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Los Angeles Accountants Sound Like a Content Bunch, Minus the Traffic, Of Course

los angeles accountants survey going concern

A couple of weeks back, we surveyed Los Angeles accountants to find what there is to know about working and living there. If you’re an L.A. accountant, you can still take the survey if you haven’t already, but for now we’ll share what we’ve learned.

Here’s an overview:

  • 53 percent of the respondents who work in L.A. say they have at least some job satisfaction; another 12 percent are totally satisfied with their jobs.
  • The biggest factor in that satisfaction is compensation, with 60 percent saying it contributes to theirs. The next highest factor was learning and development, with 56 percent saying it is a contributor. All the other options we listed — Benefits/Perks, Work-Life Balance, Career Opportunities — were a factor in job satisfaction for over 47 percent of the respondents.
  • Nearly 54 percent of the Los Angeles respondents say their quality of life is either “Good” or “Excellent.”
  • The biggest factor respondents cited for contributing to their quality of life is their commute and the weather. Both were mentioned in 15 percent of the responses.
  • Two-thirds of respondents described the culture of their employer as “hard-working” the highest response by far. The next highest was “quality work” with 49 percent of respondents saying that described their employer’s culture.
  • Our L.A. friends say that flexibility makes for a great culture there, with 21 percent citing it as a factor. Work-life balance was mentioned in 15 percent of responses.
  • Perhaps not surprisingly, 39 percent of the respondents mentioned some element of traffic as their one piece of advice to anyone considering a move to Los Angeles.
  • Overall, 48 percent of the respondents said they like living and working in L.A., and 48% say they had mixed feelings.

Essay responses are always fun and information so we’ll share a few of those too.

Regarding what contributes to quality of life:

Lack of having to commute (I can telecommute with my work). Commuting sucks the life out of people. We aren’t paid enough to live where we work.

What makes for a good culture:

Being trusted to do your job and considered an integral part of the business. The casual business attire.

Benefits & work life balance to enjoy the city

Hardworking but innovative and supportive

Execs actually ensuring a work life balance is realized, not just lip service. Getting employees acquainted, invested, and excited about the product.

Advice for those thinking of moving to L.A.:

Do not expect an opportunity to come your way in entertainment even if you’re gorgeous and talented; further, entertainment accounting <> most entertainment jobs. Entertainment is not necessarily the best industry for accountants here.

Traffic is an inescapable fact. Figure out how to live around it productively

You’ll never afford a house.

You’re going to have to work harder because of staffing issues here

Good stuff all around. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences.

Don’t forget to check out, Gigs, our new page for job listings. There are numerous positions in Southern California, and you can sign up for the email alerts so you’re among the first to know when new opportunities are available.

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