Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Accounting Industry

Accounting may look merit based on paper, but the latest DEI statistics reveal a slower, uneven reality. In 2023, women held 24.5% of Big 4 partner roles, yet only 15% of women CEOs appeared in the top 100 firms, while Black partners sat at just 1.9%. Pair that with pipeline drop off and pay equity gaps that still persist for multiple groups, and it becomes clear why the industry’s progress is measurable but far from complete.

Key Takeaways

Partners in Big 4 firms were 24.5% women in 2023, up from 19% in 2019, showing slow progress in leadership gender diversity
Black partners in top accounting firms: 1.9% in 2023
Hispanic executives in accounting: 4.2% of C-suite in 2022
Women accountants gender pay gap at partner level: 18% less than men in 2023
Black accountants earned 82 cents to white dollar median 2022
Hispanic salary disparity: 11% below average in Big 4 2023
72% of firms implemented DEI training programs in 2023, reaching 85% of employees
Big 4 firms allocated $50M+ to DEI scholarships for underrepresented accounting students in 2022
65% of accounting firms launched ERGs by 2023, with 40% POC-led
Turnover rate for diverse partners: 7.2% vs 5.1% non-diverse in 2023
Women promotion to manager: 45% rate in Big 4 2022, but only 22% to partner
Black accountants retention after 5 years: 62% vs 78% white in 2023
In 2023, women comprised 61.2% of accounting bachelor's degree graduates in the US but only 42.1% of active CPAs, highlighting a significant gender drop-off in the profession
Black or African American accountants made up 3.4% of the US accounting workforce in 2022, compared to 13.6% of the general US population
Hispanic or Latino professionals accounted for 7.8% of accounting firm employees in Big 4 firms in 2023, up from 6.2% in 2020

Slow leadership progress and persistent pay and representation gaps show DEI needs urgent acceleration.

01 · Category

Leadership Representation28 stats

Partners in Big 4 firms were 24.5% women in 2023, up from 19% in 2019, showing slow progress in leadership gender diversity

Black partners in top accounting firms: 1.9% in 2023

Hispanic executives in accounting: 4.2% of C-suite in 2022

Asian leaders: 11.3% of partners in Big 4 2023

Women board members in public accounting firms: 28.7% in 2023

Native American partners: 0.3% across firms in 2022

LGBTQ+ partners: 2.1% self-identified in 2023 survey

In mid-tier firms, female partners: 21.4% in 2023

Black women in leadership: 0.8% of partners 2022

Diversity at managing director level: 22% non-white in Big 4 2023

Women CEOs of accounting firms: 15% in top 100 firms 2023

Hispanic partners growth: +15% from 2020-2023

In 2023, 67% of firms had at least one diverse partner, up from 52%

Asian women partners: 4.5% in 2022

Retention of diverse leaders: 85% for women vs 92% for men in 2023

Board diversity index in accounting: 0.35 in 2023

Veterans in leadership: 4.8% of partners 2022

Neurodiverse executives: 0.9% in 2023

In tax leadership, women: 26.2% partners 2023

Audit committee chairs diverse: 19% in 2022

C-suite POC representation: 12.4% in corporate accounting 2023

Female managing partners small firms: 32% in 2023

Black executives in finance/accounting: 3.2% 2022

Promotion rate to partner women: 18% vs 25% men in 2023

Diverse board chairs: 11% in accounting firms 2023

In advisory leadership, Asian: 13.1% 2022

Overall partner diversity: 27.8% in 2023 Big 4

Women CFOs in accounting-adjacent firms: 22.3% 2023

Interpretation

Leadership Representation Interpretation

While these statistics show some encouraging growth in diversity, the accounting industry's leadership is still clinging to a palette of beige and gray, painfully slow to blend in the vibrant, essential colors of its actual workforce.

