Gitnux/Report 2026

Accounting Advisory Services Industry Statistics

Workforce and performance trends are tightening fast, with remote work now at 42% of accounting advisory staff and productivity rising to 1,800 billable hours per FTE, even as attrition averages 14.5% and top roles take 45 days to fill. You will also see how the market is scaling to USD 512.5 billion globally and why 65% of 2023 advisory hires bring advanced credentials, alongside the surprising leadership shift to 32% non white representation and faster growth in partner promotions.
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November 10, 2026Updated
Accounting Advisory Services Industry Statistics
David SutherlandWritten by David Sutherland·Edited by Megan Gallagher·Fact-checked by Nikolas Papadopoulos
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The accounting advisory services industry at a glance

Global financial accounting advisory services generated an estimated $8.42 billion in 2025 and are being reshaped by regulatory complexity, AI adoption, finance transformation and accelerating consolidation.

$8.42B[64]
Global market size, 2025
8.7%[64]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2035
1,449,500[29]
U.S. accountants and auditors, 2025
248[65]
U.S. accounting M&A deals, 2025
Market size
The global financial accounting advisory services market was estimated at $8.42 billion in 2025 by Emergen Research. A broader estimate from The Business Research Company put the market at $106.63 billion in 2025, reflecting materially different market definitions and inclusions.[64][66]
Forecast & CAGR
Emergen Research forecasts the global financial accounting advisory services market to reach $19.39 billion by 2035, implying an 8.7% CAGR from 2026 to 2035. The Business Research Company forecasts growth from $106.63 billion in 2025 to $136.64 billion in 2030, equivalent to a 5.1% CAGR, using a broader market scope.[64][66]
Market share & regions
North America was the largest regional market in 2025 according to Emergen Research. A separate 2026 estimate assigns North America 35% of global financial accounting advisory services revenue and identifies Asia-Pacific as the fastest-growing region, with a projected 9.2% CAGR.[64][67]
Segmentation
The market is segmented by service type, organization size, end use, delivery mode and region. Key service categories include accounting-change services, buy-side support, bankruptcy services, IPO advisory, technical accounting, financial-statement preparation, software migration and cash-flow management; small and medium-sized enterprises are forecast to be the fastest-growing organization-size segment at a 5.74% CAGR from 2024 to 2029.[66][68]
Key players & concentration
Major providers include Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, BDO and Grant Thornton, alongside specialist and mid-market firms. In U.S. accounting and tax M&A, the 10 largest acquirers accounted for 24.6% of announced transactions in 2025, while the top three represented 10.9%.[69][65]
Pricing
The 2025 AICPA National MAP Survey reported a median net hourly billing rate of $170, up 6.9% over two years from $159. Hourly billing remained the most common method, used by 63% of firms, while value billing was used by 30% and fixed pricing by 29%.[48]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is being driven by increasingly complex accounting standards, regulatory scrutiny, M&A activity, finance transformation and shortages of specialized talent. AI is shifting routine work toward advisory and analytical tasks, while firms face implementation costs, data-quality risks, cybersecurity concerns and the need to preserve professional judgment.[29][12][66]
Consumer behavior & competition
Client demand is moving from one-off compliance work toward recurring forecasting, budgeting, CFO, controller and finance-transformation support. In a 2026 technology survey, 99% of respondents using AI for client services or firm operations said AI had supported a high-stakes client decision during the previous 12 months, reinforcing competition around technology-enabled advice and human review.[12][6]
M&A
U.S. accounting and tax M&A reached a record 248 announced transactions in 2025, up 41.7% from 175 in 2024. Private-capital-backed buyers completed 103 deals, or 41.5% of the total, while the acquisition of Anchin by Baker Tilly was announced in June 2026 to expand advisory, tax and assurance scale in New York.[65][70]
Regulation
U.S. firms that prepare or issue audit reports for public companies or broker-dealers must register with the PCAOB. In 2025, PCAOB staff inspected more than 200 registered public accounting firms and reviewed more than 880 audit engagements, making audit quality, internal controls and compliance important adjacent demand drivers for advisory providers.[71][47]
Latest news
In 2026, Baker Tilly announced an agreement to acquire Anchin, while Cherry Bekaert acquired Tarsus to strengthen outsourced accounting, KPI reporting and strategic CFO services. Industry surveys released in 2026 also show AI becoming a central competitive issue as firms redirect capacity toward higher-value advisory work.[70][72][5]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Accounting Advisory Services Industry

The leading companies in the accounting advisory services industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

EY and Deloitte are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 accounting advisory services ranking with an Overall score of 8.9 each.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in tax advisory

    EY

    GB

    Ranked #1 · 8.9 · Tax advisory

    Why we picked it: It reports FY2026 revenue across assurance, tax, consulting and strategy services, aligning advisory demand with global scale.

