At a Glance

  • PricewaterhouseCoopers is doubling its "CPA bonus" to $10,000 for new employees who pass all four sections of the Certified Public Accountant exam before starting or within their first year of employment, a company spokesperson confirmed. The change takes effect June 1.
  • "At PwC, we are committed to investing in our people and strengthening the future of the accounting profession," PwC said in a statement emailed Tuesday. The higher bonus "reflects our continued focus on encouraging early completion of the CPA exam and building a strong pipeline of credentialed talent."
  • Some new hires received notification emails from PwC last week, according to a social media post on Reddit. "I'm an assurance associate starting in August and received the email yesterday, and some tax colleagues I know who are starting also received it," one Reddit user wrote.

Deep Dive

PwC is the latest firm after Ernst & Young to double its CPA exam bonus. CFO Dive reported in March that EY is enhancing the appeal of its CPA career path by increasing exam bonuses for "June 1 hires."

Passing all sections of the CPA exam is one of three key requirements to become a certified public accountant, alongside meeting certain educational levels and professional experience.

Many consider it one of the most demanding requirements. "The CPA is widely regarded as one of the most challenging professional exams, with pass rates around 50%," The Sacramento Bee reported last year. "It's not just memorizing a bunch of accounting rules, but applying them in a way that sometimes feels like solving a puzzle with missing pieces."

According to the websites of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), a score of 75 (out of 99) is required to pass each section of the CPA exam. In the first quarter of 2026, pass rates ranged from 79.28% for Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP) to 41.3% for Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR).

The bonus adjustment comes as the accounting industry pushes to eliminate or replace the 150-credit-hour requirement, which many view as an expensive and time-consuming barrier to obtaining a CPA license. Since early last year, dozens of states have modified accounting licensure rules, allowing candidates to substitute an additional year of professional experience for a fifth year of college education.

The move aims to address the accounting industry's labor shortage, which now appears to be easing.