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Accounting analyst job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected accounting analyst job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 81,800 new jobs for accounting analysts are projected over the next decade.
Accounting analyst salaries have increased 8% for accounting analysts in the last 5 years.
There are over 85,705 accounting analysts currently employed in the United States.
There are 81,097 active accounting analyst job openings in the US.
The average accounting analyst salary is $58,399.
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 85,705 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 84,122 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 84,872 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 82,594 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 81,437 | 0.02% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,399 | $28.08 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $56,804 | $27.31 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $55,970 | $26.91 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $55,057 | $26.47 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $54,104 | $26.01 | +1.4% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 505 | 73% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 207 | 22% |
| 3 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,058 | 19% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,444 | 17% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,197 | 17% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 945 | 16% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 835 | 15% |
| 8 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 504 | 14% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 429 | 14% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 146 | 14% |
| 11 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,611 | 13% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 519 | 13% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 405 | 13% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 174 | 13% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 140 | 13% |
| 16 | Alaska | 739,795 | 97 | 13% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,676 | 12% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 859 | 12% |
| 19 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 817 | 12% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 74 | 12% |
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 2 | 2% | $62,562 |
| 2 | Boston | 6 | 1% | $62,597 |
| 3 | Denver | 5 | 1% | $56,309 |
| 4 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $50,371 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | 2 | 1% | $50,891 |
| 6 | Grand Rapids | 2 | 1% | $57,818 |
| 7 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $44,510 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City | 2 | 1% | $55,114 |
| 9 | Tallahassee | 2 | 1% | $44,618 |
| 10 | Chicago | 5 | 0% | $60,660 |
| 11 | Baltimore | 3 | 0% | $58,181 |
| 12 | Detroit | 3 | 0% | $58,494 |
| 13 | New York | 3 | 0% | $68,207 |
| 14 | Philadelphia | 3 | 0% | $53,094 |
| 15 | San Diego | 3 | 0% | $63,582 |
| 16 | San Francisco | 3 | 0% | $72,395 |
| 17 | Charlotte | 2 | 0% | $54,946 |
| 18 | Oakland | 2 | 0% | $72,331 |
SUNY College at Old Westbury
Manhattan College
Methodist University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Fairfield University
Siena College
Lynn University
Bucknell University
Ferrum College
Skyline College
Muhlenberg College
Keith Kerr Prof.: There are two approaches to maximizing your salary potential, but only one approach that is completely under our control. While we can learn the best ways to approach employers to advocate for raises and promotions, the outcome of this is dependent on many external factors. What you can control, however, is how you manage the money that you do make. Taking the time to make a detailed budget of your income, expenses and debts allows one to find ways to control their spending, thus generating extra cash for saving and investing each month.
Keith Kerr Prof.: There are two basic ways that most people in the US find financial success: Either find a job that pays a high salary, or find a career that you love, regardless of the salary, and make a habit of saving and investing part of your income each month starting with your first paycheck.
If you invest only $90 a month starting at 21 and ending at retirement, you would have a bit over 1 million dollars (assuming a 10% annual gain). Wait just 5 years and start doing this at 26 and your 5 years of time will have cost you $400,000 by retirement. This is the power of compounding. Start early and even with a lower salary, you still can find financial success while pursuing careers that are meaningful to you.
Keith Kerr Prof.: Grant writing is perhaps the most important skill for sociology majors to acquire. Not all sociology programs offer such skills (luckily my department at Quinnipiac does), but all sociology programs offer courses in research methodology. These skills are all skills that are needed to successfully write grants.
More so, with the research skills and practice in grant writing, one is in a position to approach potential employers as a hire that will more than pay for itself in the grant money that the potential employee can bring into the organization.
Patrick O'Brien: Currently, the demand for accountants is higher than the supply of accounting majors coming out of college. As a result, this is allowing students and other accounting professionals their pick of the type of firm, company, industry, etc. for which they would want to work. Additionally, the salaries in the profession are increasing because the talent pool is smaller than the number of jobs available.