    See in ranking ↓Visit ey.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    Deloitte

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Tax advisory

    Why we picked it: It combines accounting, audit and advisory services with a global workforce base of over 470,000.

    See in ranking ↓Visit deloitte.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Baker Tilly

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Tax advisory

    Why we picked it: It publishes network revenue coverage across audit, advisory, tax and legal services, spanning multiple advisory categories.

    See in ranking ↓Visit bakertilly.global ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the accounting advisory services industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

EY

Tax advisory · GB

8.9
2

Deloitte

Tax advisory · US

8.9
3

Baker Tilly

Tax advisory · US

8.8
4

PwC

Tax advisory · GB

8.8
5

Crowe

Tax advisory · US

8.6
6

KPMG

Audit, tax, accounting and advisory services, global · NL

8.6
7

Forvis Mazars

Audit, accounting, tax and advisory services, global · FR

8.4
8

EisnerAmper

Accounting, audit, tax and advisory services, United States · US

8.3
9

CohnReznick

Accounting advisory, assurance and tax, United States · US

8.1
10

BDO

Accounting, audit, tax and advisory services, global · BE

7.9

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the accounting advisory services industry. In Accounting Advisory Services Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/accounting-advisory-services-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest accounting advisory services companies

Deloitte leads with $70.5B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Deloitte$70.5B
PwC$60.2B
EY$57.0B
KPMG$39.8B
BDO$11.0B
Baker Tilly$6.8B
source-verifieddeloitte.com · pwc.com · ey.com · kpmg.com · bdo.com · bakertilly.global2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

U.S. firms plan heavy AI investment: 64% planned to invest in or upgrade AI during 2025. Adoption shows up across strategic advisory and daily use.

AI in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 64% of U.S. accounting firms planned to invest in or upgrade AI during 2025, compared with 57% in 2024 and 48% in 2023.[1]
  • 93% of accounting firms reported using AI to enhance strategic business advisory services in 2025.[1]
  • Four in five tax and accounting firms globally planned to increase AI investment in 2025.[2]
  • 55% of accounting professionals in the 2026 survey identified advisory work as an area of AI use or interest.[3]
  • 28.9% of accounting firms reported using generative AI a little in their practices in the 2024 survey.[4]
  • One-third of global tax and accounting firms reported using AI daily in 2025.[2]

Automation in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 49% of tax and accounting professionals estimated that one-quarter of their workflows were automated in 2025.[5]
  • 98% of accounting professionals reported using AI for firm operations during the 2024 survey period.[6]
  • 47% of accounting firms using automation in 2025 applied it to payroll processing.[1]
  • 46% of accounting firms using automation in 2025 applied it to accounts payable or accounts receivable.[1]
  • 43% of accounting firms using automation in 2025 applied it to data entry and transaction processing.[1]
  • Accounting firms reported average technology investment of $25,000 during the 12 months before the 2024 survey.[6]

Digital Transformation in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 35.51% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to business-administration or management processes in 2025.[7]
  • 40.4% of EU enterprises in professional, scientific and technical activities used at least one AI technology in 2025.[7]
  • 51% of U.S. technology executives reported no increase in performance or profitability from digital-transformation investments during the previous two years.[8]
  • 55% of business-services CEOs identified keeping pace with technology and AI transformation as their greatest concern in PwC’s 2025 global CEO survey.[9]

Technology Adoption in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 30.87% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to accounting, controlling or finance management in 2025.[7]
  • 27.33% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to production processes in 2025.[7]
  • 22.32% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to research and development or innovation activities in 2025.[7]
  • 18.55% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to ICT security in 2025.[7]

Cloud Computing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 90.7% of Australian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2022.[10]
  • 77.7% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[10]
  • 91.2% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[10]
  • 80.4% of Danish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[10]

Big Data in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 46.8% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]
  • 45.4% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]
  • 47.5% of German professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]
  • 57.5% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]

IoT in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 36.3% of Irish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[10]
  • 42.6% of Austrian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[10]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data and analytics choices remain tool-constrained but are shifting toward forecasting and real-time insights. U.S. accounting firms reported 88% using AI for at least one client service in the 12 months before the 2026 survey.