02 · Category

Pay Equity27 stats

Women accountants gender pay gap at partner level: 18% less than men in 2023

Black accountants earned 82 cents to white dollar median 2022

Hispanic salary disparity: 11% below average in Big 4 2023

Adjusted pay gap for women in accounting: 7.2% controlling for experience 2022

Asian women bonus pay: 15% less than Asian men at same level 2023

Partner compensation diversity gap: $45k average for POC vs white 2022

LGBTQ+ pay equity score: 94% in top firms 2023

Disability pay gap: 9% lower median wages 2022

Mid-sized firms unadjusted gender gap: 14.3% 2023

Black women pay: 75% of white male equivalent 2022

Performance-based pay equity improved 8% post-audit 2023 Big 4

Entry-level pay parity: 98% for diverse hires 2022

Senior manager gender gap: 12% 2023

Regional pay equity: Northeast women 92% of men 2022

Tax specialists pay gap POC: 10.5% 2023

Audit pay equity: 96% after controls 2022

Corporate accounting Black gap: 16% 2023

Bonus equity women: 85% of men average 2022

Native American pay: 88% median 2023

Flexible pay structures closed gap 5% for moms 2022

Overall profession controlled gap: 6.1% gender 2023

Partner equity initiatives raised POC pay 7% 2023

Veteran pay parity: 101% due to skills 2022

Neurodiverse compensation equity: 93% 2023

Uncontrolled gap industry avg: 22% women 2022

ERG-influenced pay raises: +12% for diverse 2023

Big 4 transparency closed gap 4% 2023

Interpretation

Pay Equity Interpretation

The accounting industry's spreadsheet on diversity reveals a glaring audit failure: while the fine print shows some progress with controls applied, the bottom line still shows a significant, and frankly embarrassing, deficit across nearly every demographic column.

03 · Category

Programs and Initiatives28 stats

72% of firms implemented DEI training programs in 2023, reaching 85% of employees

Big 4 firms allocated $50M+ to DEI scholarships for underrepresented accounting students in 2022

65% of accounting firms launched ERGs by 2023, with 40% POC-led

AICPA's Project Like a CPA reached 10,000 diverse high schoolers in 2023

Women in leadership mentorship matched 5,000 pairs in 2022

Black Accountants Network grew to 15,000 members with 200 events in 2023

82% of firms adopted inclusive hiring practices per 2023 survey

KPMG's DEI budget: $25M in 2022 for supplier diversity and training

EY's allyship program trained 20,000 employees in 2023

55% of firms have DEI metrics in performance reviews 2023

Hispanic CPA pipeline program enrolled 2,500 students 2022

Disability inclusion audits conducted by 40% of Big 4 clients 2023

Veterans recruitment initiatives hired 1,200 in 2022 top firms

Neurodiversity hiring pilots in 25 firms succeeded 78% retention 2023

Unconscious bias training mandatory in 78% firms 2023

Supplier diversity spend: 15% with minority-owned in 2022 Big 4

Gen Z-focused DEI onboarding reached 90% new hires 2023

Pay equity audits annual in 60% firms 2022

Community outreach: 500k volunteer hours for DEI 2023 AICPA members

LGBTQ+ inclusion certification: 35 firms achieved 2023

Flexible work policies for equity: 92% adoption 2022

Succession planning diverse: 70% firms include DEI goals 2023

Microaggression workshops: 12,000 participants 2022

HBCU partnerships: 50 firms sponsored 1,000 interns 2023

DEI scorecards public by 45% top firms 2022

Belonging surveys annual: 88% response diverse groups 2023

$100M industry-wide scholarships 2023 total

68% firms track DEI progress quarterly 2022

Interpretation

Programs and Initiatives Interpretation

While the accounting industry is now impressively auditing its own human resources, these statistics reveal that true inclusion is moving from a hopeful line item to a verified, invested asset class.

