It isn’t a surprise that all the Big 4 firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG) are very prestigious! But if you’re wondering which one of them takes the top spot in this regard, you’re in for some eye-opening information. From feedback of professionals and clients, we’ve ranked Deloitte, EY, PwC and KPMG according to which is the most prestigious Big 4 company.
I’ve been researching a lot and found out that professionals and clients both consider Deloitte to be the most prestigious of the Big 4 firms. Then comes EY, with PwC and KPMG trailing along.
In this read, I’ll dive into:
- Which Big 4 is the most prestigious? (Ranked in order)
- What makes these firms different from each other?
1. Deloitte
In my list, Deloitte clinches the top spot with ease. And here’s why!
Working here means you get the chance to rub shoulders with the biggest and most successful companies globally, with names like:
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Microsoft
- Procter & Gamble
- General Motors
- Morgan Stanley
- Metlife and many others.
(Source)
Deloitte has won several awards and accolades that exemplify the firm’s prestige. The recognition speaks for itself:
- Fortune and Great Places to Work® have listed Deloitte among the top 10 World’s Best Workplaces™.
- Deloitte is acknowledged as one of the Best Workplaces for Women™ and Best Workplaces for Parents™.
- For the 16th consecutive year, Deloitte achieved the best score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.
- Deloitte holds the impressive #8 spot on the list of “Top 50 Employers” in the nation by Equal Opportunity magazine readers.
- The Military Times included Deloitte in the 2022 “Best for Vets” ranking.
- Deloitte has been named the “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” in 2022.
(Source)
A happy auditor at Deloitte shared on Glassdoor: “Working in this prestigious firm is awesome! Deloitte is a really good place. The people are nice, and it feels like a big family. They care about everyone and want us to do our best. There are lots of cool opportunities to learn and grow. Plus, the benefits are top-notch. It’s definitely a place where you feel valued and supported in your career journey!” (Source)
This is just the beginning for Deloitte (New initiatives are in the pipeline). All of this makes it highly prestigious in the eyes of its workforce and clients.
2. EY
Alright, so the second spot on my list goes to EY. This firm has more than 700 offices in over 150 countries, which makes it a global accounting powerhouse. (Source)
Also, the firm is really proving to be a game-changer in the field of digital transformation. It’s helping its clients to become modern in their approach.
For EY, the areas of cloud computing, cybersecurity, and automation are the way forward.
That’s the reason the clients are putting so much faith in the company, and to them, EY is more than just a symbol of prestige! (Source)
There’s more than meets the eye here! EY has an amazing history of notable alumni. These people have definitely played a huge role in making the company what it is today! (Source)
Let’s have a look at a few of those influential names:
- Giovanni Bisignani: Former CEO of EY Italy, currently a Director-General, and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
- Tony Goland: Former Partner at EY, currently a Partner at McKinsey & Company.
- David Glass: Former Partner at EY, currently a President and CEO of Walmart.
For 22 years straight, EY has been on Fortune’s list of top 100 companies. This alone is a big sign of its prestigious status!
And guess what? The company has won lots of awards that say it’s a fantastic place to work:
- Recognized as the winner in the DevOps Business Value category in the 2022 DASA DevOps Awards.
- Received Seramount’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women award for the ninth consecutive year.
- Earned a place on LinkedIn’s Top Companies in the US list for five consecutive years.
- Achieved a perfect 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for 2022.
(Source)
3. PwC
Now, making the grand entrance on the third spot, I’ve got PwC for you on my list!
The firm is an accounting giant with offices in many countries worldwide (150, to be exact).
(Source)
When it comes to young professionals, PwC offers the best salary packages. To give you a glimpse, the starting pay of an intern is around $59,000 – $83,000 per year. (Source)
And that’s not all! The firm cares about you and gives you an opportunity to have the best time here, like:
- Comprehensive health coverage for your well-being.
- 15-20 days paid time off to spend quality time with family or for relaxation.
- Plenty of exposure in terms of international assignments and travel.
- Ongoing training programs to sharpen your skills.
(Source)
PwC works closely with the industry biggies (Mostly Fortune 500 companies). It teams up with them to provide more innovative solutions to their problems. (Source)
4. KPMG
Let’s welcome KPMG to the last spot on my list.
The firm’s fame and name shine brighter with its impressive track record on Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For list (A solid 16 years in a row). Last year, it proudly claimed the 38th spot on this prestigious list (Source).
But KPMG doesn’t stop there. It’s also making waves on the World’s Most Attractive Employer list by Universum. Now, that’s turning heads in the professional world, for sure! (Source)
Let me tell you that very few firms enjoy the kind of prestigious status that KPMG does. It is the go-to for many of the world’s biggest and most successful corporations (including a bunch from the Fortune 500).
Just to give you a taste, KPMG is currently in collaboration with:
- Deutsche Bank: Finance
- Wells Fargo: Finance
- Accenture: Consulting
- Rolls Royce: Automotive
- Visa: Finance
- PepsiCo: Food and Drink and many more.
(Source)
In the end, here’s a chart that shows the position of each of the Big 4 firms according to the “Prestige Rankings” survey by Vault:
| Big 4 Firms | Ranking | Score |
| Deloitte | 4th | 7.173 |
| EY | 5th | 7.013 |
| PwC | 6th | 6.798 |
| KPMG | 12th | 6.292 |
(Source)