Business intelligence in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 42.4% of accounting firms primarily used established applications such as Microsoft Excel for business intelligence in 2024.[11]
  • 21.2% of accounting firms used BI for forecasting and budgeting in 2024.[11]
  • 19.1% of accounting firms used BI for performance monitoring and benchmarking in 2024.[11]
  • 25.4% of accounting firms primarily used generic or broad-based BI tools such as Power BI in 2024.[11]
  • 17.6% of accounting firms used BI for compliance and regulatory reporting in 2024.[11]
  • 26.2% of accounting firms used BI for data analysis and post-engagement reporting in 2024.[11]

Data analytics in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 88% of U.S. accounting firms used AI for at least one client service in the 12 months preceding the 2026 survey.[6]
  • 54% of U.S. accounting professionals using AI applied it to client-service data entry and processing in 2026.[6]
  • 51% of U.S. accounting professionals using AI applied it to client financial forecasting in 2026.[6]
  • 39% of U.S. client advisory services practices offered data-analytics advisory, including dashboard creation and data-capture reporting, in 2024.[12]
  • 49% of U.S. accounting professionals using AI applied it to real-time client insights in 2026.[6]
  • 16% of U.S. CAS practices used dashboards combining financial and non-financial data with frequent updates in 2024.[12]

Data Quality in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 87% of enterprise data leaders said traditional rules-based approaches to data quality did not scale to current needs in 2024.[13]
  • 50% of organizations identified data-quality issues as the biggest challenge affecting their data-integration projects in 2024.[14]
  • 23% of supply management firms spent at least 21% of their time cleaning data in 2024.[15]
  • 49% of supply management organizations reported that their data quality was good or excellent in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[15]
  • 67% of supply management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[15]
  • 95% of enterprise companies with at least $1 billion in revenue had experienced a data-quality issue directly affecting business outcomes in 2024.[13]

Data Governance in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 81% of supply management organizations found their data-governance program useful in 2024.[15]
  • 61% of organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, according to a survey of more than 121 supply management professionals.[15]
  • 71% of global organizations reported having a data-governance program in 2024, up from 60% in 2023.[14]
  • 33% of North American organizations had a formal data-governance organization in place in 2024.[16]
  • 32% of organizations in the 2024 governance study had a formal governance organization in place, while 68% had none.[16]
  • 18.3% of organizations used a data-governance or catalog solution as part of their governance program in 2024.[16]

KPIs in the accounting advisory services industry

  • $3,000 was the median typical monthly client fee for U.S. client advisory services practices in 2024.[12]
  • 15% was the median projected CAS revenue growth for the next year among U.S. practices surveyed in 2024.[12]
  • $156,250 was median net client fees per professional in U.S. client advisory services practices in 2024.[12]
  • 14 was the median number of new clients added by U.S. client advisory services practices in 2024.[12]
  • $12,000 was the median largest-client fee for U.S. client advisory services practices in 2024.[12]
  • 29% was the increase in median net client fees per professional for U.S. CAS practices compared with the 2022 survey.[12]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth work increasingly targets service mix and partnerships. UK mid-tier firms rate integration and automation solutions as priority investments in 2025 at 80%.

Growth in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 13% of tax and accounting firms identified growing the firm as a growth priority in 2024.[5]
  • 20% was the average revenue increase reported by tax and accounting firms over the 12 months preceding the 2024 survey.[5]
  • 38% of tax and accounting firms had a growth strategy in place for the coming year in 2024.[5]
  • 19% of tax and accounting firms cited growth as a top strategic priority in 2024, down from 28% in 2023.[5]
  • 10% of tax and accounting firms pursuing a growth strategy were using mergers and acquisitions for expansion in 2024.[5]
  • 15% of tax and accounting firms identified expanding the client base as a growth priority in 2024.[5]

Differentiation in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 44% of UK mid-tier accounting firms planned to introduce ESG-related services within three years in 2025.[17]
  • 80% of UK mid-tier accounting firms rated integration and automation solutions as priority investments in 2025.[17]
  • 36% of UK mid-tier accounting firms already offered ESG services in 2025.[17]
  • 81% of UK mid-tier accounting firms rated employee upskilling as a priority investment in 2025.[17]
  • 72% of UK mid-tier accounting firms rated AI, including generative AI, as a priority investment area in 2025.[17]
  • 86% of UK mid-tier accounting firms rated data management, analysis or business intelligence as priority investments in 2025.[17]

Mergers and acquisitions in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 66% of UK mid-tier accounting firms rated acquiring another firm attractive or very attractive in 2025.[17]
  • 3% of UK mid-tier accounting firms reported completing a merger in the year before the 2025 survey.[17]
  • 84% of UK mid-tier accounting firms considering an acquisition cited gaining access to or expanding skillsets as a reason in 2025.[17]
  • 64% of UK mid-tier accounting firms had acquired another firm by 2024.[17]
  • 17% of UK mid-tier accounting firms had been part of a merger by 2024.[17]
  • 67% of UK mid-tier accounting firms anticipated making further acquisitions within three years in 2025.[17]