Patrick O'Brien: No matter the field of accounting that one goes into, each one has its own type of “busy season”. These busy seasons generally require an accountant to work more hours than a typical 40-hour work week for a set period of time. While the hours can be intense, they are usually predictable, so the accountant can plan accordingly. In terms of what people usually like about being an accountant, there are a number of factors. The main one is that it is a career (rather than a job) with a clear path for advancement and promotion (generally, speaking). With this, there comes a level of career stability that many other professions and jobs cannot provide. Additionally, it has often been said that the accounting profession is “recession proof”. During poor economic periods, accountants tend to experience less career disturbances than other professions. Lastly, every business needs an accountant! This allows accountants the opportunity to break into any industry or company that they desire. Many professionals begin as accountants within an organization and have incredible upward mobility (whether as accountants or not). Accountants see most aspects and operations of an organization, so this knowledge and understanding makes them excellent top-level executives.
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.
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.
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: Skills in research, programming, and modeling. Research skills are difficult to develop and many students don't have the patience or even the desire to acquire them. But they are critical for careers in finance and remain a top set of skills for employers. Programming and modeling helps with decision making by reducing (potentially) the degree of economic and market uncertainties as well as with forecasts. So definitely invest time in learning and continuously developing research and programming skills in the career niche you are pursuing.
Amir Moeini Chaghervand PhD, CMA: I would advise a graduate beginning their career in the field to focus on continuous learning and skill development. The accounting field is constantly evolving, so staying up-to-date with industry trends and regulations is crucial for success.
Amir Moeini Chaghervand PhD, CMA: In the next 3-5 years, I believe skills related to data analytics, technology proficiency, and communication will become more important in the accounting field. As technology advances, accountants will need to be proficient in data analysis and interpretation, as well as effective communication to convey complex financial information.
Dr. Mfon Akpan CGMA: An accountant day-to-day can vary depending on the role, and accounting is a very broad field. So the way that I would answer this question is when you're thinking of getting into the accounting field, think about if you're the type of person that likes to sit at your desk, you don't like to interact with a lot of people or move around or have to travel, or if you're the person that likes to move around, you don't want to be sitting at your desk for a long period of time doing work at a computer. Also, so that could mean if you're the type of person that will be a tax associate. So if you're a tax associate during busy season, you may be in the office, you may be at your desk, you may be working 60 hours a week. If you work in internal audit, for example, you may be moving all around, speaking with people, performing your risk assessment, doing tests. So you may move around quite a bit and you may not be in your office as much. So I think one thing to consider is that accounting is a very broad field and you can work in various aspects of the field and in different industries, which can have drastically different day-to-days. The other thing to think about is as an accountant or entering the field, we're just talking about the field of accounting, which is very broad. You also have to think about adjacent fields. So if you work in finance, if you work as a financial advisor in the financial services field, you can work in banking, investment bank. So you can move into many of these adjacent fields as well. So that's also something to think of when entering the field of accounting or entering the profession. Very broad, very dynamic, very interesting, very flexible. Additionally, your role might mean being a tax associate. During the busy season, you could find yourself in the office, at your desk, working sixty hours a week. Conversely, if you work in internal audit, you might be moving around a lot, speaking with people, performing risk assessments, and conducting tests, which means you might not be in your office as much. It's important to recognize that accounting is a very broad field, offering various roles across different industries, each with drastically different day-to-days. When considering a career in accounting, also consider adjacent fields like finance. As a financial advisor or working in financial services, opportunities extend to banking and investment banking. This flexibility makes the field dynamic, interesting, and very broad, suitable for those looking for diverse career paths.
Dr. Mfon Akpan CGMA: What people like and dislike about being an accountant. I think from the education standpoint, being a professor, many of the students do not like the numbers and the jargon. So you've got to really learn the language of an accountant and you have to contend with the math. So I think those are things that many students do not like. The other thing that there's a dislike about could be that depending on what area you work in are the hours, so there could be issues with work-life balance, and then issues with pay.
