These adventures in auditing are based on the career of actual public company auditors.
*Salaries (which are in 2016 dollars) are approximate for the audit/assurance sector and vary depending on the size and location of the public company accounting firm.
Caleb
Elijah
Emelia
Ethan
Kai
Megan
Sebastian
Caleb
College Recruitment
Work Abroad
Family Life
High Earning Potential
Hi, I'm Caleb.I love my career in auditing because
it gave me the flexibility to travel the
world and when it became
the necessary, stay close to home with
my family.
Year 1(New Hire): $48k - $59k*I graduated from college in
Florida with a degree in
Accounting and started at an
accounting firm.
Year 3(Senior Associate): $55k - $75kI began to study for my CPA license
and was promoted to Senior Associate,
primarily assigned to clients in the
retail sector. I spent a lot of time on my
former college campus recruiting new
interns and hires for my company.
Year 5(Manager): $83k - $122kI obtained my CPA license, was
promoted to Manager, and began a
rotation in Gurgaon, India
Year 5I got married.
Year 8(Senior Manager): $120k - $141kAfter completing my global rotation,
I received a promotion to Senior
Manager. Due to my firm's flexible work
arrangement, I was able to spend more
time with my wife and three young
children. My work is still challenging,
but I still have the flexibility to take
vacations, and enjoying watching my
sons play football after work.
Hi, I'm Elijah.I love my career in auditing because
there’s always a new challenge. I
gained valuable skills helping
companies navigate the financial crisis.
Year 1(New Hire): $48k - $59k*I began my career in the public
accounting profession in
Miami. I focused on the audits
of credit unions.
Year 2(Senior Associate): $55k - $75kI was promoted to Senior Associate and moved to Atlanta with the team that opened a new office for the firm. I met my future wife within weeks of moving there.
Year 4I travelled between NYC and Los Angeles to lead a team responsible for auditing the client’s U.S operations.
Year 6(Manager): $83K - $122KI returned to the public accounting profession, selected a specialization, and made Manager after just one year.
Year 6My first child, a girl, was born. With a new addition to the family, we moved to Cleveland, Ohio to be closer to my wife’s family. A year later, my second child, a boy, was born.
Year 9(Senior Manager): $120K - $141KI was promoted to Senior Manager.
Year 12(Senior Manager): $120K - $141KThe financial crisis severely affected our clients in the financial services industry. I was able to take on many interesting challenges, including multiple trips to work on audits of banks in Puerto Rico.
Year 16(Partner): $300K - $400KI was elected into the partnership.
Hi, I'm Emelia.When I started my career as a CPA, it
was auditing that let me really pursue
my passion for business, working in
industries like energy and real estate. I
was promoted quickly, even while
starting a family.
Year 1(New Hire): $48k - $59k*I graduated from University of New
Mexico with a degree in Accounting
and started at a firm along with
other campus recruits.
Year 3(Senior Associate): $55K - $75KI received my CPA license and was
promoted to a Senior Associate. I had
primarily oil and gas industry clients, but
I also worked with a Real Estate client
and conducted a benefit plan audit.
Year 5(Manager): $83K - $122KI was promoted to Manager.
Year 5I got married and had my first child. Later
I returned from maternity leave on a
flexible work arrangement.
Year 7(Manager)I started to serve as a mentor to two younger
women on my staff and learned to
appreciate the freedom of being challenged
at work, while still having good work-life
balance to be with my family.
Year 10(Associate Director): $120K - $141KI transitioned from audit to an 18-month rotation
in a Core Business Services role within the Audit
Talent Team and became an Associate Director
of Audit Strategy and Development Programs. I
have two young children at home and in this
position I’m able to spend time with them
regularly, due to a decrease in travel.
Year 12(Associate Director): $133K - $155KI returned to audit and I am now on the
path to be promoted to Executive
Director in the next year.
Hi, I'm Ethan.I love big cities, so I feel lucky that my
career in auditing let me go from NYC,
to LA, to DC, to SF! I even met and
married my partner along the way!
Year 1(New Hire): $48k - $59k*I accepted a position at a public
company accounting firm in
New York City.
Year 3(Senior Associate): $55K - $75KI made Senior Associate and started
working directly with engagement
partners on my assignments. I also
started earning enough to buy my
own condo in Manhattan.
