EY doubles CPA exam bonus to $10K

Big Four Firm Ernst & Young is doubling the bonus it gives to early-career accountants who pass the CPA exam.

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The $10,000 bonus is available to those who pass all four parts of the exam in their first full year employed at the firm, starting with employees who join on June 1. The new bonus program is part of a $1 billion investment from 2024 by the firm in compensation and technology to attract young talent.

“To create a vibrant and growing pool of future CPAs, EY is doubling its bonus for early certification,” EY Americas assurance talent leader Diana Kutz said in a statement to CFO Dive. “It comes alongside 360Careers, an experience designed to help early career professionals explore different parts of our business and develop the skills needed to lead in a tech-enabled, data-driven world.”

The announcement comes amid an ongoing CPA shortage and a nationwide movement to make the profession more attractive to young professionals and students. For instance, in an effort to increase accessibility, dozens of states have passed legislation to offer alternative pathways to CPA licensure that allow less schooling than the traditional 150-credit-hour requirement.

EY is the third largest accounting firm on Accounting Today‘s 2026 Top 100 Firms list, reporting $22.2 billion in revenue, with 3,600 partners and over 53,600 total employees across 90 offices.