Accounting recruits earlier than almost any other field. Big 4 firms opened many summer 2027 internship windows more than a year ahead, and some offices filled seats during the 2025-26 school year. If that sentence just ruined your afternoon, keep reading, because the early Big 4 wave is only one slice of the market and the rest of it recruits this fall.
The 2027 accounting timeline, by firm type
| Firm type | When they recruit for 2027 | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Big 4 (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) | Opened early, reopens by office through fall 2026 | Postings appear office by office as headcount firms up. Check weekly, apply immediately. Full breakdown in our Big 4 guide. |
| Large national firms (RSM, BDO, Grant Thornton, Baker Tilly, Crowe) | Fall 2026 | Recruit closer to the start date than the Big 4. This fall is their main 2027 wave. |
| Regional and local firms | Fall 2026 through early 2027 | Least competitive, most flexible on class year and GPA. Often better hands-on work too. |
| Industry and government accounting | Fall 2026 into spring 2027 | Corporate accounting teams, state auditors and agencies post latest of all. |
Winter vs summer: the busy-season question
Accounting is unusual in offering two internship seasons. Winter internships run January through March or April, right through audit and tax busy season. Summer internships run June through August, when public accounting is comparatively quiet.
Busy season is the real job. You'll see actual deadlines, actual client pressure and what staff life is genuinely like, and firms know a busy-season intern who still wants the offer is a safer hire. If your school's schedule allows a spring co-op or a light spring semester, the winter internship is the stronger play. If not, summer is completely standard and converts to offers all the same.
What accounting interns get paid
Most US accounting internships pay hourly. Regional firms commonly pay in the low $20s, and Big 4 and large national firms roughly $25 to $35 an hour depending on the city. Winter interns often work paid overtime during busy season, which pushes real earnings above the sticker rate. Postings on the board below show the pay range when the firm publishes one.
How to actually get one
Accounting hiring runs on campus pipelines more than any tech field. Go to your school's Meet the Firms night, join Beta Alpha Psi or the accounting society if you have one, and get your resume in front of the campus recruiter by name. A warm introduction at a recruiting event plus an application the same week is the standard path into interviews.
On the application itself: keep the resume to one page, put your GPA on it if it's 3.3 or above, and have an answer ready for how you'll reach 150 credit hours. Firms hire interns they expect to convert to full-time CPAs, so the credit-hour question comes up in nearly every interview.
Accounting internships open now
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Frequently asked questions
When should I apply for a 2027 accounting internship?
Now through fall 2026. Big 4 firms opened many summer 2027 windows a full year or more ahead and some offices have already filled seats. Mid-tier and regional firms recruit later, mostly fall 2026 through early 2027. Winter busy-season internships for January 2027 recruit in fall 2026.
What do accounting interns get paid?
Most accounting internships in the US pay hourly, commonly in the low-to-mid $20s at regional firms and roughly $25 to $35 an hour at Big 4 and large national firms, varying by city. Busy-season interns often work paid overtime, which can push effective pay higher.
Should I do a winter (busy season) or summer internship?
Winter internships show you the real job. January through April is audit and tax busy season, so you see the actual pace of public accounting, and firms convert busy-season interns to offers at high rates. Summer is friendlier for class schedules. If your program allows a spring co-op, busy season is the stronger signal.
Do I need a 150-credit plan or CPA eligibility for an internship?
Not for the internship itself, but firms prefer candidates on a path to CPA eligibility because internships feed full-time offers. Expect interviewers to ask how you plan to reach 150 credits. A clear answer, like a masters in accounting or an extra undergrad year, is enough.