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Job outlook for accounting auditors in the United States
Accounting auditor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected accounting auditor job growth rate is -5% from 2018-2028.
About -77,200 new jobs for accounting auditors are projected over the next decade.
Accounting auditor salaries have increased 10% for accounting auditors in the last 5 years.
There are over 21,011 accounting auditors currently employed in the United States.
There are 38,030 active accounting auditor job openings in the US.
The average accounting auditor salary is $84,809.
Are accounting auditor jobs in demand?
Accounting auditor job and salary trends over time
Accounting auditor jobs over time
Accounting auditor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21,011 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 20,192 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 20,773 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 20,767 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 20,650 | 0.01% |
Average accounting auditor salary over time
Accounting auditor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,809 | $40.77 | +2.9% |
| 2024 | $82,449 | $39.64 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $80,470 | $38.69 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $78,470 | $37.73 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $76,770 | $36.91 | +3.1% |
Accounting auditor jobs by state
Most common states for accounting auditors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 169 | 24% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 86 | 8% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 79 | 8% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 467 | 7% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 401 | 7% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 396 | 7% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 214 | 7% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 127 | 7% |
| 9 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 803 | 6% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 488 | 6% |
| 11 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 338 | 6% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 251 | 6% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 216 | 6% |
| 14 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 184 | 6% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 79 | 6% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 66 | 6% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,847 | 5% |
| 18 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 977 | 5% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 614 | 5% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 355 | 5% |
Most common cities for accounting auditors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $71,145 |
Accounting Auditor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of accounting auditor experts
Eastern Illinois University
Southern Utah University
Centenary University
Michigan State University
Case Western Reserve University
Iona College
Penn State Wilkes-Barre and World Campus
DePaul University
Florida International University
Bucknell University
Red Rocks Community College
Dr. Nicholas Robinson
Director of AccountancyEastern Illinois University
EIU School of Business
What soft skills should all Accounting Auditors possess?
Dr. Nicholas Robinson: Thinking of the less than the obvious answer would be the ability to ask questions the right way. If something is unclear or you just cannot figure it out, ask a question. The key part to this is TRYING to figure it out first and understanding when you are wasting your own time not getting anywhere. People will respect that you tried before coming to them for help. Another aspect of asking questions is listening to the answer. Make sure the answer is clear, and you know where or what you are supposed to do from there. Carry a notebook or something like that to both write down the questions you have on your project and their answers. I always find it impressive when people take notes and pay attention to the answer because it happens far too often that people ask questions but never listen to the response.
What skills will help Accounting Auditors earn the most?
Dr. Nicholas Robinson: Management and sales. If you can rise above your peers as a manager, you will make more. If you can drive sales, you will make more. If you enter an accounting firm and have the ability to not just do the work but can efficiently manage a team to do the work, you will be promoted to that position. Similarly, if you can attract more clients to the firm, you will become far more valuable to the firm. Your ability to create new revenue will be rewarded.
Working for a business as an internal accountant likely would not present the opportunity to drive new business. Promotion and raises will be determined by your ability to lead a team.
Robin Boneck
Department Chair/Professor,Southern Utah University
Accounting Department
What skills stand out on Accounting Auditor resumes?
Robin Boneck: Skills with ERP software and data analytics software would stand out to me.
Frank Longo
Assistant Professor of BusinessCentenary University
Business Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Accounting Auditors?
Frank Longo: Proficiency with emerging technology is an attention-getter. We should note that the Certified Public Accountants Exam will contain three sections by 2024, including Data Analytics, Tax Compliance and Planning, and Information System and Controls. A basic knowledge will be required in each of these, and the CPA candidate will identify one area of the above for more detailed testing. This change in knowledge requirements reflects the skills employers see as most important to hire. Using technology in any of these areas can move a candidate to the top of the hiring list. We should emphasize that the job candidate does not need to be an expert in each area, but the ability to effectively use technology in one area is important. Employers are looking for the ability to use technology in information security, business processes, information systems, IT audits, data analytics, and tax planning but not all of them.
Keep in mind that successful firms performed audits, prepared tax returns, advised clients on data security, and much more during the pandemic, and they often did so remotely. This can be expected to continue into the future.
Lynne Zelenski Ph.D.
Director of Academic ServicesMichigan State University
Department of Accounting And Information Systems
What skills stand out on Accounting Auditor resumes?
Lynne Zelenski Ph.D.: Quantitative, communication, critical thinking, analysis and problem solving, organization, strong work ethic.
What soft skills should all Accounting Auditors possess?
Lynne Zelenski Ph.D.: Communication skills, both written and verbal. Accountants need to be storytellers and be able to explain and interpret accounting information to non-accountants. Employers also emphasize the importance of leading and working in teams.
Thomas King
Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, AccountancyCase Western Reserve University
Accountancy Department
What skills stand out on Accounting Auditor resumes?
