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Job outlook for account leaders in the United States
Account leader job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected account leader job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 81,800 new jobs for account leaders are projected over the next decade.
Account leader salaries have increased 8% for account leaders in the last 5 years.
There are over 14,661 account leaders currently employed in the United States.
There are 135,207 active account leader job openings in the US.
The average account leader salary is $108,843.
Are account leader jobs in demand?
Account leader job and salary trends over time
Account leader jobs over time
Account leader job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,661 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 14,205 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 14,329 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 14,111 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 13,902 | 0.00% |
Average account leader salary over time
Account leader salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $108,843 | $52.33 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $105,869 | $50.90 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $104,315 | $50.15 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $102,613 | $49.33 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $100,838 | $48.48 | +1.4% |
Account leader jobs by state
Most common states for account leaders
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 431 | 62% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 375 | 36% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 267 | 35% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,222 | 30% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,048 | 30% |
| 6 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 580 | 30% |
| 7 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 258 | 30% |
| 8 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 528 | 25% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 186 | 25% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,338 | 24% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 758 | 24% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 251 | 24% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 952 | 23% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 304 | 23% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 194 | 20% |
| 16 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,569 | 19% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 645 | 18% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 103 | 18% |
| 19 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,747 | 17% |
| 20 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,058 | 17% |
Most common cities for account leaders
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 2 | 7% | $90,654 |
| 2 | Juneau | 2 | 6% | $112,751 |
| 3 | Annapolis | 2 | 5% | $95,289 |
| 4 | Dover | 2 | 5% | $108,682 |
| 5 | Hartford | 2 | 2% | $128,002 |
| 6 | Lansing | 2 | 2% | $100,062 |
| 7 | Boston | 6 | 1% | $125,929 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 5 | 1% | $101,274 |
| 9 | Sacramento | 4 | 1% | $135,361 |
| 10 | Minneapolis | 3 | 1% | $94,397 |
| 11 | Baton Rouge | 2 | 1% | $87,962 |
| 12 | Des Moines | 2 | 1% | $77,913 |
| 13 | Little Rock | 2 | 1% | $83,608 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 4 | 0% | $93,676 |
| 15 | Charlotte | 3 | 0% | $110,537 |
| 16 | Denver | 3 | 0% | $86,290 |
| 17 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $115,343 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $121,112 |
Account Leader job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of account leader experts
Manhattan College
Fairfield University
Misericordia University
Case Western Reserve University
DePaul University
DePaul University
Christopher Newport University
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Indiana University Southeast
University of Minnesota
Missouri State University
Bethel University
Susquehanna University
What general advice would you give to an Account Leader?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: First, learn everything about the company you just started working for - its historical path, management, the way it's dealt with crises, etc. Second, learn everything about the specific industry the company belongs to and see how the company has developed relative to the development of the industry domestically and internationally. Third, always be extremely alert to notice new opportunities and be prepared to take calculated risks. That is, actively look for opportunities to complete as many and diverse tasks as possible, and volunteer to complete any type of work regardless of whether it seems relevant to your assigned job or not. Opportunities to learn, grow, and improve and thus to maximize your income, will only come up if you are exposed to diverse situations.
What Account Leader skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: Be open minded. Finance is the broad definition of an industry which provides opportunities for careers in financial consultancy, financial analysis, stock brokerage, foreign investment, modeling, exchange rate forecasts, and many more. While most of those careers are attributed to the banking industry, you can find those and others in other sectors of the economy, such as insurance, technology, health care/medical, government, and so on. So, be open and look beyond the banking sector, examine the current and predicted trends in the economy to hunt for exciting career options.
What general advice would you give to an Account Leader?
John McDermott Ph.D.: To maximize your salary potential, keep learning, investing in your human capital, and expanding your capabilities. Learn as much as you can about your new position and industry, work with a variety of people at your firm, and seek opportunities outside your comfort zone. Your salary potential will increase as you are recognized as a capable and hard working colleague.
What will help Account Leaders increase their earning potential?
