Guide to Working at PwC

PwC is one of the most well-known professional services companies in the U.S. and is the second-largest of the Big Four accounting firms in terms of revenue. Have you considered working at PwC? In this guide, we cover information about internship opportunities, typical salaries, company culture, and more.

What Is PwC?

PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, offers clients various professional business services, including accounting, auditing, human resources consulting, and strategy management. It is among the “Big Four” professional services firms, alongside Deloitte, EY, and KPMG.

The company was formed in 1998 when Price Waterhouse merged with Coopers and Lybrand, though both accounting firms have roots dating back to the mid-1800s.

Although founded in London, PwC has 79 offices in the U.S., including headquarters in New York City, and employs over 364,000 people in 151 countries. PwC grossed $53.1 billion in revenue for the 2023 fiscal year, according to its Global Annual Review.

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PwC Internships and New Graduate Opportunities

If you want to get your foot in the door at a big accounting firm, PwC offers plenty of opportunities to kickstart your career, learn new job skills, and determine if the company is the right place for you. 

>>MORE: Learn what PwC’s talent acquisition leader is looking for in candidates!

Career Preview

This program is open to first-year college students/rising sophomores who self-identify as members of traditionally underrepresented minority groups, protected veterans, or individuals with disabilities. 

The three-day in-person program is designed to help participants get more acquainted with PwC and the professional services industry in general. It also gives students the opportunity to build their networks, learn about PwC’s internship program, and develop leadership skills. 

The program takes place in late June, with applications opening the previous December. The preferred GPA for applicants is 3.3 or higher. PwC covers the cost of travel and accommodation for participants.

Start Internship

As PwC’s diversity summer internship program, the Start Internship is open to college sophomores and rising juniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree who self-identify as protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, or members of traditionally underrepresented minority groups. 

The internship enables students to use their analytical and problem-solving skills while working on real-life projects. Participants get exposure to networking events, shadowing, community service projects, and professional development opportunities.

Women’s Consulting Experience

Open to sophomores in a four-year degree program and juniors in a five-year program, the Women’s Consulting Experience (WCE) is a three-day experience in Phoenix that takes place in late May and early June. Participants engage in networking, team building, and career development activities and experience PwC’s values and culture.

To attend the WCE, you’ll need to apply for and participate in the interview process for a consulting services internship (February deadline).

Destination CPA

This three-day immersive experience is open to sophomores and juniors (5-year program only) who have applied to an audit, tax, or digital assurance and transparency internship. Eligible candidates are accounting majors pursuing 150 credit hours who have a 3.0 GPA.

Advance Internships

PwC offers a variety of internships in different departments, which gives students access to training, client assignments, leadership development, job shadowing, community service, and networking events. 

The Advance Internships are PwC’s main internship program, and they enable students to learn about the firm and get a foot in the door — over 90% of its interns receive full-time offers.

Internships are full-time and available during the summer (June through mid-August) or winter/spring (January through March or April), depending on the position. 

>>MORE: Ultimate Guide to Internship Application Deadlines and Open Dates

PwC Careers and Salaries

As one of the Big Four accounting firms, PwC is well-known among aspiring, future, and current accountants. However, the company offers many other career paths, including finance, business, consulting, and more.

“We hire individuals with a variety of different skill sets and backgrounds, from CPA’s, auditors and business consultants to data scientists, tech developers and project managers,” says Rod Adams, PwC Talent Acquisition & Onboarding Leader. “There are countless opportunities, but through them all we are looking for individuals that will help to live our values, who are lifelong learners and who are inquisitive, agile and resilient.”

Your wages and career path will vary depending on the team and your position at PwC. But below are some example job titles and salaries for two of PwC’s teams.

PwC Finance and Accounting

PwC’s accounting and finance teams work to determine strategy and help clients approach their financials through advisory services. According to Glassdoor, these are the estimated salary ranges for employees with 0-1 year of experience:

• Audit associate: $61,000 – $91,000
• Accountant: $58,000 – $87,000
• Assurance intern: $58,000 – $87,000
• Advisory associates: $70,000 – $112,000

PwC Consulting

PwC’s consulting team advises clients worldwide — including 84% of Fortune 500 companies — on their business ventures. Consulting services run the gamut, from human resources transformation to technology and forensics. These are the estimated total salary ranges for early career (zero to one year of experience) consulting positions at PwC from Glassdoor:

• Associate consultant: $75,000 – $118,000
• Management consultant: $69,000 – $121,000
• Consultant: $70,000 – $128,000
• Consulting intern: $65,000 – $100,000

PwC Benefits

PwC offers an extensive list of benefits that cover most full-time employees. While there is some variation depending on your team, position, and time with the company, these are some of the benefits you can generally expect when working at PwC:

• Work how you want: PwC offers three ways of working: remote work, hybrid (flex) schedules, and in-person positions. Most employees choose a hybrid work environment, spending one to three days a week at their office.
• Time off: Depending on how long you’ve been with the company, you can accrue three weeks to a month of vacation on top of the four extended firm holidays. PwC offers multiple time off options for new parents as well.
• Student loan paydown: This unique perk helps eligible employees pay down student loan debt. Each year, PwC will pay up to $1,200 toward a participating employee’s student loans.
• Unique perks: PwC allows employees to use pre-tax dollars toward transit and parking with its commuter benefits program. The company also offers to pay your phone bill once you become a full-time employee.

