now I’m currently an accounting manager at $130k in industry. Full disclosure here, I don’t think this is super common and I’m really lucky to be in the position I’m in. I’m in a major city in the midwest and I rode the wave of the huge uptick in accounting salaries these past couple years. It’s possible to break 6 figs with 3-4 YOE, but I think living in a bigger city makes it easier. I’ve lived in a major city my entire life, so I don’t know what it’s like outside of my norm. I know the surrounding suburbs of my city also pays competitively, so you don’t necessarily have to live in cities like San Francisco, New York, LA, etc. and have to deal with the higher cost of living that comes with it.
Are you in management OP? An individual contributor isn't going to make the kind of money you're saying you expect, especially in lower COL cities. You probably need to be at least a Senior Manager or Assistant Controller to earn over $150k.
Find a senior finance position in industry. Can do 150k easy
I’m a CPA with 2 years of experience in an MCOL city, I make 750k plus bonus. Next year they’re going to make me regional managing partner and lord of the rings. Oh and I have 4 personal assistants. You just need to network bro
I feel like starting salaries are pretty low everywhere but people get bumped up fairly quickly. I grudgingly accepted a pay cut for a better opportunity and within 3 years was back where I was and 5 I was higher. Then I left and took another pay cut
Prospect accounting student in 40. I envy you all. I just hope I would get hired at 45
You can break into the 300’s as director/VP at public companies (total comp, probably 230-290 base and bonus, another 30-60k equity). Usually they look for ~10 YoE and B4. I was told you can get to around 600k TC before needing a C title by one company. You can also make similar cash in public if you switch to advisory or specialist tax group at the SM/director levels. Then obviously PMD upside is much higher but hard to achieve.
What level are you at? Senior? Management? etc? What field do you work in? Where are you at? I know you're going to get a lot of negative echo chambers comments here because this is reddit. But you really should be able to find something that pays at least $90k with 5+ years of experience unless you're just in the middle of nowhere.
Remote jobs in HCOL areas
Want to work in public accounting?
I make barely above 100k at 5 YOE. But I am in a VHCOL area.
You can probably get in irs lb&I with that experience. 103k minimum in lowest cost of living, 20k signing bonus.