Year 5(Senior Associate)I traveled between NYC and Los
Angeles to lead a team
responsible for auditing the client’s
U.S operations.
Year 6I trained for a marathon,
realized I was crazy, and took
up cycling instead.
Year 7(Manager): $83K - $122KI was promoted to Manager, but took a
hiatus from auditing and began a
three-year rotation in the firm’s National
Professional Practice office in NYC.
Year 8I met my partner, Antonio
Year 9(Senior Manager): $120K - $141KI was promoted to Senior Manager and
a year later moved to Washington, D.C.,
to complete a two-year fellowship
focusing on audit policy issues.
Year 11Antonio and I took an amazing trip
to Mexico where he popped the
question and we got engaged!
Year 12 (Senior Manager): $146K - $175KAt the end of my fellowship, I was
offered a relocation package to
move across the country to San
Francisco to work on the audit for
one of the largest and most
recognized companies in the world.
#AuditorProud
Hi, I'm Kai.Being a mom at a young age didn’t
stop me from having a great career
in auditing. The flexibility at my firm
allowed me to spend more time with
my family, gave me the ability to
train others, and I was still able to
climb the career ladder.
Year 1 (New Hire): $48k - $59k*I began at a regional accounting firm
in South Bend, Indiana after
graduating from the University of
Notre Dame.
Year 2(Senior Associate): $55K - $75KI was promoted to Senior Staff and
found my key interest in performing
benefit plan audits. I taught benefit
plan audit training to employees of all
levels at my firm.
Year 2My first child was born, thus
starting my second career as a
single mom at the age of 22.
Year 5(Manager): $83K-$122KI was promoted to Manager and traveled abroad,
continuing to develop my deep benefit plan industry
expertise. I also married my husband and had a
second child, a son. Soon after he was born, I began a
flexible work arrangement, which reduced my hours
with the firm and gave me more time with my family.
Year 8(Senior Manager): $120K - $141KI was promoted to Senior Manager
and had my third child, a daughter.
Year 14(Partner): $300K - $400KDuring the middle of this year I
was elected to Partner. I
continued on the flexible work
arrangement for another year
before returning to full time.
Hi, I'm Megan.I can’t believe it’s already been 15
years since my auditing career began.
The highlights? I contributed to a
major fraud investigation, met my
husband, and landed a great rotation
in the nation’s capital – all while also
staying active with my TCU alumni
network. Go Horned Frogs!
Year 1(New Hire): $48k - $59k*I started at an accounting
firm in Dallas, Texas after
graduating from Texas
Christian University.
Year 5(Manager): $83k - $122kAfter being a Senior Associate for
a couple of year, I made Manager
and had the opportunity to work
on a fraud investigation.
Year 8(Senior Manager): $120K - $141kI became a National Instructor
and then an International
Instructor, which gave me the
opportunity to travel.
Year 9Met my future husband in an
elevator at a networking event
that I attended for the firm.
Year 10(Senior Manager): $133K - $155kI worked on my first Initial Public
Offering (IPO) project.
Year 11Traveled to watch my alma
mater, TCU Horned Frogs
beat Wisconsin.
Year 13I got married
Year 14(Senior Manager): $161k - $195kI received a nomination and was
chosen for a Professional Practice
Fellowship with the Center for Audit
Quality in Washington, D.C.
Year 15(Partner): $300K - 400k+I was admitted to
the partnership.
Hi, I'm Sebastian.I put my family and faith first, and my
career in auditing allowed me to do
that while being successful at the firm.
Year 1(New Hire): $48k - $59k*I started as an intern and then joined
full-time with an accounting firm in
Dallas, Texas after graduating with a
Master’s degree in Accountancy from
Baylor University.
Year 2I married my beautiful wife .
Year 3(Senior Associate): $55k – $75KI was promoted to Senior
Associate, worked on a fraud
investigation, and became a
National Instructor.
Year 5(Manager): $83K-$122KI was promoted to Manager and
accepted a two-year rotational
assignment overseas, joining the
audit practice in London.
Year 7I began leading and
teaching a Sunday school
class at a local church.
Year 12(Senior Manager): $146K - $175KI was promoted to Senior Manager
and led multiple international
assessment projects. I also began
mentoring employees.
Year 15My daughter was born
Year 16(Partner): $300K - $400kI was admitted to
the partnership.