Strategic partnerships in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 90% of U.S. accounting executives were involved in acquisition decisions in 2026, indicating broad participation in external growth strategy.[18]
  • 37% of U.S. accounting firms pursued strategic partnerships or joint ventures during the three years before the 2025 survey.[19]
  • 49% of U.S. accounting firms expressed interest in strategic partnerships or joint ventures in the 2025 survey.[19]
  • Two-thirds of UK mid-tier firms intending to introduce ESG services were investing in staff upskilling in 2025.[20]
  • 71% of UK mid-tier accounting firms said client referrals were a benefit of affiliation in 2024.[17]
  • 50% of UK mid-tier firms planning to introduce ESG services were forming partnerships with ESG experts in 2025.[20]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Talent shortages and skills gaps sit alongside high turnover pressure. The 2026 accounting and finance talent-shortage index reached 77% in the United States.

Hiring in the accounting advisory services industry

  • The 2026 U.S. accounting and finance hiring index reached 134%, returning to approximately pandemic-era hiring levels.[21]
  • Nearly 60% of accounting firms reported deficits in critical-thinking and professional-communication skills among candidates.[22]
  • 93% of tax and accounting firms reported in 2023 that clients were seeking more advisory services, increasing demand for advisory talent.[23]
  • Remote work, flexible time and hiring bonuses were among the benefits accounting firms added to attract candidates in the 2023 staffing survey.[23]
  • The 2026 accounting and finance talent-shortage index reached 77% in the United States.[21]

Employee retention in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 36% of professionals who left public accounting cited workplace culture as a reason for leaving.[24]
  • 13.4% was the average annual turnover rate for professional-services firms, including major accounting firms, in 2022.[24]
  • 11.8% was the average accounting-firm employee turnover rate in 2025, the lowest level in more than 20 years of IPA survey data.[25]
  • 26% of U.S. accounting and finance professionals aged 18 to 38 said they were likely to leave their current employer within the following 12 months.[26]
  • 39% of U.S. accounting and finance professionals aged 18 to 38 experienced turnover during the 24 months covered by the IMA study.[26]

Remote Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 54% of U.S. professional-services firms reported having at least one paid work-from-home employee in November 2024–January 2025.[27]
  • About 45% of U.S. professional and business-services workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[28]
  • 62.8% of U.S. professional and business-services employees who could work at home did so during 2024–2025, while 66.0% could work at home.[29]
  • 37.21% was the average share of paid workdays performed from home by U.S. professional and business-services employees in January 2025.[30]

Hybrid Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 54% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs worked in a hybrid arrangement in November 2025.[31]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 22% of full-time employees worked fully from home during January–April 2025.[32]
  • 61% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs preferred hybrid work in November 2025, compared with 33% preferring fully remote work.[31]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 39% of full-time employees worked fully onsite during January–April 2025.[32]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 38% of full-time employees worked hybrid schedules during January–April 2025.[32]

Upskilling in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 26% of U.S. accounting and bookkeeping professionals surveyed in 2026 said accounting education was falling behind or failing to prepare graduates for AI-driven work.[6]
  • Accounting firms were advised to use upskilling and career advancement to strengthen recruitment and retention in the 2023 staffing analysis.[23]

Employee Engagement in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2024, while 17% were actively disengaged.[31]
  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 17% were actively disengaged.[31]
  • 34% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2022, while 16% were actively disengaged.[31]
  • 33% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2023, while 16% were actively disengaged.[31]

Change Management in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 75% of global business-services organizations considered change management critical in 2022.[33]
  • Approximately one-third of global business-services organizations had no change-management capability in 2022.[33]
  • 16% of global business-services organizations managed change systemically across their initiatives in 2022.[33]
  • 22% of transformation teams identified communication plans as their primary change-management approach in 2024.[34]
  • 21% of transformation teams identified stakeholder-engagement strategies as their primary change-management approach in 2024.[34]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Client experience metrics point to operational friction during engagements. In a 2025 survey, 62% of accounting-firm clients reported five or more communication breakdowns per engagement.

