An associate is a professional that a company employs, while a partner is a professional who usually owns part of the company. Associate roles at companies are usually entry-level in nature. They are starting positions that give the employee the ability to grow and be promoted within the company.

How To Become A Partner: What It Is and Career Path

Q: How hard is it to become a partner at a Big 4 company?

Yes, it's hard to become a partner at a Big Four company. Becoming a partner at a Big Four firm is highly competitive because of the perceived status, undoubted financial rewards, and an endorsement of one's skills and experience in the accounting profession that comes with working as a partner in a Big Four company.

Q: How long does it take to become a partner at Big 4?

It takes 15 to 20 years to become a partner at Big Four. When starting your career, it may take several years of work experience before landing an entry-level position at a Big Four. After that, it takes at least ten to 15 additional years of Big Four managerial experience before being eligible for a partnership at a Big Four.

Q: How long does it take to become a partner?

It takes ten to 15 years to become a partner. This is the time it takes for someone to typically become a partner at the Big Four, either at the national or regional firm. This does not include the time needed to earn a college degree.

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a silent partner?

The pros of being a silent partner include less responsibility and effortless investing, while the cons are legal risk, financial risk, and zero influence in the activities of the business in which you partner.

Q: What does it mean to be made a partner?

To be a partner means that you go from being an employee of the firm (and being paid a salary) to becoming a part-owner of the firm and sharing in the firm's profits (and liabilities). However, this is not always the case. Because of changes in the law industry, what it means to be a partner has changed.

What is a partner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A partner holds ownership and responsibility in a business, typically in a partnership or professional services firm. They are responsible for managing the operations of the business, making strategic decisions, and ensuring financial success. Partners often have specialized skills and knowledge in a particular industry or field. They work with partners and senior management to set goals and objectives for the organization and are held accountable for achieving them.

ScorePartnerUS Average

Salary

5.9

Avg. Salary $76,119

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.5

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 37.70%

male 62.30%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress Level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Partner?

Pros

Access to different skills, knowledge, and experience
Diverse perspectives and ideas
Better networking and business opportunities
Increased credibility and reputation
Potential tax benefits

Cons

Potential conflicts and disagreements
Risk of unequal contribution or effort
Difficulty in finding the right partner(s)
Dependence on partner(s) for decision-making and actions
Increased legal and financial liability

Key steps to become a partner

Explore partner education requirements

Most common partner degrees

Bachelor's

58.8 %

Master's

11.0 %

Doctorate

10.9 %

Start to develop specific partner skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	15.57%
Customer Service	14.27%
Healthcare	7.63%
Patient Care	7.22%
Project Management	5.26%

Complete relevant partner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New partners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a partner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real partner resumes.

Research partner duties and responsibilities

Negotiate interim management agreement for LLC on behalf of managing member in dispute with several other members who invest in company.
Operate and manage a boutique technology and business consultancy with nationwide operating breadth.
Practice all aspects of intellectual property law and manage this boutique intellectual property law practice.
Accomplish matrimonial and defense litigation interrogatory consolidation, memos, motions and other court filings for senior partner.

Prepare your partner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your partner resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a partner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Partner Resume templates

Build a professional Partner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Partner resume.

Apply for partner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a partner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do partners rate their job?

1/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Partner reviews

1.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

Independence in working when I want and litigating cases I want to handle.

Cons

Business development sucks. Hard to have a life, litigate a full caseload, and then be expected to bring in new clients constantly. The business side is horrible for those who just want to practice law.

What is a partner and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a Partner?

Partner career paths

Key steps to become a partner

Explore partner education requirements

Most common partner degrees

Start to develop specific partner skills

Complete relevant partner training and internships

Research partner duties and responsibilities

Prepare your partner resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Partner Resume templates

Apply for partner jobs

How Did You Land Your First Partner Job

Average partner salary

How do partners rate their job?

Partner reviews

Partner FAQs

How hard is it to become a partner at a Big 4 company?

How long does it take to become a partner at Big 4?

How long does it take to become a partner?

What are the pros and cons of being a silent partner?

What does it mean to be made a partner?

Associate vs Partner

Search for partner jobs

Partner jobs by state