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04 · Category

Retention and Advancement24 stats

Turnover rate for diverse partners: 7.2% vs 5.1% non-diverse in 2023

Women promotion to manager: 45% rate in Big 4 2022, but only 22% to partner

Black accountants retention after 5 years: 62% vs 78% white in 2023

Hispanic advancement pipeline leakage: 28% between associate and senior in 2022

Mentorship programs boosted diverse retention by 15% in 2023 firms

Women leaving accounting mid-career: 19% attrition rate 2022

Inclusive culture score correlated with 92% diverse retention in 2023 survey

Promotion disparity: Asian men 24% to partner vs Asian women 16% 2023

5-year retention for LGBTQ+: 71% in 2022

Disability accommodations reduced turnover by 12% in 2023

Diverse talent pipeline programs increased advancement 20% in mid-firms 2022

Women return from maternity: 84% in Big 4 2023, up from 76%

Black senior attrition: 14% higher than average 2022

ERGs improved retention 18% for POC in 2023

Time-to-promotion for women: 4.2 years vs 3.8 for men manager level 2023

Veterans retention: 88% after 3 years 2022

Neurodiversity hiring retained 82% at 2 years 2023

Overall diverse attrition: 11.5% vs 8.2% non-diverse 2023

Sponsorship programs lifted advancement 25% for diverse women 2022

Flexible work reduced female turnover 16% post-COVID 2023

Pipeline diversity at senior manager: 31% women 2022

Hispanic retention improved 10% with language support 2023

Bias training cut promotion gaps 9% in 2022 firms

Gen Z diverse retention: 75% in inclusive firms 2023

Interpretation

Retention and Advancement Interpretation

The statistics reveal a stubborn and costly arithmetic where diversity subtracts itself from the profession far too early, while the solutions—like mentorship, flexibility, and genuine inclusion—prove we already have the formula to solve for equity, if only we'd show our work.

05 · Category

Workforce Demographics30 stats

In 2023, women comprised 61.2% of accounting bachelor's degree graduates in the US but only 42.1% of active CPAs, highlighting a significant gender drop-off in the profession

Black or African American accountants made up 3.4% of the US accounting workforce in 2022, compared to 13.6% of the general US population

Hispanic or Latino professionals accounted for 7.8% of accounting firm employees in Big 4 firms in 2023, up from 6.2% in 2020

Asian accountants represented 12.5% of the profession in 2022, despite comprising only 6.1% of the US population

In 2023, Native American or Alaska Native individuals held just 0.4% of accounting positions in public firms

LGBTQ+ identification among accountants stood at 4.7% in a 2023 survey of 5,000 professionals

Persons with disabilities represented 2.9% of the accounting workforce in 2022, below the national average of 12.7%

In mid-sized accounting firms, white professionals comprised 78.3% of staff in 2023

Veterans made up 5.2% of accounting hires in 2022 across top 100 firms

Multiracial accountants increased to 2.1% of the workforce in 2023 from 1.5% in 2019

Women under 30 in accounting firms: 55.4% in 2023

Black women specifically: 1.8% of total accounting staff in 2022

In 2023, entry-level accounting roles were 48.7% female in Big 4, dropping to 35.2% at manager level

Asian women: 6.3% of accountants in 2022

Hispanic men: 4.1% of profession in 2023

In small firms (<50 employees), diversity index was 0.32 in 2023 vs 0.45 in Big 4

Neurodiverse individuals: 1.2% self-identified in accounting surveys 2023

In 2022, 62% of accounting students were women, but retention to CPA was 38%

Pacific Islander accountants: 0.2% in 2023

In corporate accounting, Black representation: 5.1% in 2022

Women in tax accounting: 52.3% in 2023

Audit staff diversity: 41% non-white in Big 4 2023

In 2023, Gen Z accountants: 28% female-identifying non-binary or similar at 1.1%

Regional disparity: Northeast accounting firms 15% POC vs Southwest 22% in 2022

In 2023, accounting faculty: 39% women

International assignees in accounting: 3% women from diverse backgrounds 2022

In forensic accounting, women: 46% in 2023

Government accounting: 44% women, 18% POC in 2022

In advisory services, Asian rep: 14.2% 2023

Overall US accounting workforce diversity score: 0.41 in 2023

Interpretation

Workforce Demographics Interpretation

The accounting industry seems to have mastered the math for graduating diverse talent but is still working on the formula for retaining and advancing it, leaving a glaring audit difference between the profession's potential and its current equity statement.

Reference

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APA

Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Accounting Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-accounting-industry-statistics

MLA

Min-ji Park. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Accounting Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-accounting-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Min-ji Park. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Accounting Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-accounting-industry-statistics.