Global Firm with Broad Services: EY (Ernst & Young) operates in over 150 countries with 400,000 employees and offers services across Assurance, Tax, and Consulting. Its strategy arm, EY-Parthenon, focuses on high-impact consulting and has grown through acquisitions like The Parthenon Group.
Diverse Career Paths and Culture: EY hires undergraduates, MBAs, experienced professionals, and even freelancers. The firm promotes internal mobility, supports diversity initiatives, and has been recognized on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies list for 22 straight years.
Recruiting, Compensation, and Exit Options: EY offers structured internships and full-time roles with competitive pay. Salaries reach up to $85K for pre-MBAs and $155K for post-MBAs. Exit opportunities vary by practice, with many alumni advancing to senior roles in corporate strategy and leadership.
EY Growth Trajectory: EY attributes roughly 30% of its firm wide growth in the past year to its rapid adoption and deployment of AI-enabled tools and offerings.
What is Ernst & Young best known for? The better question might be, what isn’t the company known for? Ernst & Young was originally founded as an accountancy but has since expanded into many other businesses. EY was named a 2026 Top Ranked Consulting Firm by Management Consulted.
Rebranded in 2013 simply as “EY,” the firm now divides its business into three core segments: Assurance, Tax, and Consulting. EY’s footprint extends into every industry and geography you can think of. As a result, it’s an exciting place to be for anyone looking for broad industry exposure and diversity of work.
Today, EY positions its USP (unique selling proposition) as the marriage of deep domain expertise with advanced technology capabilities - particularly in data, AI, and digital transformation.
But where to begin? Breaking into EY requires a solid understanding of the company’s service model, so let us help you out.
EY recruits from a few different pools of candidates. Traditionally, many people join the firm through the campus recruiting track (both undergraduate and graduate university programs). But EY also hires a lot of “experienced professionals,” an umbrella term for anyone coming from industry. The experienced professional track is becoming more popular as clients look for specialized talent on certain engagements.
Full-time not for you? EY hires freelancers as well through GigNow. And once you get in the door, EY careers are fairly flexible with internal moves. Whether it be functionally or geographically, there are plenty of opportunities for a practitioner to try different things.
Note: EY is responding to the downturn in the market in the following ways:
Larger than usual performance-related layoffs and laying off grads who are 9-10 months in and have not even reached their first performance review
Delaying more graduate start dates
Getting rid of bonuses for those who perform at "progressing" standard (before that only people in "need to improve" category didn't get bonuses)
Additionally, EY has tightened performance standards across consulting and strategy teams as the firm seeks to increase attrition among employees who cannot - or will not - incorporate AI into their day-to-day workflows.
EY structures its internship programs in a similar way to other firms. For college students, EY internships extend across the firm’s four service areas: Assurance, Tax, Strategy/Transactions, and Consulting. Typically, EY will survey candidates on their practice preferences and then interview accordingly based on numbers/interest.
The story is similar for MBA and other advanced degrees, though EY likes to hire MBAs especially for consulting internships. EY internship interviews usually happen in the fall, with offers going out sometime in the winter. Internships are fast-paced, project based, and client-facing. Be prepared to push yourself and learn a lot in those 8 to 10 weeks!
EY Jobs
EY Jobs span entry level analyst roles through experienced hire positions in consulting, technology, cybersecurity, transactions, and more. Common consulting roles include:
Associate Consultant
Senior Consultant
Manager
Strategy Consultant within EY-Parthenon
Professionals interested in exploring current consulting opportunities can also review listings on the Management Consulted Job Board.
Practice Areas
Here is a detailed look at the breakdown of EY practice areas within each of the three service areas. As you can see, the firm has an expert for basically any service a client might need! To read more about any practice, follow the hyperlinks to practice landing pages.
Note: In 2025, EY moved it's Strategy and Transactions practice under the EY-Parthenon umbrella - completing the process to move all of EY's strategy-related services and people over to its strategy arm.
In addition, EY’s Cybersecurity practice includes a formal partnership with Databricks, enabling clients to combine cyber defense, data engineering, and advanced analytics capabilities within a unified platform.
A quick note on the industry angle. Noticeably, EY is organized by functional expertise rather than by industries (banking, energy, healthcare, etc.). This functional structure is great for sharing information and best practices across the firm. More than ever, the consulting world is seeing similarities across sectors that appear very different at first glance. For example, digital customer experience helps win market share for both banks and hospitals.
EY Office Locations
With over 700 offices worldwide, EY has a presence almost everywhere. Those 700+ offices are sub-divided into 28 regions, in 3 major geographic areas: Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. You can search for any office location here, but from an Americas perspective – some of the biggest EY office locations include:
EY Atlanta
EY Boston
EY Chicago
EY Dallas
EY Houston
EY Los Angeles
EY New York
EY San Francisco
Career Path
Consulting has a flat structure when it comes to on-the-job work with clients. On a given client engagement, everyone chips in on the various workstreams. That said, the levels and promotions at EY follow a systematic progression. As a college graduate, you can expect to join the firm as an Analyst. Performing in that role for a couple years will earn you the Associate title.