Thomas King: Evidence that someone is smart is a fast learner and works well with others.
What soft skills should all Accounting Auditors possess?
Thomas King: The ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of colleagues who have diverse skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Accounting Auditors?
Thomas King: The ability to extract information from unfamiliar data sets and then explain conclusions reached in a clear, persuasive manner.
What skills will help Accounting Auditors earn the most?
Thomas King: The ability to lead others to bring about intended change.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Accounting Auditor job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Andrew Griffith: With or without the pandemic, the most dominant trend in the accounting field is the need to continually upgrade one's skills and knowledge base. For several years, accounting has found ways to incorporate technology to automate routine tasks. The pandemic has been a catalyst to accelerate this evolution. This means that those who do not stay current will find their employment opportunities diminishing as their time in the workforce progresses. Those who can develop the skills and knowledge to be and remain at the front of their field's trends will have the most employment opportunities during their time in the workforce.
As I often tell my students, the days of simply having one degree and being done for life are long gone. Assuming the trends in educational attainment across the nation continue as they have since 1991, a bachelor's degree is no longer sufficient for those in the workforce. In every field, one will need at least one master's degree to remain viable in the workforce during the next 30 or more years. In fact, I've noticed a trend in the workforce where people have multiple master's degrees and some even have multiple research and professional doctorate degrees, albeit a much smaller percentage of the workforce than those that have not gone beyond the master's degree level.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Accounting Auditors?
Dr. Andrew Griffith: As a student (both undergraduate and graduate), the most important experience you can have while a student is collaborating with faculty on research projects that lead to co-authorship of academic research publications in legitimate, highly visible journals. For the past several years, higher education institutions have advocated for continual learning (AKA lifetime learning). I see this become more of a requirement than an elective as the workforce evolves over the next few decades. The institutions that will be truly successful in adding long-term value to their students' futures in the workforce are the ones that embrace research in high quality journals AND include their students on their projects. The collaboration of students with faculty on academic research that addresses real life problems or pushes the field forward is critical to those students' future success because it helps them understand the value of and how to use academic research. That experience also equips these students with the skills necessary to be able to identify early where their field of expertise is going throughout their careers. The engagement of students with current research projects at the undergraduate and graduate levels of higher education is a trend that is emerging in the business disciplines and it will become more obvious as the workforce evolves. In the long run, the lack of engaging students at all levels through serious academic research will certainly contribute to hastening the demise of financially insecure higher education institutions in the U.S.
Regarding certifications and licenses in the accounting field, I cannot emphasize enough that anyone entering the accounting field must make it a priority to obtain more than just the minimum licenses and credentials required to obtain or retain an employment opportunity. Meeting just the minimum expectations of their employment market is insufficient and will limit their employment opportunities. As Charles Windeknecht of Atlas Air Worldwide once said to some of my students, "Today is the day to get ready for the opportunities of tomorrow. If you don't, the opportunities of tomorrow will pass you by." His words are very accurate. To maximize one's employment opportunities while in the workforce, each of us need to exceed the minimum qualifications and expectations of every role we hold and pursue in the workforce. With that in mind, I highly recommend and encourage those in the accounting field to obtain the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as a minimum qualification goal because this is the #1 credential sought by employers according to Robert Half International (see https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/salaries-and-skills/finance-and-accounting-certifications-employers-want-to-see). Based on the data presented by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, I conclude that approximately half of the people working in the accounting field hold an active CPA license. This statistic alone is suffient enough to justify the CPA as everyone's first license/credential goal in the accounting field. Once that goal has been satisfied, I recommend that each person quickly shift their focus to any major licenses and certifications that are more in line with their career goals and current career opportunities. For example, if a CPA wants to work primarily in income taxation, then that person should also obtain the Enrolled Agent (EA) credential because it adds tangible value to those in the tax field. I also recommend that CPAs and EAs in the tax field consider obtaining the US Tax Court Practitioner (USTCP) credential. Another example involves CPAs who want to work in internal audit; they should obtain the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and other related credentials offered by The Institute of Internal Auditors as quickly as they can. CPAs who want to work in the fraud examination field should consider the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. CPAs who want to seek management positions should consider the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and/or the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) from the Institute of Management Accountants.
I highly recommend that "minor" credentials in every field be avoided because they do not add value to one's career. Instead, those consume valuable resources including time and money. Everyone is much better off pursuing well established and widely recognized licenses and credentials that are highly desired by employers and serve to enhance one's career opportunities. With that in mind, the list compiled by Robert Half International is a great starting place. As a selling point to get people to spend their money, most organizations that offer a professional credential in the accounting field make a claim that their credential holders make more money than those without the promoted credential. Such statements are often very misleading or not true. Unless one works for a beauracy (like the federal government), obtaining the next degree or license or certification does not normally result in a salary increase. Instead, the major accounting licenses and credentials will create more career opportunities for their holders that, depending on how one performs with the new opportunities, could lead to other better compensated opportunities. In other words, an employee's performance has a larger role in influencing compensation over time than some of these organizations are willing to acknowlege in their quest to entice people to spend their money to obtain the promoted credentials.
