Are the Big 4 Firms in Singapore Dominated by Foreigners?

Foreigners in Big 4 Accounting Firms: A Growing Concern?

A Redditor recently raised a question in r/SingaporeRaw, wondering if the Big 4 accounting firms in Singapore (PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG) are dominated by foreigners. The discussion was sparked by an interview with a Malaysian woman who became a Singaporean citizen but still identified as Malaysian. She had struggled with local universities, returned to Malaysia to complete her degree, and later secured a job in a Big 4 firm in Singapore.

The concern? If local graduates from NUS, NTU, and SMU go through a more rigorous curriculum but end up competing for the same roles as foreigners from lesser-known universities, is it fair? Or is there simply a manpower shortage in auditing?

"Is the Big 4 industry so short on manpower that they have to rely on hiring foreign talent? It feels unfair that students who grind through four years of a challenging curriculum end up at the same level as those who take an easier path."
— u/Right-Ask5607

Why Are There So Many Foreigners in the Big 4?

1. The Work is Tough & Pay is Low

A common theme in the discussion was that being an auditor is an extremely tough job, leading to high turnover rates.

"If you graduate from NUS / SMU business or accounting, joining the Big 4 is like the last resort. Most people rather be property and insurance agents than join Big 4 audit."
— u/88peons

"Big 4 is very short of junior auditors, so they take in the candidates they can get."
— u/OkeyMousse

"Audit work is shit work. Ask any auditor. It is the repetitive checking and rechecking of documents and following SOPs. You need armies of people who are smart enough to follow SOPs but not so smart that they go insane from doing the same thing every day."
— u/toepopper75

In the past, junior auditors earned around $2K+ a month, but recent reports suggest that starting salaries have increased to about $4.2K. However, many users still felt that for the hours worked, the pay is not worth it.

"My ex was an auditor. I literally picked her up at 3am in Tanjong Pagar because she got 'released early' as a senior. The juniors were still working at the client’s place."
— u/1crab1life

2. Malaysian Graduates Fill the Gap

One of the most upvoted comments stated that Malaysian Chinese dominate the Big 4 firms in Singapore.

"Yes, especially Malaysian Chinese. They totally dominate these firms."
— u/Straight-Sky-311

Another user broke it down:

"The lower percentile of local university grads get into the Big 4, while the top grads get better jobs. The top percentile of Malaysian university grads come to Singapore’s Big 4, while the lower percentile stay in Malaysia and earn in ringgit."
— u/Ninjamonsterz

"Most of the HR directors are Malaysian. A Malaysian HR director will probably hire their own countrymen/women."
— u/FlimsyZombie5357

3. The Nature of the Big 4 Business Model

Although the Big 4 firms have global reputations, many users pointed out that they operate like local SMEs, squeezing employees to maximize profit.

"Big 4 in Singapore is run like an SME, except there are many bosses (partners) who all share the profits. Hence why they are very giam (stingy) and squeeze you dry."
— u/keyboardsoldier

This means that they need a constant supply of fresh graduates who are willing to work long hours for relatively low pay. Since many Singaporean grads avoid Big 4 audit, firms look to Malaysia and other countries to fill vacancies.

Do Singaporean Graduates Lose Out?

The original poster questioned why Singaporean students go through a more rigorous education system, including National Service for men, only to end up competing for jobs with foreigners on the same level.

"Singapore itself is full of foreigners. We go through a more rigorous education with NS, only for us to command the same pay as them (without the 3.5x retirement plan)."
— u/Kamen_Rider_Geats

Others pointed out that theoretical knowledge from universities does not always translate into better performance in the workplace.

"A lot of rigorous shit you learn in universities is irrelevant in the real job, as the woman in the video herself proved."
— u/CheetahGloomy4700

Is the Big 4 Still Worth It?

With long hours, high turnover, and stagnant pay, many Singaporeans now view the Big 4 as a stepping stone rather than a long-term career. Some users believe that the entire industry is outdated and could be replaced by AI.

"I wonder why, in this day and age, accounting (especially auditing) isn't left to AI. It’s all formulaic and follows set standards. Companies don’t trust AI, or they can't cook the books?"
— u/CybGorn

However, others pointed out that AI is still not capable of replacing auditors, as each company has unique cases that require human judgment.

"Traditional AI is too rigid to deal with each company's special circumstances, and large language models hallucinate too much to be trusted."
— u/toepopper75

Final Thoughts

While it may seem unfair that foreigners dominate Big 4 firms in Singapore, the reality is that many locals do not want the job. The long hours, stressful environment, and relatively low pay mean that Malaysian and other foreign grads are often more willing to take up these roles.

At the end of the day, Big 4 firms are businesses—they hire whoever will get the job done at the lowest cost. The real question is: if fewer Singaporeans want to work in Big 4 audit, should we be blaming the firms for hiring foreigners, or is it time to rethink how these jobs are structured?