Accounting Industry Statistics
Last updated: 2026-10-28 · 10 sourced statistics
The US accounting workforce is large, well paid and growing slowly, while the routine bookkeeping jobs around it are shrinking. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 1,595,200 accountant and auditor jobs in 2025, with a median annual wage of $83,680, and projects 5% growth from 2025 to 2035. Over the same decade it projects a 6% decline for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks. The talent pipeline is mixed: accounting bachelor's degrees fell 3.3% in 2023-24, but AICPA reports undergraduate accounting enrollment rose to 281,992 in 2026. For small businesses and freelancers, that means accountant time stays in demand and priced accordingly, so tidy invoices and records reduce what you pay for. Every figure below links to the BLS or AICPA page it comes from.
Key takeaways
- 1,595,200 accountant and auditor jobs in the US in 2025, projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035 (BLS).
- Median annual pay for accountants and auditors was $83,680 in May 2025 (BLS).
- About 115,300 accountant and auditor openings are projected each year over the decade (BLS).
- Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerk jobs are projected to decline 6% from 2025 to 2035 (BLS).
- New CPA Exam candidates fell from 42,626 in 2023 to 28,082 in 2024, the first year of the new exam (AICPA).
At a glance.
Every figure on this page in one table, each linked to its named source. Scroll down for the full context behind each number.
| Figure | What it measures | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6M | There were 1,595,200 accountant and auditor jobs in the United States in 2025, including self-employed workers. | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors | 2025 |
| 5% | Employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, adding 79,400 jobs. | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors | 2025 |
| 115,300 | About 115,300 openings for accountants and auditors are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors | 2025 |
| $83,680 | The median annual wage for accountants and auditors was $83,680 in May 2025, and the mean was $94,750, across 1,449,500 wage and salary jobs. | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: 13-2011 Accountants and Auditors | 2025 |
| -6% | Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks held 1,532,400 jobs in 2025, and employment is projected to decline 6% from 2025 to 2035, a loss of 85,600 jobs. | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2025 |
| $50,670 | Despite the decline, about 144,100 openings for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks are projected each year over the decade. Their median annual pay was $50,670 in 2025. | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2025 |
| 40,817 | 40,817 students earned an accounting bachelor's degree in the 2023-24 academic year, down 3.3% from the year before, and master's degrees in accounting or taxation fell about 15% to 14,335 (provisional IPEDS data). | AICPA & CIMA, 2025 Trends report news release (Oct 27, 2025) | 2025 |
| 28,082 | 42,626 new candidates entered the CPA Exam pipeline in 2023, the highest since 2016, ahead of the exam's redesign. That fell to 28,082 in 2024, the first year of the new exam. | AICPA & CIMA, 2025 Trends report news release (Oct 27, 2025) | 2025 |
| 11,985 | Public accounting firms that responded to AICPA's survey hired 11,985 new graduates in 2024, and 75% of those hires were accounting graduates. | AICPA & CIMA, 2025 Trends report news release (Oct 27, 2025) | 2025 |
| 281,992 | Total US undergraduate accounting enrollment was 281,992 in spring 2026, up from 266,868 a year earlier, according to National Student Clearinghouse data reported by AICPA. | AICPA & CIMA news release, U.S. Accounting Undergraduate Enrollment Continues to Outpace Growth Rate for Business Majors Overall (June 9, 2026) | 2026 |
The statistics
There were 1,595,200 accountant and auditor jobs in the United States in 2025, including self-employed workers.
Source:US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors2025
Employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, adding 79,400 jobs.
Source:US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors2025
About 115,300 openings for accountants and auditors are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035.
Source:US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors2025
The median annual wage for accountants and auditors was $83,680 in May 2025, and the mean was $94,750, across 1,449,500 wage and salary jobs.
Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks held 1,532,400 jobs in 2025, and employment is projected to decline 6% from 2025 to 2035, a loss of 85,600 jobs.
Despite the decline, about 144,100 openings for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks are projected each year over the decade. Their median annual pay was $50,670 in 2025.