What's a good job out of college for Accounting Auditors?
Dr. Andrew Griffith: Because of the CPA experience requirements by some states (California is an example), I recommend that students consider spending some time as external auditors to meet any state-mandated experience requirements in external audit. If a student's target state's CPA license qualifications does not require experience in external audit, then I highly recommend that students first spend five years as an accountant or as an internal auditor in a sizeable corporation before entering external audit. In my opinion (which is contrary to the commonly promoted career path in the accounting field), the time spent in corporate accounting or internal audit will make them more effective at external audit when they enter it, in part, because they will be less gullible and better positioned to recognize problems within the accounting systems and the organizations they audit. If a student wants to work in tax, I highly recommend that they enter public accounting first because it will certainly expose them to numerous situations and learning experiences that they cannot get anywhere else.
Lori Dunn CPA
LecturerPenn State Wilkes-Barre and World Campus
Department of Business Administration and Accounting
How have salaries changed over time for Accounting Auditors?
Lori Dunn CPA: Salaries have increased steadily over the years in the accounting profession at all levels. They tend not to stagnate and usually show an increase of at least cost of living each year. The outlook for the coming year according to Robert Half Accounting and Finance Salary Guide 2021 is that accounting position salaries will remain stable even during the pandemic. This is good news for not only new but seasoned talent as well.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Accounting Auditors?
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's a good job out of college for Accounting Auditors?
Delvin Grant: To answer this question, I am assuming a COVID-19 environment. We know most jobs can be carried out in a face-to-face mode, but if this is not possible in a COVID environment, then it is difficult to consider those jobs as good jobs. Therefore, a good job is one that can be easily carried out in a COVID environment so MIS, IT, Computer Science, and similar professions that fit a remote working mode are excellent jobs.
How have salaries changed over time for Accounting Auditors?
Delvin Grant: Salaries of MIS and IT professionals have changed. About 10 years ago the average entry level salary of MIS students was in the mid 50's but that has steadily increased to the low to mid 60's. I expect this trend to continue as more business processes are automated and the demand for IT workers increases.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Accounting Auditor job market given the pandemic?
Jose Aldrich: -Rapid increase in quality of technology based solutions allowing for robust remote working and business interaction, will support working more from home where the business can adapt and has the technology solutions to support the new working environment. This trend will impact commercial real estate, primarily office space. Some companies may seek to reduce office space.
-Budgets for business travel, large meetings and in-person business meetings may decrease and budgets for remote technology may increase. Business travel industry may need to adapt to the reduced business travel as remote technology solutions continue to evolve.
-E-commerce is on the rise and will continue to increase as consumers become more comfortable with online purchasing (groceries, clothes and household items, etc). Shift from physical stores to virtual stores for a larger percentage of sales will lower cost of entry and give rise to new businesses to support the trend.
-Social norms have adapted to the new pandemic environment and may not fully return to pre-pandemic levels. Face masks, social distancing, handshaking, etc. may become the norm for some time and taper slowly with some habits continuing.
What soft skills should all Accounting Auditors possess?
Jose Aldrich: -Strong relationship building skills. Trusted relationships with peers, bosses and clients/customers are key.
-Analytical abilities. A lot of the work will involve interpreting data and using business analytics.
-Effective decision making. Identifying business risks and courage to take calculated risks in business.
-Leadership skills
-Ability to speak up at meetings.
-Organizational skills
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Accounting Auditors to find work opportunities?
Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.: This is a tough question to predict. The pandemic has created more flexibility than ever, and we see workers exiting high price areas such as San Francisco and New York City. However, I'm uncertain how this will shake out in the post-pandemic world. There could be a demand for a return to occasional in person meetings, so employees may need to remain within reasonable proximity. However, employees could employ shared economy models such as Airbnb to meet the demand for temporary visits to the office.
Janet Tarase
Lead Accounting Faculty / Accounting Department ChairRed Rocks Community College
Accounting Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Accounting Auditor job market given the pandemic?
Janet Tarase: Even though over 7 million people are currently unemployed, employers still need individuals to maintain their operations. Human Resource departments are recruiting individuals through social media platforms. My daughter works in HR recruiting and they only use LinkedIn. Companies are using video or phone interviews to select candidates. Which means that potential candidates have to communicate effectively and make a good first impression quickly.
Employers will be looking for individuals that have proven communication, organizational and time management skills that are able to work independently since telecommuting will be continuing in the future. Applicants will also need to have technological and critical thinking skills to manage the challenges presented while working from home. Because of the pandemic and so many of us having to work from home, companies may broaden their recruiting geography to find the best candidates out of state or in different time zones. Finally, employees need to be flexible and resilient - you never know what the next job requirement will demand.