PwC Locks Down Top Spot in Vault's Best Accounting Firms Ranking for 2025

April 15 isn’t just Tax Day. It’s also the day career website Vault.com typically releases its latest ranking of the 25 best accounting firms to work for.

Vault’s ranking for 2025 came out Monday morning, and for the 12th straight year, PwC was named the top accounting firm in the U.S.

“Accountants at peer firms tell us that PwC is ‘the gold standard of audit and puts the other audit firms to shame,’” Vault said in a media release. The praise of PwC’s audit practice may be because the firm has had the lowest audit deficiency rates—1.9% in 2020, 3.6% in 2021, and 9.3% in 2022—among the Big Four in the last three inspection cycle results published by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

Vault continued: “They also say PwC has a ‘great national reputation’ and ‘strong integrity,’ and ‘seems to be doing things right’ and ‘kicks butt in the market.’ Meanwhile, PwC staff members tell us the firm has an ‘amazing culture’ and ‘incredible, supportive, intelligent, caring, thoughtful, helpful co-workers,’ while raving about the ‘work/life balance outside of busy season’ and ‘great exposure to executives and challenging problems early in our careers.’”

To determine scores for its ranking, Vault surveyed more than 13,000 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.

PwC had a score of 8.390 out of 10, topping second-place KPMG which had a score of 7.874.

“This year, peer accountants tell us that KPMG is a ‘global,’ ‘respectable,’ ‘elite’ firm with ‘strong name recognition.’ Meanwhile, KPMG insiders rave about the firm’s ‘great people’ and ‘high-performing culture.’ They also appreciate the many ‘development and learning opportunities’ and ‘flexibility to work from home,’” Vault said.

Rounding out the top five were EY (which jumped from 25th in Vault’s 2024 ranking to third), BDO USA, and Plante Moran.

“Accountants at peer firms tell us that EY is ‘competitive,’ ‘aggressive,’ ‘solid,’ and ‘top tier,’” Vault said. “Meanwhile, EY staff members rave about the firm’s ‘outstanding team,’ saying ‘you won’t find such hardworking, intelligent, growth-minded, supportive, fun people like this anywhere else.’ Insiders also laud the ‘continuous growth opportunities’ and ‘ability to work remotely.’”

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 2025 are (previous year’s ranking in parenthesis):

1. PwC (1)
2. KPMG (3)
3. EY (25)
4. BDO USA (4)
5. Plante Moran (7)
6. CohnReznick (9)
7. Baker Tilly (8)
8. RSM US (5)
9. Schellman (22)
10. Moss Adams (6)
11. Marcum (13)
12. PKF O’Connor Davies (10)
13. H&CO (NR)
14. Eide Bailly (12)
15. Frank, Rimerman + Co. (14)
16. Grassi (19)
17. Withum (14)
18. KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller; NR)
19. BPM (23)
20. Whitley Penn (NR)
21. Aprio (21)
22. HCVT (20)
23. Akram (NR)
24. Cherry Bekaert (17)
25. Armanino (17)

Big Four firm Deloitte, which finished second in Vault’s 2024 ranking, fell out of the top 25 in this latest list.