The next level (typically post-MBA) is Consultant, which helps you prepare for the Manager job. Manager is where you can expect to start leading and managing workstreams. From there, the senior levels go: Senior Manager, Director, Executive Director, and Partner. Specific titles can vary based on circumstance and practice area, but the Analyst to Partner progression captures the broad brushstrokes.
Here’s the EY career path progression in table form:
Level
Comments / Average Time in Role
Analyst
College graduates / 2 years
Associate
Pre-MBA / 2-3 years
Consultant
Post-MBA / 2-3 years
Manager / Senior Manager
Managerial responsibility / 4-5 years
Director / Executive Director
4-5 years
Partner
Ownership stake in firm
Exit Opportunities
Working at EY opens up a slew of exit opportunities that really depend on the service area you work in. And when you exit EY, you can expect to join your next organization at a higher, VP-type level. This is the case with most consulting firms, as corporate employers place a premium on consulting experience. EY exit opportunities from the Assurance or Tax divisions might include senior accounting or tax officer roles.
On the consulting/strategy side, you can expect to access senior roles on corporate strategy teams. Outside of corporate strategy, many EY strategy professionals go on to work in product, marketing, and operations. It all really depends on how you manage your network and leverage your client contacts while at the firm.
Notable Alumni
As proof of these fantastic exit opportunities, here is a list of just a few of the many notable EY alumni:
Arthur Blank – Co-Founder of Home Depot, Current Owner of the Atlanta Falcons
Andrew Gould – Former CEO of Schlumberger
Chris Kubasik – Former COO of Lockheed Martin
Patricia Woertz – Former CEO of Archer Daniels Midland
Cheryl Gillan – Member of British Parliament, and Former Welsh Secretary of State
Target Schools
The following list of EY undergraduate and MBA target programs below is not exhaustive by any means. These are just some of the top pipelines for EY, so don’t fret if you’re not at one of these!
Undergraduate Level
Amherst College
Barnard College
Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
Claremont Colleges
Colgate University
Cornell University
CUNY Macaulay Honors College
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Georgia Tech
Harvard University
Howard University
MIT
NYU
Northwestern
Princeton
Rice University
Stanford
Tufts University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
University of Texas at Austin
Williams College
Postgraduate Level
CMU Tepper School of Business
Columbia Business School
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
Dartmouth Tuck School of Business
Duke Fuqua School of Business
Emory Goizueta School of Business
Georgetown McDonough School of Business
Harvard Business School
MIT Sloan School of Management
Northwestern Kellogg School of Management
NYU Stern School of Business
Rice Jones Graduate School of Business
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
UCLA Anderson School of Management
University of Michigan Ross School of Business
UPenn Wharton School of Business
USC Marshall School of Business
UT McCombs School of Business
UVA Darden School of Business
Yale School of Management
Diversity Programs
EY does a great job putting a formal structure around the firm’s perspective on diversity. The company’s latest thinking on the topic emphasizes that diversity is a “must have” and not a “nice to have.” As you consider EY in your recruiting journey, be on the lookout for future diversity programs and events, as they are sure to come up. The EY US Executive Committee recently signed the EY Board Diversity Statement.
EY History
Like many other professional services giants, EY came together through the mergers of several legacy firms. For EY, the most important merger happened “across the pond” - between the US and the UK. On the English side were two firms: Whinney, Smith & Whinney, and Broads Paterson & Co. On the American side were another two firms: Ernst & Ernst, and Arthur Young & Co. During the middle decades of the 20th century, these four firms became two pairs through two Anglo-American mergers. Finally, in 1989, Ernst & Whinney merged with Arthur Young & Co. to formally become Ernst & Young.
Primarily an accounting firm in 1989, Ernst & Young invested heavily in its consulting business throughout the 1990s. At first, this expansion ruffled some feathers, as regulators worried about conflicts of interests that might arise. Partly due to this pressure, Ernst & Young carved out its consulting business in an $11B sale to Capgemini in 2000.
The company went on to successfully navigate the turbulence of the global economic downturn in 2008. Then in 2013, Ernst & Young officially became EY, complete with a new tagline: “Building a better working world.” EY brought back its consulting business in a major way via the acquisition of boutique strategy firm, The Parthenon Group, in 2014. That acquisition resulted in EY-Parthenon, the strategy consulting arm of EY. EYP is a smaller, more versatile firm that has the global reach and reputation of EY to back it.
In recent years, EY-Parthenon has increasingly integrated advanced analytics and AI strategy into client offerings, supporting the firm’s broader AI-driven growth trajectory.
EY Culture
EY's culture is built on a straightforward belief. When its people thrive, the firm thrives. That philosophy shows up in how EY structures its work environment, invests in employee development, and approaches everything from work-life balance to global mobility.
EY's core values are integrity, respect, teaming, and energy. These guide every project and relationship, reinforcing a workplace where professionals feel supported to perform at their best. The firm also places a heavy emphasis on psychological safety, encouraging employees to share ideas and take risks without fear of failure.
