2026 Rosenberg Survey: 7 Things You Need to Know

Now in its 28th year, the 2026 Rosenberg Survey (compiled by The Growth Partnership) is out and brimming with data and trends for the industry.

This year’s survey includes new information on participating firms with and without private equity investment. Among participating firms with less than $20M in revenue, only one reported a private equity investment. There were six firms with more than $20M in revenue in that category (about 8%).

Here are some key observations that can help you evaluate how your firm performed compared with others. As a reminder, the 2026 survey is reporting on 2025 results.

(1) Annual growth dropped a touch from the prior year, to 7.6% from 7.9% in the previous survey. The 2023 and 2024 survey results remain high-water marks at 10.7% each. It’s worth noting that the vast majority of this year’s growth was organic (7.0% of the total 7.6%), consistent with the 7.0% organic growth rate reported by Inside Public Accounting in its 2026 Top 500 report for both PE-backed and non-PE-backed groups.

(2) Income per partner (IPP), a key profitability metric, rose to $640,000, up from $615,000 in the 2025 survey. For firms >$5M in revenue, the average percentage increase in IPP was similar to the growth rate of 7%. Firms <$5M saw a decrease in IPP to $359k from $463k. However, the 2024 survey reported $371k, suggesting the 2025 survey results may have been an unusual year.

(3) Margin emphasis still needs to be paired with earnings emphasis. Targeting improvement in income as a percentage of revenue is generally a good thing to do. But getting caught up in chasing margin without also monitoring the dollars in IPP can be misguided. The 2026 Rosenberg Survey gives this example:

• Firm A: $800k income per partner, with partner income at 22.4% of revenue
• Firm B: $364k income per partner, with partner income at 47.4% of revenueAs we like to say, “You can’t take a percentage to the bank.” So be sure you are monitoring not only those percentages but also the dollars that go along with them.

(4) Revenue per FTE, another metric that correlates highly with profitability, is up notably after being down in the 2025 survey compared to 2024. The average for all firms over $2M in revenue sits at $222,000. The 2025 survey reported an average of $210,000. This well-rounded metric was #2 this year in its correlation with profitability. The top quartile of performers in this metric posted a strong $283k in revenue per FTE with a corresponding IPP of $878k.

(5) Billing rates impact profitability more than market size. Firms can achieve strong billing rates even if they are working in a market area with a small population. Firms in the top quartile of billing rates (ranked by income per partner) have average billing rates ranging from $494 per hour in small-population markets (<250,000 people) to $609 per hour in large-population markets (>2 million people). But the lowest quartile posts average rates of $276–$325 per hour. That means there are firms in small-population markets charging $494 per hour and firms in large-population markets charging $325 per hour. Your location isn’t an automatic excuse to bill less.

To connect more dots, those top-quartile firms have an income per partner ranging from $717k (>250k population) to $955k (over 2M population). Meanwhile, income per partner at the lowest-quartile firms ranges from $398k to $589k. Strength in pricing is critical to profitability.

(6) New partner compensation is up. Average new partner compensation is at $285k, up from $257k. Buy-in results were varied, with firms <$10M showing lower buy-ins ($5k–$10k below 2025 survey results) and firms >$10M up about $15k. The average buy-in for all firms >$2M was $131k.

(7) Billable hours for professional staff continued their downward trend. Firms over $20M achieved slightly higher results than in the prior survey, at an average of 1,342 hours vs. 1,336 in 2025. The data shows that firms <$20M continue to record a touch more billable hours per staff member, with averages ranging from 1,345 to 1,366.

Looking back to 2021, only 30% of staff were logging fewer than 1,400 billable hours a year. In 2026, that figure has more than doubled to 62%.

The continued advances in AI will pose challenges for firms that bill a substantial amount by the hour. Better billing practices, measures of productivity, and ways to capture more of the value provided to clients are essential to keep up with industry trends and achieve desired profitability.

The Rosenberg Survey is a trusted resource for accounting firms seeking to sharpen their competitive edge, identify growth opportunities, and enhance operational efficiency. With years of deep insights into the profession, the Rosenberg Survey has become one of the most respected tools in accounting, providing benchmarks in profitability, growth, billing rates, and turnover.

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Questions to consider as you plan for 2027

While there is a lot to unpack here, and even more in the full survey, the data’s true value is in what you do with the new information. It’s about how you step up to make changes and continue to progress as a firm toward your vision for economic success. To do so, consider discussing the following with your leadership group.

1. Which metrics does our firm perform best on?
   • What else can we do in these areas to continue to take advantage of our strengths? This is often the easiest and most profitable play a firm can make.
2. Which metrics show areas in which we are well below average?
   • Why is our performance different from that of our peers?
   • What can and should we do to improve in these areas?
   • What will we do differently next year to make real change, even if it’s difficult?
3. What industry trends (metrics or otherwise) do we need to keep up with to stay competitive and meet our firm’s goals?
   • Setting goals may be your first stop here if you’re not doing so formally. Accountability for meeting those goals is next.

Get all the data

If you’re curious about staff compensation, buyout multiples, equity partner compensation by firm size, and other more granular data, the Rosenberg Survey has it for you.

Available again this year is the option to purchase the raw data Excel file. There are 168 data fields (columns) × 260 participating firms, yielding over 40,000 data points. If you can’t wait to slice and dice the information to your heart’s content, this is for you!

What is the data telling you? Click here to buy the 2026 Rosenberg Survey.

Note: All charts, tables, and data are from the 2026 Rosenberg Survey. The Growth Partnership compiles the Rosenberg Survey. This is the 28th year of the survey, which reports on 2025 data.