Customer experience in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 62% of accounting-firm clients reported five or more communication breakdowns per engagement in a 2025 survey.[35]
  • 58% of accounting firms monitored response time for client issues in the 2024 Woodard/Mango Accounting Industry Report.[36]
  • 82% of accounting-firm clients said information requests were time-consuming or unclear in a 2025 North American survey.[37]
  • Nearly 80% of accounting-firm clients would consider switching firms after a subpar technology experience, according to a 2025 North American survey.[37]
  • 43% of accounting firms monitored resolution time for client issues in the 2024 Woodard/Mango Accounting Industry Report.[38]

Customer retention in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 71.6% was the mean annual retention rate for existing audit clients in a study of public accounting firms.[39]
  • 91%–95% of clients were retained when partners left a public accounting firm, according to a 2023 profession survey.[40]
  • 62% of accounting firms tracked client retention rates in the 2024 Woodard/Mango Accounting Industry Report.[38]
  • 18% of accounting firms tracked client-satisfaction scores in the 2024 Woodard/Mango Accounting Industry Report.[38]

Customer acquisition in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 17% of business decision-makers found their current accountant through online search in TaxDome’s 2025 business-client survey.[41]
  • 10% of business decision-makers found their current accountant through social media in TaxDome’s 2025 business-client survey.[41]
  • 3% of business decision-makers found their current accountant by responding to an advertisement in TaxDome’s 2025 business-client survey.[41]
  • 58% of business decision-makers found their current accountant through a referral in TaxDome’s 2025 business-client survey.[41]
  • 6% of business decision-makers found their current accountant through a webinar or event in TaxDome’s 2025 business-client survey.[41]

Customer loyalty in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 38% of all CAS survey respondents identified existing clients outside bookkeeping, accounting, tax and audit as a lead source, indicating cross-service loyalty.[12]
  • 20% of accounting firms tracked the number of client touchpoints in the 2024 Woodard/Mango Accounting Industry Report.[38]
  • 38% was the accounting-industry Net Promoter Score benchmark reported by ClearlyRated for 2024.[42]
  • 92% of business clients said referrals were important when choosing an accountant in TaxDome’s 2025 niche business report.[43]

Lead generation in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 4% of all CAS respondents identified advertising as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]
  • 19% of all CAS respondents identified their website as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]
  • 67% of all CAS respondents identified existing tax clients as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]
  • 45% of all CAS respondents identified converting clients to CAS as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]
  • 64% of all CAS respondents identified external referrals as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing spend is measurable and relatively moderate, with digital share varying by growth. The average overall marketing spend was 2.19% of accounting-firm revenue in a Hinge/AAM study.

Marketing in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 2.19% of accounting-firm revenue was the average overall marketing spend, including marketing-department compensation, in a Hinge/AAM study.[44]
  • 28% of accounting marketing-department budgets went to compensation on average in the Hinge/AAM Marketing Budget Benchmark Study.[44]
  • High-growth accounting firms spent nearly 42% more of their marketing budgets on digital marketing than low-growth firms in the Hinge/AAM study.[44]
  • High-growth accounting firms employed one marketer for every 24 employees, compared with one for every 50 employees at low-growth firms.[44]
  • Small accounting firms spent about 30% more on marketing as a percentage of revenue than large firms in the Hinge/AAM study.[44]

Digital marketing in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 15% of professional-services-firm revenue was dedicated to marketing in each of 2020, 2021 and 2022, according to Hinge’s study.[44]
  • 42% more marketing-budget share went to digital marketing at high-growth accounting firms than at low-growth firms in the Hinge/AAM study.[44]
  • 50% more digital marketing techniques were used by high-growth accounting and financial-services firms than by no-growth peers in 2018.[44]
  • Nine of 10 digital marketing techniques produced higher reported impact for high-growth accounting and financial-services firms in 2018.[44]
  • 7% of professional-services-firm revenue was dedicated to marketing in 2024, according to Hinge’s High Growth Study.[44]

Branding in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 7% of top-performing CAS firms identified advertising as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]
  • 3 times as many high-growth accounting and financial-services firms spent at least 10% of revenue on marketing as no-growth firms in 2018.[44]
  • 24% of top-performing CAS firms identified their website as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]
  • 79% of top-performing CAS firms identified existing tax clients as a lead source in CPA.com’s CAS Benchmark Survey.[12]
  • 20% of high-growth accounting and financial-services firms invested at least 20% of annual revenue in marketing in 2018.[44]

Influencer Marketing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 78% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners identify brand awareness and lead generation as their joint top challenges, based on Q1 2026 research.[45]
  • 74% of B2B influencers use artificial-intelligence tools to enhance content creation, based on Q1 2026 research.[45]
  • 44% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners say finding the right talent is their single biggest collaboration obstacle, based on Q1 2026 research.[45]
  • 86% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners and creators prefer co-creating content with brands rather than amplifying finished brand content, based on Q1 2026 research.[45]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operations show centralized data practice alongside widespread AI usage. In 2024, 46% of U.S. CAS practices had a single platform centralizing payment, expense and financial-operations data.

