What accountants are paid, which qualification to take, how to get into the profession, and how to judge a firm before you join it.
These guides answer the questions candidates ask us most often, and they are written from the recruiter's side of the table rather than the marketing side. We negotiate accounting and finance salaries across Sydney and regional New South Wales every week, we see which qualifications actually change a hiring decision, and we sit in on the conversations where a firm decides between two shortlisted people. That is the view these pieces are written from.
Every figure we publish is traced to a named source and dated, so you can check it or watch it age. Where the honest answer is "it depends", we say what it depends on instead of picking a side.
The five guides below cover pay, the CA and CPA pathways, entry into the profession, a specialist corner of tax most accountants never consider, and how to test whether a firm is a good place to work. If you'd rather look at live roles, the opportunities board shows what is open across the group right now.
What accounting and finance professionals are actually paid this year, set out role by role from graduate to CFO for Sydney and nationally, with every range traced to a published source such as Robert Half, SEEK, Hays or the ABS.
Pay & benchmarkingNeither designation is better than the other: the CA leans toward public practice, audit and technical accounting, the CPA toward commercial, management accounting and government. The guide compares both on entry, structure, duration and cost, and explains what employers weigh once you are qualified.
QualificationsThe standard route is an accredited degree, then the CA or CPA program completed part-time alongside a full-time job, which takes about three years. This covers that pathway end to end, plus the alternative routes open to career changers, tax agent registration, and what the first job should give you.
Getting startedA firm is worth joining when you get real client work early, the path above you goes somewhere, and the scope reaches past compliance into advisory. This applies that test honestly, including who does well at Prime Partners and who does not, and shows how to run the same test on any firm you are considering.
Choosing a firmR&D tax consultants sit with engineers and founders, decide which projects qualify, write the technical narrative and calculate the offset. The guide explains the work, argues that it is a strong career for people who like variety, and sets out why a boutique team usually hands you that work years earlier than a big-four graduate program.
Specialist taxEvery role on our board is briefed to us directly by the hiring firm. Have a look at what is live, or tell us what you are after and we will match you against roles across the group.
View opportunities →