For the 13th consecutive year, PwC was named the top accounting firm in the U.S., according to the latest ranking of the best 25 firms to work for in 2026 from career website Vault.com.
The Big Four firm received an overall score of 8.385 out of 10, topping second-place finisher—and Big Four rival—EY’s score of 7.971.
PwC staffers told Vault that the firm is filled with “the best and brightest people” and offers “great work/life balance outside of busy season,” “the ability to work remotely,” and “unlimited learning opportunities and professional development.” In addition, one PwCer told Vault that the firm “has a massive online library of virtual trainings, from how to use Excel to how to perform the most technical aspects of our jobs (across all service lines). We also have an apprenticeship model, fostering an environment that promotes and encourages on-the-job training.”
EY, which moved from third in Vault’s 2025 ranking up to second this time around, has “smart, motivated, incredibly talented team members who care about your development;” “training, mentoring, and career growth opportunities;” and “schedule flexibility and ability to work remotely,” insiders told Vault. In addition, EY got high marks for its unlimited paid time off policy. One employee told Vault, “The firm has an unlimited vacation policy, and I’ve never had an issue taking that unlimited vacation around my filing deadlines. As long as you work hard, the firm is happy to give you time off to recharge. The flexibility of being able to work from home a couple of days a week is great too.”
In third place, with a total score of 7.666, is another Big Four accounting firm, KPMG. KPMG professionals told Vault that the firm has “great people” and “a great supportive culture” and offers a lot of “early responsibility and career development opportunities.” It’s a “nonstop learning experience” at KPMG, which “invests heavily in the development of its people, including providing significant formal training and opportunities to grow through informal training.”
To determine scores for its ranking, Vault surveyed approximately 10,000 accounting professionals and asked them to rate their firms in several workplace categories, including benefits, compensation, culture, diversity, hours, satisfaction, training, wellness offerings, and work/life balance. They were also asked to rate firms other than their own in terms of prestige. The “Accounting 25” is then compiled using a weighted formula based on these internal and external rankings.
One interesting finding is that six of the Vault 25 best accounting firms to work for—CohnReznick, Baker Tilly, PKF O’Connor Davies, Aprio, Frazier & Deeter, and Cherry Bekaert—have received private equity investments. It’s interesting because private equity-backed accounting firms didn’t get high marks from employees according to a recent survey conducted by the website Big 4 Transparency, which provides salary data for accounting and finance professionals. The top three accounting firms with the highest employee satisfaction scores—Plante Moran, Wipfli, and Andersen—haven’t struck deals with an outside investor, while two of the three firms with the lowest job satisfaction scores—Citrin Cooperman and Cherry Bekaert—have both received private equity investments, according to the Big 4 Transparency survey. CBIZ was the only non-PE-backed firm with low employee satisfaction scores, but it came in 10th in the Vault Accounting 25.
Private equity investments can significantly impact employee experiences, potentially leading to both positive and negative outcomes. Some studies suggest that private equity firms may prioritize cost-cutting measures, potentially leading to layoffs, reduced benefits, and lower wages. However, other research highlights instances where private equity investments have led to increased employee ownership, improved working conditions, and enhanced employee satisfaction.
Vault, which provides career resources and advice to students and job seekers, has graded the top accounting firms annually since 2010.
Vault’s top accounting firms for 2026 are (previous year’s ranking in parenthesis):
- PwC (1)
- EY (3)
- KPMG (2)
- Plante Moran (5)
- BDO USA (4)
- CohnReznick (6)
- Baker Tilly (7)
- RSM US (8)
- PKF O’Connor Davies (12)
- CBIZ (NR)
- Eide Bailly (14)
- Moss Adams (10)
- Whitley Penn (20)
- HCVT (22)
- Grassi (16)
- Withum (17)
- Schellman (9)
- Frank, Rimerman + Co. (15)
- Cg Tax, Audit & Advisory (NR)
- Katz, Sapper & Miller (18)
- Aprio (21)
- Calibre CPA Group (NR)
- Frazier & Deeter (NR)
- Akram (23)
- Cherry Bekaert (24)
Big Four firm Deloitte, which finished second in Vault’s 2024 ranking of the best accounting firms to work for, fell out of the top 25 in both Vault’s 2025 and 2026 rankings.
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Tags: Accounting, accounting firms, PwC, rankings