Dr. Mfon Akpan CGMA: Accounting is a great field to enter right now because, number one, of the broad spectrum of areas in accounting. So you could work in tax, you can work in audit, you can work in fraud if you want to focus on financial reporting, managerial accounting. There's so many areas that you can move into with accounting as well as industries. So you can be an accountant, or let's say, for example, you could be an internal auditor in the healthcare industry or for government or for a university. So you can maneuver into different industries if you'd like. So there's that flexibility within the profession. The other thing that I think we don't talk about is the adjacent fields that you can enter into in accounting, working in finance, marketing, in other area of business with your accounting education. You can move into those easily because, again, accounting is the language of business.
Kristen Thompson PhD, CPA, CMA: Accounting is an excellent profession to enter now because, more than ever, there is a huge demand for accountants. Accountants entering the profession have a lot of power in the market. Many employers are willing to negotiate salary, benefits, and flexibility in attempts to attract and retain talented individuals. Firms are also relying on the next generations of accountants to keep the firm current when it comes to things like data analytics and the use of AI. There are an incredible amount of possibilities in the accounting field, with the opportunities continuing to grow to include many activities outside the classic stereotype of accounting.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Accounting And Related Services
Prof James Holland: Communication, Excel, and problem solving skills.
Prof James Holland: Listen and learn all you can, focus on improving with a goal toward excellence. Always be willing to help others.
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.
John McDermott Ph.D.: Be enthusiastic, work hard, and treat every assignment as a chance to learn and showcase your abilities. Seek out new and exciting opportunities, this will provide you the opportunity to expand your skill set and above all to help your company move forward.
James Lawson: The ability to leverage AI (artificial intelligence). There is a lot of discussion regarding the impact of AI on society, but AI is another tool that accountants can use to complete their tasks and add value to their client relationships.
Siena College
Finance And Financial Management Services
Feng Dong: As an entry level job, a junior finance analyst’s work primarily involves supporting senior analysts and managers through various tasks. This includes gathering and organizing financial data from multiple sources, conducting preliminary analyses based on the financial tools and software, and preparing the reports and presenting them to the senior analysts. Meanwhile, the job also requires some administrative tasks such as organizing financial documents and routine works such as maintaining some basic financial models. The main purpose of this position is to help the junior analysts develop their knowledge and skills within some specific industries/areas, get familiar with the financial regulations and market trends, and generate enough practical experiences.
Feng Dong: Finance analysts often appreciate the clear career growth and opportunities in the field. There are well-defined paths for advancing to senior roles like Finance Manager, Director of Finance, or CFO. You can work in different industries and specialize in specific areas, which opens up a wide range of career options. You get to shape your career based on your interests and strengths. Plus, the pay is quite competitive. Finance analysts usually receive high salaries, benefits, and performance-based bonuses. Also, finance analysts are getting to work with advanced financial software, data analytics tools, and cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning. It keeps the work interesting and innovative. However, the pressure can be intense, with tight deadlines and the huge impact financial decisions can have on a company's performance. It can be especially tough for newcomers. And the long hours are a common complaint. During critical financial reporting periods, work-life balance can take a hit with extra hours, including evenings and weekends. Some roles and industries are particularly demanding during budgeting and auditing seasons. On top of that, technical issues with financial software and tools can be a major headache. And with technology constantly evolving, you need to keep up and keep learning, which can be demanding.
David Spohn DBA, MBA, MJUR, CWM®: Entering the profession of a finance analyst is particularly promising at present due to several global economic factors. The increasing complexity of financial markets, coupled with regulatory changes and technological advancements, creates a strong demand for skilled analysts who can navigate and interpret these dynamics. Furthermore, the growth of big data and advanced analytics tools has expanded the scope and depth of analyses possible, making this role critical for companies looking to leverage data-driven strategies for competitive advantage. Finance analysts are essential in crafting strategies that mitigate risks and maximize returns, which is pivotal in today's volatile economic environment.
David Spohn DBA, MBA, MJUR, CWM®: Likes:
- Intellectual Stimulation: Many finance analysts enjoy the challenge of solving complex financial puzzles and deriving insights from data. The role often requires staying updated with the latest economic trends and financial theories, providing continuous learning opportunities.