Process optimization in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 54% of U.S. accountants using AI for firm operations applied it to client communications in 2024.[6]
  • 46% of U.S. CAS practices had a single platform centralizing payment, expense and financial-operations data in 2024.[12]
  • 53% of U.S. accountants using AI for firm operations applied it to invoicing and payments in 2024.[6]
  • 47% of global tax professionals surveyed said their firms were interested in leveraging new technology solutions in 2024.[5]
  • 98% of U.S. accountants used AI for firm operations during the previous 12 months in the 2024 survey.[6]

Operational efficiency in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 97% of U.S. CAS practices regularly offered transactional accounting services in 2024.[12]
  • 90% of U.S. CAS practices regularly offered controllership services in 2024.[12]
  • 69% of U.S. CAS practices regularly offered CFO services in 2024.[12]
  • 39% of U.S. CAS practices reported that they did not offer business-insights services in 2024.[12]
  • 94% of U.S. accounting professionals agreed technology would be needed more heavily for business success if the workforce continued shrinking in 2024.[6]

Quality management in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 87% of 395 British Columbia assurance-firm practice reviews met requirements or met requirements with an action plan in the 2024–2025 inspection year.[46]
  • 52% was the aggregate Part I.A. deficiency rate for eight annually inspected U.S. non-affiliated firms in 2024.[47]
  • 39% of audits inspected by the PCAOB in the United States had Part I.A. deficiencies in 2024.[47]
  • 61% was the aggregate deficiency rate for U.S. non-affiliated firms inspected triennially by the PCAOB in 2024.[47]
  • 91% of 937 British Columbia practice inspections were approved with an overall pass result in the April 2024–March 2025 inspection year.[46]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 60% of EU business-services enterprises sourcing abroad were in the business-services sector, compared with 40% in industry and construction, during 2021–2023.[7]
  • 28.8% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced information and communication technology services internationally during 2021–2023.[7]
  • 65% of U.S. CPA firms participating in the 2025 National MAP Survey that offshored used India, followed by 33% using the Philippines.[48]
  • 29% of U.S. CPA firms responding to the 2025 National MAP Survey utilized offshoring, rising to 74% among firms with at least $10 million in net client fees.[48]
  • 39% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad outsourced business functions to external providers during 2021–2023, while 72% used affiliated-group insourcing.[7]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Billing rates rise while fixed-fee models remain common. The median net hourly billing rate was $170 in the 2025 AICPA National MAP Survey, up 6.9% from $159.

Pricing strategy in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 10% of U.S. CAS practices priced services purely on time and charges incurred in 2024.[12]
  • 49.55% of U.S. accounting firms used fixed-fee pricing for bookkeeping and accounting services in the 2024 benchmark survey.[49]
  • 57% of U.S. CAS practices typically used fixed-price agreements with change-order charges in 2024.[12]
  • 86% of U.S. accounting and bookkeeping firms reported confidence in their pricing strategy in the 2026 benchmark survey.[35]
  • 27% of U.S. CAS practices typically used fixed-price agreements with virtually no change-order charges in 2024.[12]

Cost reduction in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 35% of global tax professionals said their firms planned to invest in generative AI or other AI-powered technology within two years in 2024.[5]
  • 69% of U.S. accountants used AI for client data entry and processing in 2024.[6]
  • 94% of U.S. accountants who had outsourced work agreed outsourcing could drive profit growth by freeing time for advisory services in 2024.[6]
  • 47% of U.S. accountants used AI to provide real-time financial insights to clients in 2024.[6]
  • 51% of U.S. accountants used AI for client fraud detection and prevention in 2024.[6]

Profitability in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 17% was the median year-over-year revenue growth reported by U.S. CAS practices in 2024.[12]
  • 55.5% was the median CAS margin for top-performing U.S. CAS practices in 2024.[12]
  • $23,129 was the median average client revenue for top-performing U.S. CAS practices in 2024.[12]
  • $17,867 was the median average client revenue for U.S. CAS practices in 2024.[12]
  • 50% was the median CAS margin for U.S. CAS practices in 2024, calculated as CAS revenue less direct staff costs divided by CAS revenue.[12]

Financial planning in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 2% of U.S. CAS practice revenue came from standalone business-insights services in 2024.[12]
  • 3% of U.S. CAS practice revenue came from standalone CFO services in 2024.[12]
  • More than 30% was the increase in typical monthly client fees reported by U.S. CAS firms emphasizing CFO or business-insights services in 2024.[12]
  • 61% of U.S. CAS practices regularly offered business-insights services in 2024.[12]
  • More than 30% higher monthly recurring revenue was reported by U.S. CAS firms generating significant revenue from CFO or business-insights services in 2024.[12]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Service breadth is tied to recurring advisory work and vertical specialization. In 2025, 13% of U.S. accounting-firm revenue was generated by advisory services, up from 10% in 2024.