Clemens Kownatzki PhD, MBA: As a beginner in any field, it pays to listen more than to talk. Be humble, pay attention, be nice to folks and probably most helpful is having a mentor who can guide you along and show you some best practices for navigating your career. You should take advantage of your education, not just to show a piece of paper that says you graduated but think of every single project, essay or paper that you write as part of a portfolio that demonstrates your skill sets. Especially in finance where we can sometimes be enamored with the beauty of a mathematical model, think about how any model should be applied in the real world. In some cases that might mean that you have to “get your hands on the wheel and learn how to drive.” I am not suggesting that you should put all your savings at risk and buy the next iteration of the latest cryptocurrency, but If you’re interested in a career in investing, put a small amount of money at risk and trade a stock, or if you must trade a few dollars’ worth of Bitcoin or Ether – as much as you would risk for a movie ticket seems reasonable. There are lots of virtual trading apps where you can trade with paper money, but there’s nothing like understanding risk when your own dollars are at stake, even if it’s just a few dollars. You should also absorb all the workshops, seminars and resources available out there. Follow Prof. Aswath Damodaran who has a YouTube Channel and hundreds of spreadsheets with financial models, all for free! Also follow some good content providers on various channels to get additional insights – in the field of finance, you need to be up-to-date on all events because those influence markets and the economy. Be ready to continue learning and update your skills and understanding while you’re working. Education doesn’t end after you finish your degree. All successful people are life-long learners.
Charles Makar
Instructor of BusinessMisericordia University
Business Department
What soft skills should all Account Leaders possess?
Charles Makar: Communications skills (oral and written).
Thomas King
Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, AccountancyCase Western Reserve University
Accountancy Department
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Account Leaders in the next 3-5 years?
Thomas King: I believe critical thinking will be more important than knowledge of any particular technology. Critical thinking means forming defensible conclusions with limited data. As jobs evolve with increasing automation and off-shoring levels, the importance of critical thinking in entry-level employment will rise.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Account Leaders, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Thomas King: Starting salaries vary with accounting graduates, from $50k to six figures. It depends on the particular employer and job. Those students who demonstrate a strong work ethic, networkability, and good communication skills earn attractive salaries.
What general advice would you give to an Account Leader?
Thomas King: Be dependable. Reputations form quickly after people join organizations. A newly hired professional who demonstrates the ability to get things done rapidly and accurately will soon become a "go-to" person when new opportunities arise. Such exposure early in a career is invaluable.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Account Leaders?
Delvin Grant: Yes. I strongly believe coronavirus will have a lasting impact on new graduates. A increasing paradigm shift is taking place as we speak, as some IT-related jobs can be done remotely. I expect the shift to continue until a steady state condition is achieved, when companies feel they have the right mix of remote and face-to-face employment. Some companies may resist the trend, valuing face-to-face over remote working. Face-to-face satisfies a human need to socialize and, in some cultures, much business is done by face-to-face. There is evidence of a paradigm shift as many IT employees work remotely, due to the pandemic. Some companies have realized the shift is here to stay and others take a wait and see attitude. It is hard not to recognize the shift as there are cost saving from office rent, office space, heating, cooling, computing cost, travel costs, etc. The impact will vary by profession. IT and other professions are a natural fit for remote working while others are not. For example, a chemist working in a lab environment cannot work from home as his lab is the only place to mix and experiment with chemicals and chemistry.
What type of skills will young Account Leaders need?
Delvin Grant: The ability to problem solve, which requires an understanding of the problem and a structured approach towards the solution. The ability to apply concepts learned in one discipline to another. Quite often, students are unable to see how a concept translates from one domain to another, and this stifles innovation.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Account Leaders to find work opportunities?
Delvin Grant: It is not about the geographic area but more about the skills they possess. Many MIS/IT-related jobs could be done remotely, if you wanted to pin down areas that will include areas of the USA where technology is heavily used (NY, IL, CA, MA, Huntsville AL, Parts of the Midwest, and the south, with vibrant health care and manufacturing industries. Any where industries require a healthy dose of technology are good locations.