- Impact on Decision-making: Analysts often take pride in the fact that their work directly influences strategic business decisions. This can be highly rewarding, especially when their recommendations lead to successful outcomes.
- Career Opportunities: The field offers numerous pathways for career advancement. Analysts can ascend to roles in senior management, specialize in particular sectors such as fintech or healthcare, or move into investment roles.
Dislikes:
- High Pressure: The role can be highly stressful, with tight deadlines and significant implications tied to their analyses and recommendations. Financial markets are dynamic, and the pressure to provide accurate, timely insights can be intense.
- Monotony in Initial Stages: New entrants might find the work initially repetitive as they learn the ropes of data collection and basic analysis techniques. The intellectual rewards and more engaging tasks often come with increased responsibility.
- Work-Life Balance: Depending on the employer and the state of the market, long hours can be common, especially during financial reporting periods or significant market changes, which can impact work-life balance.
Clemens Kownatzki PhD, MBA: To be successful today requires essentially the same basic skills and behaviors that made people successful in the past. It’s a lot about who you know, not what you know. Having some basic skills is a necessary condition but it’s not sufficient. You have to be a good communicator, have to be likeable and be a good team player. And to do those things, you need to be around people enough, develop the most important social skills and remember the important things you learned in kindergarten. Show up on time, do what you say and not say what you do and be nice to people. Essentially the golden rule: “Do unto others…” But there are also some important practical things you should do. Think about getting a CFA license or others like CAIA, CMA, CPA, FRM etc. These professional designations won’t hurt you, they can be a requirement in some jobs or at least a differentiator as you apply for jobs. You can also take the Securities Industry Examination as a precondition to getting the more recognized Series 7, 63, 65 etc. But also consider some very easy things like getting certified with the Bloomberg Market Concepts. If your business school has a Bloomberg terminal (we’re lucky because we have 4 terminals), it’s a self-paced exam that’s free on the Bloomberg terminal. Also think about joining some associations to help with getting to know people in positions. You have to network every day and keep on working that network constantly. Lastly, don’t be afraid to negotiate. Yes, it is a competitive industry and there’s always more than just a handful applying for a position but you should know your worth. While you’re networking and having conversations with executives through your network, find out what reasonable expectations should be for the work being delivered.
Clemens Kownatzki PhD, MBA: In the past five years, almost every conversation I had with executives looking to hire new finance graduates included the word Python. A couple of decades ago it was all about Excel skills, Pivot tables, and SQL but the expectation today is that finance graduates have some basic skills in statistics and data science and know Python. And the most popular and widely accepted programming language today is Python (and R depending on who you talk to). It may be something else in five years but for now, learn Python. And it’s been easier than ever before to get a basic grasp of the important elements of this language with a tool that is free, as opposed to many other tools like SQL, SAAS, Matlab, and Stata that cost money and have a declining adoption in the industry. With a wider adoption of AI, it is increasingly about efficiency. How can you create a financial model for a project faster than before? What took 8 hours to write the code for a sophisticated model, might only take 30 minutes or less today. Learning how to use AI as an efficiency and productivity tool will be essential. And lastly, you still have to understand concepts well and use your critical thinking skills to be successful in any field. Let’s not forget, ChatGPT is not intelligent, it’s just a probability box that’s all; but it can help a knowledge worker to be incredibly efficient and productive.
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.
Amy Kass CPA, MBA: My advice to a graduate beginning a career in the accounting industry is to take advantage of as many new learning opportunities and work-related experiences as possible. The accounting industry offers accountants many specialized areas to choose a career path in, so using those learning opportunities and work-related experiences will help graduates choose which area in the accounting industry they'd like to work in while expanding their skills on their resume, their confidence, and ultimately their salaries. A great way to access a variety of work-related experiences is to work at a public accounting firm.