Product development in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 17% was the median year-over-year growth rate for client advisory services practices in 2024, based on U.S. survey respondents.[12]
  • 65% of U.S. client advisory services practices offered project-based merger-and-acquisition support separately from CAS engagements in 2024.[12]
  • 48% of U.S. client advisory services practices offered project-based CFO-for-hire services separately from CAS engagements in 2024.[12]
  • 61% of U.S. client advisory services practices regularly offered business-insights services in 2024.[12]
  • 69% of U.S. client advisory services practices regularly offered CFO services in 2024.[12]

Product lifecycle in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 50% of U.S. client advisory services revenue came from defined industry verticals or niches in 2024.[12]
  • 21% of U.S. client advisory services practices had existed for five to fewer than eight years in 2024.[12]
  • 50% of new client revenue for U.S. client advisory services practices came from defined industries or niches in 2024.[12]
  • 16% of U.S. client advisory services practices had operated for 20 years or more in 2024.[12]
  • 17% of U.S. client advisory services practices had existed for one to fewer than three years in 2024.[12]

After-sales in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 60% of U.S. client advisory services practices regularly offered annual financial-statement preparation for third-party use in 2024.[12]
  • 97% of U.S. client advisory services practices regularly offered transactional accounting and bookkeeping in 2024.[12]
  • $17,867 was the median average client revenue for U.S. client advisory services practices in 2024.[12]
  • 7% was the median staff-turnover rate among U.S. client advisory services practices in 2024.[12]
  • 90% of U.S. client advisory services practices regularly offered controllership services in 2024.[12]

Value proposition in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 35% of accounting clients globally asked firms for strategic business advice in 2025.[2]
  • 13% was the average share of U.S. accounting-firm revenue generated by advisory services in 2025, up from 10% in 2024.[2]
  • 20% was the median growth rate for U.S. CAS firms with a formal written business plan in 2024.[12]
  • $4,000 was the median typical monthly fee for U.S. CAS firms with a formal written business plan in 2024.[12]
  • 63% of U.S. accounting firms identified advisory as a key service in 2025.[2]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

ESG coverage is uneven across firms, alongside high assurance share from major networks. In 2024, 28.5% of accounting-firm respondents were not pursuing ESG initiatives.

Sustainability in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 30% of Deloitte NSE global suppliers by emissions had science-based targets in FY2024 across the NSE region.[50]
  • 64% of Deloitte NSE waste was recycled in FY2024 across the NSE region.[50]
  • 50% of Deloitte Global’s vehicle fleet was electric or hybrid-electric in FY2024 worldwide.[50]
  • 1.4 million metric tons of CO2e were Deloitte Global’s total greenhouse-gas emissions in FY2024, down from 1.5 million tons in FY2019 worldwide.[50]
  • 93% of Deloitte Global’s purchased electricity was renewable in FY2024 worldwide.[50]

ESG in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 28.5% of accounting-firm respondents were not pursuing ESG initiatives in 2024.[11]
  • 18.4% of accounting-firm respondents actively promoted ESG initiatives to stakeholders, clients or potential employees in 2024.[11]
  • 25.0% of companies in the 2023 cross-country sample reported ESG assurance, while 69.0% of those reports were assured by Big Four providers.[39]
  • 56.3% of sustainability-assurance reports in the 2023 cross-country sample were issued by the Big Four accounting networks.[39]
  • 23.8% of accounting-firm respondents said they were committed to following ESG regulatory guidelines in 2024.[11]

Circular economy in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 55% of Deloitte NSE paper input materials were recycled content in FY2019, the baseline year for its reported materials metric.[51]
  • 29% of Deloitte Global paper input materials were recycled content in FY2021 worldwide.[51]
  • 93% of Deloitte NSE waste was diverted from landfill in FY2024 across the NSE region.[50]

Carbon footprint in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 638,818 metric tons of CO2e were Deloitte US Scope 1–3 gross greenhouse-gas emissions in FY2024, excluding the separate life-cycle aviation adjustment.[50]
  • 101,159 metric tons of CO2e were Deloitte UK total gross emissions in FY2025, down 13% from its FY2019 baseline.[50]
  • 270,829 metric tons of CO2e were Deloitte US business-travel emissions in FY2024.[50]
  • 119,677 metric tons of CO2e were Deloitte US commuting and teleworking emissions in FY2024.[50]
  • 3.7 metric tons of CO2e per full-time equivalent were Deloitte US gross greenhouse-gas emissions in FY2024.[51]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Global reach and cross-border activity expand the addressable advisory base. KPMG’s network covered 145 countries in December 2024.