How do you envision technology impacting Account Leaders in the next 5 years?
Delvin Grant: It is always difficult to predict the future impact of tech. However, one area that will increase is the ability to analyze and interpret data. Then use the info to impact strategic and operational decision making. COVID-19 will change how people work. It will not be business as usual, and this requires the ability to work remotely. Therefore, those who master the use of remote technology, and find ways to use it innovatively, will outperform others. This is true for companies and individuals.
Todd Lee Goen
Instructor & Internship DirectorChristopher Newport University
Department of Communication
What technical skills for an Account Leader stand out to employers?
Todd Lee Goen: Technical skills are often industry and/or position specific. Applicants should highlight any technical skills related to the position advertisement and those that add value to the position/organization. Most importantly, requirements for technical skills change with time and technological advances. This means employers value workers capable of adapting to change and continually improving and acquiring new technical skills. Thus, it's usually more important to demonstrate you are capable of learning and developing technical skills than it is to have a specific skill set upon hire (although this is not true for some positions/industries).
That said, technical skills related to online presentations, virtual meetings, virtual networking, remote working and the like are hot commodities right now. While most organizations were in the process of adopting many of these technologies and ways of doing business pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated the process. Organizations are making it work, but they often don't know best practices or the most efficient means of working in the largely virtual, pandemic environment. Post-pandemic, many of the remote/virtual changes the pandemic brought will stay in some form. Technical skills that support this type of workplace will make applicants stand out to many employers because they need/want to do virtual/remote business better.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Leader job market given the pandemic?
Todd Lee Goen: The pandemic is demonstrating that employees can be productive working remotely and with flexible schedules, so we're likely to see more flexible and remote positions emerge in the job market. This will be industry/company/position specific, but these options give employers access to a larger applicant pool (which means a more talented workforce) and allows them to reduce overhead costs of maintaining physical office space.
Relatedly, hiring processes will become more technology-driven. In-person interviews (especially if there are multiple rounds) will be significantly less likely and more organizations will opt for pre-recorded interviews. This started pre-pandemic, but the pandemic will accelerate it. The good news is that as the technology improves the application process should become more efficient and streamlined (e.g., applying with LinkedIn profiles has the potential to become more of a norm).
The job market in recession-proof industries will remain strong, but wages will likely stagnate and may even decrease. Many recession-proof jobs are connected to state and local governments. The pandemic and its associated recession brought decreased tax revenues and increased demands for public expenditures, and state and local governments won't have the funds to support wage growth for the next few years. The job market in recession-intolerant industries will fluctuate for several years and will only stabilize once the economy begins to recover.
One of the key take-aways from the pandemic is that public health systems are inadequate. One possible outcome is that in the next few years there will be a greater number of jobs in the public health sector. Whether or not this happens will largely depend on the length and severity of the current recession as well as funding allocations of governments post-pandemic. Given the US federal government ceded much of the responsibility for responding to the pandemic, expect many of these positions to be with state and local governments. Also, expect many of these will be community/public engagement type positions that focus on communication and relationship building.
What's a good job out of college for Account Leaders?
Todd Lee Goen: Pandemic or no pandemic, the best job out of college is one that sets you on the path to achieve your ultimate career goal(s). Reflect on where you want to be in five or ten years or even twenty-five years. Then consider positions that will set you on the path to achieve that goal. Very few people land their dream job upon graduation - dream jobs are typically those we're not qualified to do without some additional work experience and training. A good job is one that will help you achieve your goal(s) - just don't frame it that way in the interview.
Good jobs pay a livable salary for the location, offer benefits (health insurance and retirement at minimum), and provide professional development opportunities (these can take a variety of forms). Too often, college grads overlook professional development. If an employer isn't willing to invest in you, there's no guarantee you will succeed in the job. Good employers understand they need qualified employees who continually develop their skills and abilities, and good employers will make sure employees have the resources they need to succeed.