EY emphasizes personalized development, comprehensive rewards, flexible working options, and the opportunity to build a career with real social impact. For candidates who want more than just a paycheck, that combination matters.
AI Is Reshaping How EY Works
The firm's culture is evolving fast, and AI is the biggest driver. EY's Work Reimagined 2025 survey found that nearly nine out of ten employees now use AI at work, yet only 28% of organizations are positioned to turn AI deployment into high-value outcomes. EY is actively working to be in that top tier. Employees are increasingly expected to up-skill on AI tools and delivery models as the firm integrates technology deeper into client work.
EY Buzzwords, Benefits & Staffing
EY is the only “Big 4” firm that has made Fortune’s 100 Best Companies list for 22 straight years. Translation? Perks! EY offers a total rewards package that provides benefits across several categories. From a financial perspective, you can expect competitive base salary plus variable compensation. EY employees also enjoy plentiful paid time off that increases with tenure.
Other benefit categories include resources for mental and physical health, social impact, and retirement planning. Read about all EY benefits here. When you’re actually working and not enjoying these benefits, EY uses a similar staffing model to other firms. You can expect to work with a staffing department to network around and find projects.
Every consulting firm has its share of buzzwords, and EY folds a lot of theirs into the EY firm values. The values are as follows:
Integrity, Respect, Teaming, and Inclusiveness
Energy, Enthusiasm, and Courage
Relationship building by doing the right thing
EY Interview
EY uses a combination of behavioral and case interviews to assess candidates. If you want the full breakdown on how to crack the case, check out our complete Case Interview Guide. The number of rounds will vary by office and level, but the overall structure is fairly consistent.
What The Process Looks Like
Most candidates move through three main stages. The first is an online assessment, which tests numerical, verbal, and logical reasoning. Some candidates will also encounter a game-based assessment that measures personality traits and abstract thinking. Clear this stage and you'll move into the interview rounds.
The second round typically consists of two back-to-back interviews, each running 30 to 45 minutes. One is behavioral and one is a case interview. These are usually led by EY consultants or managers.
The final round adds a third interview, a group case exercise, where you'll be placed in a small team, given a packet of materials, and asked to analyze and present a recommendation together. This round is led by managers or partners and evaluates both your analytical ability and your teamwork under pressure.
Expect Multiple Formats
Phone, video, and in-person interviews are all part of the process depending on the stage and your location. EY also uses a pre-recorded video component in some rounds. In this format, you'll answer one-way questions via webcam, with around 60 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to record each answer. Treat it exactly as you would a live interview. EY is increasingly using AI to evaluate recorded responses, so your delivery, body language, and clarity all matter.
What EY Is Actually Looking For
EY's behavioral interviews are built on a simple premise: past behavior predicts future performance. Questions will typically start with phrases like "Give an example of" or "Describe a situation when." Check out the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Be specific, be concise, and always close with the outcome.
Beyond past experience, EY has identified six core strengths it looks for across all candidates: Adaptability, Curiosity, Collaboration, Learning Agility, Resilience, and Relationship Building. Think through your strongest stories against each of these before you walk into any round.
EY Salary
The EY salary is competitive to the other Big 4 firms. Pre-MBA grads (Undergraduate and Master’s full-time hires) immediately out of school can expect a base salary of up to $90K/year, not including benefits.
Post-MBA grads (MBA and PhD full-time hires) immediately out of school are looking at up to $175K/year. For more EY salary data, including benefits and bonus numbers, be sure to check out our updated Management Consulting Salaries report.
EY FAQs
What is EY?
EY is a global professional services firm and one of the largest consulting and accounting organizations in the world. It operates as part of the Big Four alongside Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG.
What does EY do?
EY provides consulting, audit and assurance, tax advisory, and strategy and transactions services. The firm advises corporations, governments, and private equity clients on growth strategy, digital transformation, risk management, financial reporting, and deal execution.
What is EY-Parthenon?
EY-Parthenon is EY’s global strategy consulting practice. It focuses on corporate strategy, growth strategy, commercial due diligence, and private equity advisory work, competing more directly with MBB firms on select engagements.
What does EY stand for?
EY stands for Ernst & Young, named after the founders of its legacy firms, Ernst & Ernst and Arthur Young & Co.
How much do EY partners make?
EY partner compensation varies widely by geography and seniority. In the United States, equity partners often earn from several hundred thousand dollars annually to well over one million dollars per year, depending on performance, practice area, and profit share.
How many employees does EY have?
EY has approximately 395,000 employees globally.
Where is EY headquartered?
EY is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Is EY a Big 4?
Yes. EY is one of the Big Four global accounting and professional services firms, alongside Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG.
Conclusion
So, whether you’re interested in a consulting, audit or tax role, EY has a practice area that’s sure to interest you. Candidates who can demonstrate both domain expertise and comfort with emerging technologies - especially AI - will be particularly competitive as EY continues to build its tech-forward brand in the professional services market.
