Summary: Information Technology is the top industry for public accounting exits for audit, risk advisory and tax professionals. Most audit professionals moved to corporate accounting, tax professionals to corporate tax, and risk professionals into internal audit.
We documented 947 exits from public accounting in Q3 2024 across, audit, and risk advisory to understand the exit opportunities public accountants are pursuing.
Information Technology is the top industry where public accountants from audit, tax, and risk are transitioning.
Audit professionals are predominantly moving into roles in Corporate Accounting, FP&A, and Financial Reporting. The Information Technology industry leads as the top destination, followed by Financial Services and Healthcare.
Tax professionals are primarily pursuing roles in Corporate Tax, Tax Accounting, and International Tax. The Information Technology industry is also the top destination for tax professionals, followed by Real Estate and Retail.
Risk professionals are primarily pursuing Internal Audit positions in Information Technology, Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing, and Pharmaceuticals.
Top 5 Industries for Audit Public Accounting Exits
| Rank | Industry | Total Exits |
| 1 | Information Technology | 160 |
| 2 | Financial Services | 126 |
| 3 | Hospitals and Healthcare | 53 |
| 4 | Real Estate | 45 |
| 5 | Retail | 27 |
Top 5 Roles for Exiting Audit Public Accountants
| Rank | Role | Total Exits |
| 1 | Corporate Accounting | 291 |
| 2 | FP&A | 123 |
| 3 | Financial Reporting | 61 |
| 4 | Technical Accounting | 60 |
| 5 | Internal Audit | 59 |
Top 5 Industries for Tax Public Accounting Exits
| Rank | Industry | Total Exits |
| 1 | Information Technology | 18 |
| 2 | Real Estate | 13 |
| 3 | Retail | 5 |
| 4 | Oil & Energy | 5 |
| 5 | Retail | 5 |
Top 5 Roles for Exiting Tax Public Accountants
| Rank | Role | Total Exits |
| 1 | Corporate Tax | 82 |
| 2 | Tax Accounting | 12 |
| 3 | International Tax | 7 |
| 4 | Federal & State Tax | 6 |
| 5 | Tax Planning & Transfer Pricing | 5 |
Top 5 Industries for Risk Public Accounting Exits
| Rank | Industry | Total Exits |
| 1 | Information Technology | 9 |
| 2 | Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing | 5 |
| 3 | Pharmaceuticals | 3 |
| 4 | Banking | 3 |
| 5 | Oil & Gas | 2 |
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