The Big 4 Transparency Awards are Back!

It’s officially awards season.

Forget the Oscars. Forget the Grammys.

This is the only red carpet that measures what actually matters to your every day life in accounting: hours worked and job satisfaction.

Every year, we break down the data submitted to Big 4 Transparency to spotlight:

• The firms people actually enjoy working at

• The firms where work-life balance is winning

• 😬 And yes… the firms at the bottom of the rankings

Because if we’re all working on ourselves in 2026, firms should be too.

Before We Get Into the Winners…

If Big 4 Transparency has ever helped you benchmark your salary, evaluate an offer, or even chose which firm you want to apply to…

We have one simple ask:

👉 Go anonymously submit your compensation.

It matters more than you think.

The next person in your role, in your city, at your firm will have better information because you took 60 seconds to contribute.

And since we’re all about to spend way too much time together during busy season, send the link to one coworker too. That’s how this thing compounds.

The data is only as strong as the inputs.
We’ve built something powerful. Let’s make it undeniable.

Contribute at: big4transparency.com

And now, without further ado… 🥁 

The Trends That Jumped Out

1️⃣ Andersen’s Plot Twist

I’ll admit it — I was surprised (and impressed) by Andersen’s performance.

Given they’ve been preparing for an IPO through 2025, you might expect pressure, longer hours, or morale slippage.

Instead? Strong results.

Contrast that with prior years where CBIZ, a publicly traded firm, consistently ranked among the lowest for job satisfaction. To their credit, CBIZ materially improved in 2025 and avoided the bottom spots entirely actually notching better than average responses on job satisfaction.

Public markets don’t automatically equal low morale.
But they don’t automatically equal high morale either.

Execution matters, so hats off to the team at Andersen.

2️⃣ Private Equity: Not One-Size-Fits-All

We again see multiple PE-backed firms represented among the lowest in job satisfaction.

And while MNP isn’t PE-backed, their aggressive consolidation strategy in Canada resembles many PE roll-ups, and they appear in the lower tier this year.

But here’s the nuance:

Aprio bucked the trend, ranking among the top firms for both job satisfaction and work-life balance.

That’s important.

It suggests PE isn’t inherently good or bad for culture.
It amplifies strategy. And leadership.

There are many flavors of PE. The outcomes aren’t predetermined.

3️⃣ The Plante Moran Paradox

One of the most fascinating data points this year:

Plante Moran ranks as a top performer in job satisfaction…

…while also landing among the bottom firms for hours worked.

That’s rare.

High hours usually correlate with lower satisfaction. Yet here, the relationship breaks.

Which raises questions:

• Is the culture exceptional?

• Is compensation materially above market?

• Is the work more engaging or autonomous?

• Or are expectations simply clearer?

I’d genuinely love to hear from folks there. When people work long hours and still report high satisfaction, something interesting is happening. When I shared this graphic out online, a lot of folks from Plante Moran chimed in sharing that while they worked hard they felt they were always treated well with the right emphasis on personal growth and development of junior staff within the firm.

A Quick Reality Check

As always with these surveys, your experience may vary.

Firm-wide data gives us directional insight into how well organizations are being run. But accounting is local.

Each office has its own subculture. Its own leadership. Its own vibe.

I’ve experienced that firsthand. My own public accounting experience was overwhelmingly positive at the office level, even while broader narratives around the firm were more mixed.

So treat this data as signal, not destiny.

If nothing else, this is what makes Big 4 Transparency powerful:

It creates feedback based on what a large number of accounting professionals are experiencing.

When satisfaction trends high, firms can double down.
When trends dip, leadership has the opportunity (and now the visibility) to improve.

That’s the whole point.

Transparency isn’t about dunking on firms.
It’s about building better ones.

And a quick roundup of roles Big 4 Transparency is helping fill with some great firms who work with us:

• Senior Audit Associate - Lincolnshire, Chicago & Miami

• International Tax Manager or Senior Manager - Lincolnshire, Chicago & Miami

• CAS Accounting Senior Manager - Lincolnshire, Chicago & Miami

• Business Tax Senior, Manager or Senior Manager - Lincolnshire, Chicago & Miami

• Private Client Tax Senior or Manager - Lincolnshire, Chicago & Miami

• Tax Manager (Remote, USA)

• Tax Senior (Remote, USA)

• Tax Senior, Manager or Senior Manager - Longview TX, Shreveport LA or Monroe LA

• Audit Senior, Manager or Senior Manager - Longview TX, Shreveport LA or Monroe LA

• Tax Manager - Ottawa, Montreal or Toronto Canada

To be considered for these roles, or future opportunities, please make a submission over at our Talent Pool Page. And if you’re looking to stick it out through busy-season but contemplating a move after, the firms currently hiring can also be flexible on timing to accommodate for that.