New breed of auditors are young, rich and looking to travel

Today's auditor is under 40, ambitious with his or her sights set on money and the high salaries of London.

The new image of the accountant emerged as a result of a global survey among auditors from over 35 counties by careersinaudit.com.

The survey found that nearly 90% of auditors are in their 20s and 30s, ambitious and willing to travel, with the bright lights and high salaries of London making it the most popular destination.

Although a majority of those interviewed reside in Europe, 94% would consider working outside their home country with auditors from as far afield as Kazakhstan, Myanmar and Venezuela now heading to Europe to work for the Big Four or take in-house roles.

London was selected as the most attractive city in which to work, closely followed by the glamour of Barcelona and Paris and the Swiss business centres of Geneva and Zurich.

Nearly seventy percent of auditors expect an increase over the next twelve months, with 26% expecting a 20% increase. With two thirds (66%) having experienced a rise of up to 20% in the last 12 months the auditing industry’s ability to attract people from far and wide is set to continue.