On Glassdoor, employees rate PwC’s benefits 4.1 out of 5 stars, with many positive comments for parental leave, health insurance, and PTO.

PwC Culture

Wondering what working at PwC is like beyond the wages and benefits? In 2024, the company ranked No. 22 on The Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

“We rolled out a bold new strategy known as My+ that is reimagining our people experience to change and evolve the way we work,” says Adams. “At the heart of the strategy, we’re focused on personalizing our peoples’ careers to create a daily experience that allows each person to thrive. We’re prioritizing well-being, development and career opportunities, and helping everyone find a sense of purpose and belonging at PwC.”

PwC is also a certified Great Place to Work, according to 88% of employees. In addition, 93% say management is honest and ethical, and 93% are proud to tell other people they work there.

According to Comparably, PwC’s overall company culture is above average, rated a “B” or 4.1 out of 5 stars. Although employees report the work pace is “extremely fast,” 81% call their work environment positive, 88% look forward to interacting with their team each day, and 57% are happy with their work-life balance.

MIT’s Culture 500 looks at cultural values from employee reviews and found that the most frequently discussed value is collaboration — and it’s discussed positively. On the other hand, agility is the most negatively discussed value.

PwC has a number of employee support groups to help promote inclusivity and belonging. 

“Through our 11 different Inclusion Networks we’re able to offer dynamic communities that are focused on intersectionality, collaboration and allyship,” says Adams. “These communities have driven tremendous in-person connectivity, providing increased social, learning and network experiences to support professional development across all of our offices.”

PwC Initiatives

The company also invests in a number of initiatives, such as:

• Planet impact: PwC is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
• Commitment to diversity: PwC has pledged its commitment to diversity through various initiatives, including working with minority-owned suppliers, organizing mentorship forums for marginalized communities, and creating programs that support veterans.
• Community volunteering: In 2023, the company invested $240.4 million into the community, and workers contributed 870,403 hours to their communities.

PwC vs. Other Top Companies

How does working at PwC compare to working at other top companies? Here’s how it stacks up to other companies, according to employee reviews on Glassdoor (score out of 5 stars):

	Glassdoor Overall	Culture & Values	Work-Life Balance	Diversity & Inclusion
PwC	3.8	3.8	3.1	4.1
Deloitte	4.0	3.9	3.3	4.0
Accenture	3.9	3.9	3.6	4.2
KPMG	3.8	3.7	3.0	4.0
EY	4.0	3.8	3.1	3.9

>>MORE: How Can You Tell if an Employer Values Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace?

How Does the PwC Interview Process Work?

Landing a position at a well-known, global company like PwC can be difficult. The first step is your application: Remember to highlight how you align with the company’s values and culture and put your best foot forward. 

“It’s important to be able to show that you can be agile and easily adapt to different circumstances,” says Adams. “Overall, when putting your resume together it’s always great to showcase a holistic view of your strengths with clear examples where you’ve been able to add value and shine.”

>>MORE: How to Use the STAR Method for Interview Questions 

The firm also provides extensive information on the recruiting and interview process for entry-level roles, broken down into several steps.

1. Applying during the preferred application window (December–February) is best. PwC recruits on a rolling basis, so openings may fill quickly. Note: You can only apply to two positions at the same time.
2. For internships, search the entry-level job page using the season as a keyword. For example, use “summer 2024” or “winter 2025” to find applicable roles. Need help figuring out what role is the best fit for you? Check out PwC’s student development programs quiz to help you find your fit.
3. Most entry-level positions at PwC require an assessment, which you should get via email a few hours after applying. The company advises to complete that assessment as soon as possible.
4. If selected to move on, you’ll be scheduled for live, virtual interviews — two back-to-back behavioral interviews for most positions or one behavioral and one case study interview for consulting positions.
5. You can prepare for your interview by reviewing PwC’s five dimensions of leadership and watching the company’s virtual interview prep video.

>>MORE: 30 Behavioral Interview Questions for All Careers

According to Glassdoor, 54% of applicants submitted online applications and 25% of applicants were recruited on a college campus. Employee referrals were the third most popular recruitment method at 9%.

In terms of how their interview experiences went, 72% of interviewees reported a positive experience, and only 9% reported a negative experience. The average difficulty rating was 2.9 out of 5 stars.

Have an upcoming interview with PwC or another company? Explore helpful interview tips and tricks.

Takeaways

• PwC is a prominent professional services company and one of the Big Four accounting firms.
• In addition to career paths in finance, accounting, and consulting, the company also has internship opportunities for students to get a foot in the door.
• Collaboration is the most frequently — and positively — discussed cultural metric among PwC employees, while agility is the most commonly (and negatively) discussed.
• 54% of interviewees submitted online applications, and 25% of interviewees came from campus recruiting.

Image credit: Adriano Ruiz on Unsplash