Amy Kass CPA, MBA: The three skills I think that will become more important and prevalent in the next three to five years in the accounting industry will include: technical skills, regulatory knowledge, and written and oral communication skills. The technical skills and the regulatory knowledge skills areas are constantly changing, so there's always something new to learn that will benefit your role in the industry.
Dr. Amber Lawson CPA: It really depends on what area of 'accounting' someone goes into when they enter the field. That's the beauty of having an accounting degree and, especially, a CPA license - Your possibilities are endless! If you'd like a more predictable schedule, you could enter the field as a staff accountant at a corporation, learning their internal financial processes and doing tasks like assisting with budgeting and reconciliations or perhaps tax compliance. If you'd enjoy a job with more variety, you could enter the field through public accounting specializing in auditing, tax, or consulting. An accountant in that role would be more client-facing and would have a different day-to-day set of responsibilities that are part of a large team effort to serve client needs.
Timothy Egan M.S. Marketing: -Research the company well for your first job as it will impact the way you feel about full-time employment. -Your first job won't be your last job. Use it to learn about yourself and an environment you can thrive in -Don't be afraid to move for a job opportunity or a second one for the first few years. Because if you want a spouse/partner, children, pets and a home it will be harder to explore the world with all those responsibilities. -If you want to work 100% remotely that can be good/flexible for a young professional, but you make yourself vulnerable to layoffs and disconnection. Having face time with management and coworkers builds an important rapport. Hybrid is better than remote
Timothy Egan M.S. Marketing: -Understanding finance and how it impacts the operations of where you work, can help you have great insight into new opportunities or see the writing on the wall in tough times. -Don't be afraid to learn new technologies, especially ones that collect data. Enhance your tech-based skills as that will increase your value to the organization where you work and the business community at large. -Learn Spanish. While globalization may have you think about learning an Asian language, the Spanish speaking market is the faster growing in the US and has been since 2010.
Timothy Egan M.S. Marketing: -Under promise and over deliver. -Know your value, self-assess your skills, your knowledge and your role. Understand when and when not a company can give increases. -Build an internal support system. Make sure you have people who will go to bat for you when you want to move up internally. -After succeeding don't be afraid to ask for an increase. -And remember, stay humble. The minute you think you know everything; you haven't learned anything.
Ferrum College
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
Dr. Karen Carpenter: This field is wide open. Decide the population you want to work with and what space you want to be in. Certifications are very valuable to get employed immediately virtually anywhere in the country. Our discipline has the power to save lives. It is an extremely rewarding profession.
Abbie Daly PhD, CPA: Accounting is often referred to as the "language of business" because accountants communicate financial information. So communication is an integral part of an accountant's day. For example, auditors and tax preparers meet with their clients to understand their financial information, and accountants at organizations prepare and communicate financial information to guide strategic decisions. To facilitate these communications, accountants analyze and interpret many data points. For example, in auditing the revenue recognized by a company, an auditor would examine the underlying transactions, contracts, and supporting documentation.
Skyline College
Accounting And Related Services
Tony Viertel: We are looking for insights into what Accounting majors can expect at their jobs.
Ermira Mazziotta MBA, CPA, CFE: Understand what is one skill that is needed, example cyber security, understanding and utilizing Ai and invest on learning that skill. Become the person with the answers that helps your team reach their goals.
Amber Lawson CPA: Two skill sets that are going to continue to gain importance in the field in the next 3-5 years will be the knowledge of and openness to using artificial intelligence and data analytics tools and a well-honed set of soft skills. While those two things may seem counterintuitive, they each will have their place in the industry. Undeniably, technological advancement will continue to change the approach to data-driven fields, like accounting. Being positioned to harness that technology to create efficiency in combination with your technical knowledge will propel you in your career and allow you to adapt to those changes. In regards to soft-skills, as we see more of the "data processing" aspect of the field being completed with efficient forms of technology, the job of the professional will need to change. Accountants, in particular, will need to fulfill a trusted business advisor role more so than a data input role. Being able to think critically, communicate efficiently, evoke confidence and collaboration among your teams and your clients, and just generally "humanize" the financial information industry will be crucial for being successful in the long term.