better starting pay calls for a new revenue model

considering pe? beware focus on the next five years.

by michelle golden river
the rosenberg national survey of cpa firm statistics

pricing and talent are related. we’ll see another wave of fee increases as well as more firms feeling compelled to establish higher “minimum” fee thresholds. but these increases still won’t be enough. until firms earn a lot more revenue per person, they simply cannot pay enough to overcome starting salary gaps.

editor’s note: every year, the 2024 rosenberg national survey of cpa firm statistics asks the profession’s top consultants two sets of questions:

• • how do you think the next 12 months will unfold? trends? predictions? other thoughts?
  • how would you assess the last 12 months? trends? observations? struggles?

more: business models continue to evolve | accounting firms must consider capital resources | artificial intelligence plays role in analytics, optimization | people development still a concern | tech anxiety paralyzing some accounting firms | solving staffing requires intention | as private equity closes in, firms seek new answers to staffing problems | next five years are critical for accounting firms | the new pipeline: outsourcing and offshoring
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our would-be hires choose higher-paying professions like finance and tech, and who can blame them? to offer commensurate starting pay (and raise legacy salaries, accordingly), we must change our revenue model. our current 5-10 percent annual increases cannot get us there. we fell behind more than a decade ago and, at this pace, we’ll never catch up.