40,817 students earned an accounting bachelor's degree in the 2023-24 academic year, down 3.3% from the year before, and master's degrees in accounting or taxation fell about 15% to 14,335 (provisional IPEDS data).
Source:AICPA & CIMA, 2025 Trends report news release (Oct 27, 2025)2025
42,626 new candidates entered the CPA Exam pipeline in 2023, the highest since 2016, ahead of the exam's redesign. That fell to 28,082 in 2024, the first year of the new exam.
Source:AICPA & CIMA, 2025 Trends report news release (Oct 27, 2025)2025
Public accounting firms that responded to AICPA's survey hired 11,985 new graduates in 2024, and 75% of those hires were accounting graduates.
Source:AICPA & CIMA, 2025 Trends report news release (Oct 27, 2025)2025
Total US undergraduate accounting enrollment was 281,992 in spring 2026, up from 266,868 a year earlier, according to National Student Clearinghouse data reported by AICPA.
When these numbers don't apply
Aggregate statistics hide a lot. Read these caveats before quoting a figure as if it describes your specific situation.
- BLS publishes two employment counts. The Occupational Outlook Handbook figure (1,595,200 accountants and auditors) includes self-employed workers; the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics figure (1,449,500) counts wage and salary jobs only.
- Median pay is for all accountants and auditors nationally. Pay varies widely by state, industry, experience and whether someone holds a CPA licence, which BLS does not separate.
- BLS projections for 2025 to 2035 are estimates based on past trends and assumptions, not forecasts of any single firm's hiring.
- AICPA's firm hiring figure covers only the public accounting firms that responded to its survey. AICPA says the response rate was too low to project a national total.
- Graduate counts are provisional federal (IPEDS) data for the 2023-24 academic year, and enrollment counts come from the National Student Clearinghouse as reported by AICPA. Enrollment does not equal future graduates or licensed CPAs.
- All figures are for the United States.
How we compiled this data
Reviewed on 2026-10-28. Employment, pay and projections come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics: the Occupational Outlook Handbook pages for accountants and auditors and for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks (2025-35 projections, pages last modified August 27, 2026), and May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, which we retrieved through the official BLS public data API (series for occupation 13-2011 and 43-3031). Pipeline figures come only from AICPA & CIMA's own news releases for its 2025 Trends report and its June 2026 enrollment update. We removed an Ardent Partners automation benchmark that the cited page does not show, and replaced rounded or undated BLS references with the current published figures.
We hand-collected each figure from its original publisher rather than recycling secondary round-ups, cross-checked the headline numbers against the source documents in 2026-10-28, and link every statistic to the report it came from so you can verify it yourself. Where a publisher issues annual updates, we cite the report edition and flag the year inline.
Frequently asked questions
How many accountants are there in the US?
BLS counted 1,595,200 accountant and auditor jobs in 2025, including self-employed workers. Its wage survey, which covers wage and salary jobs only, counted 1,449,500 in May 2025.
How much do accountants earn?
The median annual wage for accountants and auditors was $83,680 in May 2025, and the mean was $94,750 (BLS). Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks had a median of $50,670.
Is there a shortage of accountants?
The data points to a tight pipeline rather than a collapse. BLS projects about 115,300 openings a year for accountants and auditors, while accounting bachelor's degrees fell 3.3% in 2023-24. AICPA reports undergraduate accounting enrollment rose to 281,992 in 2026.
Are bookkeeping jobs declining?
Yes. BLS projects employment of bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks to fall 6% from 2025 to 2035, a loss of 85,600 jobs, though about 144,100 openings a year are still expected from turnover.
How many people take the CPA Exam?
AICPA reports that 42,626 new candidates entered the CPA Exam pipeline in 2023, before the exam changed, and 28,082 in 2024.
Put these figures to use
- Accounting hub: Bookkeeping basics, records and accounting software comparisons for small businesses.
- Invoice record keeping guide: What invoice records to keep, for how long and how to store them, with US IRS and other retention periods.
- How to price accounting services: Building an hourly floor from your costs and turning it into bookkeeping packages and cleanup quotes.
- How to invoice as a bookkeeper: Billing a monthly package, catch-up work and year-end forms on one invoice, with a worked example.
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