Globalization in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 145 countries were covered by KPMG’s global network in December 2024.[62]
  • $67.2 billion was Deloitte’s global revenue in 2024, representing a 10.7% global accounting-services market share.[63]
  • $8.4 billion was the value of U.S. cross-border imports of accounting and auditing services in 2023, up from $5.0 billion in 2019.[63]
  • $1.8 billion was the value of U.S. accounting and auditing services imported from India in 2023, the largest source country listed.[63]
  • 34% was the approximate combined global revenue share of the four largest accounting networks in 2024.[63]

Cultural adaptation in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 65% of non-PE-backed UK mid-tier accounting firms expressed concern about private equity’s impact on succession planning in 2025.[17]
  • 7 in 10 UK mid-tier accounting firms were structured as limited liability partnerships in 2024.[17]
  • 85% of non-PE-backed UK mid-tier accounting firms expressed concern about private equity’s potential negative impact on talent retention in 2025.[17]
  • 62% of UK mid-tier accounting firms said client-facing staff worked from home three to four days per week in 2024.[17]
  • 5% of independent UK mid-tier accounting firms were likely to accept private-equity investment in 2026, down from 15% in 2025.[17]

Supplier management in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 70% of UK mid-tier accounting firms ranked a talent-related issue among their top three concerns in 2024.[17]
  • 9% of UK mid-tier accounting firms did not mention a talent-related issue among their top three concerns in 2024.[17]
  • 71% was the further three-year increase in chargeable hours offshored expected by UK accounting firms using such models in 2024.[17]
  • 86% was the increase in chargeable hours offshored by UK accounting firms using offshore or outsourced models over the three years to 2024.[17]
  • 18% of UK mid-tier accounting firms ranked a talent-related issue among their top two concerns in 2024.[17]

Stakeholder management in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 68% of UK mid-tier accounting firms agreed that AI will reduce the need for early-career accountants in 2026.[17]
  • 12% of UK mid-tier accounting firms agreed that the attractiveness of accountancy will decline because of AI in 2026.[17]
  • 94% of UK mid-tier accounting firms reported fee growth in their most recent financial year in 2026.[17]
  • 83% of UK mid-tier accounting firms agreed that demand for accountants will continue for a redefined profession in 2026.[17]
  • 71% of UK mid-tier accounting firms agreed that AI will enable firms to move up the value chain in service offerings in 2026.[17]

Distribution channels in the accounting advisory services industry

  • 53% of U.S. tax and accounting firms were confident or very confident that they understood the decision-support market in 2024.[5]
  • 90% of UK mid-tier accounting firms belonged to an alliance, association or network in 2024.[17]
  • 71% of UK mid-tier accounting firms identified client referrals as a benefit of affiliation with an alliance, association or network in 2024.[17]
  • 58% of U.S. tax and accounting firms were confident or very confident that they understood the business-consulting market in 2024.[5]
  • 84% of UK mid-tier accounting firms identified global reach as a benefit of affiliation with an alliance, association or network in 2024.[17]

Key questions about the Accounting Advisory Services Industry

What is the estimated size of the global financial accounting advisory services market in 2025?
The global market size is estimated at $8.42B in 2025 by Emergen Research.
How fast is the market expected to grow from 2026 to 2035?
Emergen Research forecasts the market reaching $19.39 billion by 2035, implying an 8.7% CAGR from 2026 to 2035.
Which companies lead the accounting advisory services industry?
EY and Deloitte are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 accounting advisory services ranking with an Overall score of 8.9 each.
What technology shift is most visible in client services and firm operations?
AI adoption is now widespread in client services and operations: 99% of respondents using AI in 2026 said it supported a high-stakes client decision in the prior 12 months.
How concentrated are deal and acquisition dynamics in U.S. accounting and tax M&A?
U.S. accounting and tax M&A reached 248 announced transactions in 2025, and the 10 largest acquirers accounted for 24.6% of announced transactions.
How do billing rates and pricing models look in U.S. accounting advisory?
In the 2025 AICPA National MAP Survey, the median net hourly billing rate was $170, and hourly billing was used by 63% of firms; value billing was 30% and fixed pricing 29%.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Accounting Advisory Services Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/accounting-advisory-services-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Accounting Advisory Services Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/accounting-advisory-services-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Accounting Advisory Services Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/accounting-advisory-services-industry-statistics.

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