Dive Brief:
- PricewaterhouseCoopers is doubling to $10,000 the “CPA bonus” it gives entry-level hires who complete all four parts of the certified public accountant exam before joining or within their first year at the Big Four firm, according to a company spokesperson. The change is effective June 1.
- “At PwC, we’re committed to investing in our people and strengthening the future of the accounting profession,” according to a statement from PwC emailed Tuesday. The higher bonus “reflects our continued focus on encouraging early CPA completion and building a strong pipeline of credentialed talent.”
- Some new hires were notified via an email from PwC last week, according to a social media post on Reddit. “I'm an assurance associate starting in August and got an email about it yesterday and so did some other tax people I know starting soon,” one Reddit poster wrote.
Dive Insight:
PwC follows Ernst & Young in its move to double its CPA exam bonus. CFO Dive reported in March that EY was sweetening its CPA track by boosting the exam bonus for “June 1 joiners.”
Passing all parts of the CPA exam is one of the three key requirements potential candidates must complete to become a certified public accountant, with the other two being certain levels of education and experience.
It is also viewed by many as one of the most onerous requirements. “The CPA is widely recognized as one of the most challenging professional exams, with a pass rate of around 50%,” The Sacramento Bee reported last year. “It’s not just about memorizing a bunch of accounting rules. It’s about applying them in ways that sometimes feel like you’re trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces.”
A minimum score of 75 on a scale that ranges from 0 to 99 is needed to pass a CPA exam section, according to The American Institute of CPAs and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountant’s website. In the first quarter of 2026 the pass rates ranged from 79.28% for the Tax Compliance and Planning section and as low as 41.3% for the Business Analysis and Reporting section.
The bonus comes amid an accounting industry push to remove or provide alternatives to the 150 college credit hour requirement that was seen by many as a costly and time-consuming barrier to getting a CPA license. Since early last year dozens of states have changed rules governing accounting licensure to enable candidates to substitute an extra year of professional experience for a fifth year of college.
The initiative was driven by a push to address an acccounting labor shortage that now appears to be easing.