What Account Leader skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Celeste Spier Ph.D.: If a student opts to take a gap year, recommended skills to gain include the Naceweb sought by employers according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which are critical thinking, communication, teamwork, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, and global/intercultural fluency. Technical skills are especially powerful in catching the eye of a recruiter in today's job market. Many free resources like EdX and Coursera exist to boost technical skills at no cost. For students who are taking a gap year because they are uncertain of their future career goals, their gap year should focus on exploration and reflection to ensure they end the year with a better sense of direction and next steps.
What general advice would you give to an Account Leader?
Celeste Spier Ph.D.: My advice would focus on three areas. First, adopt a growth/learner mindset. While your college degree has given you a great foundation of knowledge and skills, there is still much to learn. Second, build a community of support. Work (and life) are all about relationships. Put extra focus on building and maintaining strong relationships at work as well as outside of work. Finally, establish healthy work habits. Organizing your work, managing distraction, and getting the important work done (well and on time) are all essential skills for today's employees.
What Account Leader skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Uric Dufrene: First, I would not recommend a gap year. One of the skills that is critically important, regardless of the time period, is adaptability. Learning how to adapt to the circumstances around you is a skill that is valued in the workplace, regardless of the year. This is a key part of problem solving. Solving problems with the conditions and resources on hand will prepare you for a lifelong success in any field. As a graduate develops a reputation for problem solving, they emerge as a "go to" employee and will be seen by others as a leader, in their department or company.
What general advice would you give to an Account Leader?
Geoff Kaufmann: Do your best in school, volunteer, gain leadership experience and see if you can hitch yourself to professor-based research.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Leader job market given the pandemic?
Jerri Lynn Kyle: There are three major lessons I think we have learned from the pandemic that will affect us moving forward in the job market. First, we learned how much we rely on technology. Second, we learned how capable technology is in allowing us to change our "business as usual" operation, adapt, and continue to move forward. Third, we learned in most cases, that working remotely does not result in lower workplace productivity. We have digitized every industry to some degree, and we are not going back!
What we have gained in innovative ways to reach our stakeholders will continue in some way. Now, how does that translate to the job market? Digital literacy. There will be an increased need for digital communication strategists in every industry. The need for people who can design, develop, and maintain platforms will grow, with an increased emphasis on analysis of performance and results. We are a data driven society, and digital communication provides the data needed for strategists to help organizations accomplish their goals.
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.
Associate Provost - Innovation and Partnerships, Program Director/Professor, Ed.D. Leadership in Higher EducationBethel University
Education Leadership
What skills will help Account Leaders earn the most?
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.: For educational leaders, I'm not convinced discrete skills equate to salary. Working hard and working well with others, with a disposition of humility and curiosity, is really powerful. Perhaps the combination of soft and hard skills gained through diverse experiences, positions, and institutional contexts results in the highest earning potential.
Mike Ozlanski Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of AccountingSusquehanna University
Department Accounting
What general advice would you give to an Account Leader?
Mike Ozlanski Ph.D.: Technical accounting skills are necessary but not sufficient to thrive in the profession. Young professionals should seek professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge base for data analytics, artificial intelligence, and digital assets. Knowledge of ESG reporting will also become more important, especially with the new SEC rules about climate-related disclosures.
What Account Leader skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mike Ozlanski Ph.D.: In addition to cultivating the previously mentioned skills, young professionals should seek professional licensing and certifications. The CPA license is still a highly regarded credential in the industry, so earning it early in your career is important. Many other professional certifications and micro-credentials can also enhance a person’s CPA license.
What will help Account Leaders increase their earning potential?
Mike Ozlanski Ph.D.: It is honestly an exciting time to enter the accounting profession as it harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their work. Continue to work hard and learn as much as you can, especially about the role of article intelligence and other emerging technologies in the field. Additionally, I recognize that many organizations offer hybrid work arrangements, but there is still tremendous value in having opportunities to connect with team members and clients at in-person meetings. Lean into these opportunities to physically gather with others and never underestimate the value of in-person connections.