Big 4 starting salary expectation Forum

[PandDAlone]

Geez, after seeing these numbers now I'm considering taking the NYU/GTown LLM.

Me: JD Only: 85 w/ bonuses.

Friend w/ LLM: 135 Base at Washington National Tax.

[Anonymous User]

Related topic (not sure if it warrants a new thread...) Anyone here ever have luck lateraling from big4 tax into law firm (regardless of big or small law)? Anon because currently in big4 tax.

[Anonymous User]

I am a 2L at T20 considering the Tax LL.M at NYU and Georgetown upon graduation. Can anyone provide insight regarding the salary and career path for specialty and non-specialty groups at Big 4 firms in the DC and NYC markets? What is the range of starting salaries for JD-only and JD/LL.M associates? Does anyone suggest getting the LL.M in a full-time program immediately after JD graduation compared to working at Big 4 and getting the LL.M part-time?

[broam]

Good friend of mine is a K-JD 3L who accepted PWC financial services regualtory in NYC for fall 2016.

Starting is 125k + 5k signing bonus + 10% - 20% year end bonus (depending on performance).


However, another friend of mine is also a K-JD 3L who accepted Deloitte Tax in CA and is getting paid significantly less (I think a little under 100k all in).

Did your friend who accepted Deloitte Tax in California find a job in a smaller CA market? I'm sure Deloitte in Fresno, CA isn't going to pay the same rate as the San Francisco locations. The cost of living is probably double in SF compared to Fresno. Also, did they find a job in a specialty group?

[gaddockteeg]

Don't know what group but I believe hes in SV office in San Jose. So not SF but not exactly Fresno either.

[Anonymous User]

how do people get these jobs? its not like they come to campus for OCI, right? do rising 3Ls just apply from the Big 4 company's website?

[broam]

how do people get these jobs? its not like they come to campus for OCI, right? do rising 3Ls just apply from the Big 4 company's website?

Most 2L/3L students I know have applied through the Big 4 websites. If they didn't land the first job they interviewed for, many of them received call backs when another position opened at the local office.

[Anonymous User]

For what it's worth, in 2015 EY (NYC) paid starting salaries of $105k and $115k for JDs and LLMs, respectively. I'm very curious as to what they offered the 2016 class. I heard PWC bumped their staring salaries by $10k to counter the Biglaw salary raises.

[Anonymous User]

For what it's worth, in 2015 EY (NYC) paid starting salaries of $105k and $115k for JDs and LLMs, respectively. I'm very curious as to what they offered the 2016 class. I heard PWC bumped their staring salaries by $10k to counter the Biglaw salary raises.

Innnnteresting. I'm a 2016 grad starting at PwC soon and my actual offer letter from last summer listed a $100k starting salary and I'm curious if they're just going to auto start me at $110k. It's obv not all standardized lockstep like big law, so I feel like it could go either way.

[Anonymous User]

Seems to be large disparity in starting salaries mentioned on this site ... what's a realistic starting salary for Big4 in major east coast market (not NYC) in a tax speciality group, JD no LLM ...

[Anonymous User]

Seems to be large disparity in starting salaries mentioned on this site ... what's a realistic starting salary for Big4 in major east coast market (not NYC) in a tax speciality group, JD no LLM ...

Bump

[Anonymous User]

There is no "market rate." It's pretty complicated and the Big4 will vary by as much as 2-5k in the same exact market in any given year. I didn't work there as a JD or LLM but I would figure 80 for non-NYC major market (Chicago/Boston/SF/LA).

Re: the wide disparity: NYC makes probably 10-15% more than all other major markets given the same experience and qualifications. Specialty groups (M&A, WNT) make an additional 10-15% more than non-specialty.

Honestly not sure if LLMs get an additional boost but I would think they do.

ETA: I would also note these jobs are getting harder to get. Many of the big4 over-hired in the last few years and are cutting back. Deloitte is conducting cuts in the tax department as we speak. Rumor has it around 400 people will be let go when all is said and done.

[Anonymous User]

Seems to be large disparity in starting salaries mentioned on this site ... what's a realistic starting salary for Big4 in major east coast market (not NYC) in a tax speciality group, JD no LLM ...

Bump (major west coast)

[Anonymous User]

EY bumped its starting salary for LLMs in the 2017 starting class from $115k to $140k in NYC (for M&A at least). Interesting to see if the others will match.

[Anonymous User]

Good friend of mine is a K-JD 3L who accepted PWC financial services regualtory in NYC for fall 2016.

Starting is 125k + 5k signing bonus + 10% - 20% year end bonus (depending on performance).


However, another friend of mine is also a K-JD 3L who accepted Deloitte Tax in CA and is getting paid significantly less (I think a little under 100k all in).

I found that big4 pays significantly less in CA than NYC, even in the big markets (SF/LA, etc.) Must be the cost of living...

[Anonymous User]

how do people get these jobs? its not like they come to campus for OCI, right? do rising 3Ls just apply from the Big 4 company's website?

Big4 does OCI at my school, it's a tier 3 school but we're the only school that this particular big4 firm recruits from, they recruit same as biglaw here, events, receptions, screeners, callbacks