SOC 13-2011.00Bright outlook

    Accountants and Auditors

    Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others.

    Median pay
    $83,680
    Growth
    +5.0%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    115,300
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $56,020
    Median
    $83,680
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $144,090
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    1,449,500 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Accountants and auditors examine, analyze, and interpret financial records to prepare statements, ensure compliance, and manage budgetary data. The career offers a median annual pay of $83,680.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What accountants and auditors do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this profession analyze financial data, evaluate records for compliance with standards, and solve complex financial problems. On a daily basis, they gather information, work with computers, and process financial transactions to prepare statements or advise clients. The role requires strong skills in reading comprehension, mathematics, critical thinking, and active listening to communicate findings clearly to supervisors and external clients.

    This career strongly appeals to individuals with conventional interests who enjoy structured, detail-oriented tasks. Success in this field relies on specific knowledge areas, particularly economics and accounting, law and government, administration, and mathematics. Professionals must demonstrate key work styles such as high attention to detail, integrity, dependability, and cautiousness when handling sensitive financial information.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically requires a bachelor's degree along with several years of related work experience. Students preparing for this career often major in accounting and related services, taxation, accounting and computer science, or security science and technology.

    While a degree is standard, some states also list licensing requirements for this work. Professionals can also earn various industry certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Accredited Business Accountant/Advisor, Accredited Insurance Examiner, Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance, Associate in Premium Auditing, Associate in Regulation and Compliance, and Associate in Risk Management.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for accountants and auditors is $83,680. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $56,020 and the highest 10% earning more than $144,090.

    With 1,449,500 people currently employed in these roles, the field is projected to grow by 5% from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth and normal turnover are expected to result in approximately 115,300 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    2 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    43 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    1 / 100
    Social (S)
    19 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    48 / 100
    Conventional (C) · strongest
    100 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code CEI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    91
    Working with Computers
    90
    Analyzing Data or Information
    81
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    79
    Processing Information
    79
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    78
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    78
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    78
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    77
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    73
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Critical Thinking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Writing
    • Mathematics
    • Speaking
    • Active Learning
    • Monitoring

    Knowledge

    • Economics and Accounting
    • English Language
    • Mathematics
    • Law and Government
    • Administration and Management
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administrative
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Communications and Media

    Abilities

    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Mathematical Reasoning
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Written Expression
    • Near Vision
    • Number Facility
    • Information Ordering

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Confidence
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control

    Also called

    Account Auditor · Accountant · Accounting Auditor · Accounting Consultant · Accounting Methods Analyst · Accounting Officer · Accounting Systems Analyst · Audit Partner · Auditor · Auditor in Charge

    Career pathway

    From your interests to accountants and auditors

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Accountants and Auditors$83,680 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Georgetown University-DC logo
      Georgetown University-DC

      Washington, DC · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $141,931
      Median debt
      $16,035
    2. 2Bucknell University logo
      Bucknell University

      Lewisburg, PA · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $87,150
      4 yrs after
      $130,990
      Median debt
      $25,350
    3. 3Santa Clara University logo
      Santa Clara University

      Santa Clara, CA · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $88,383
      4 yrs after
      $130,087
      Median debt
      $16,249
    4. 4Boston College logo
      Boston College

      Chestnut Hill, MA · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $85,089
      4 yrs after
      $126,461
      Median debt
      $19,000
    5. 5Lehigh University logo
      Lehigh University

      Bethlehem, PA · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $83,966
      4 yrs after
      $125,874
      Median debt
      $19,000
    6. 6
      Villanova University

      Villanova, PA · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $83,193
      4 yrs after
      $120,207
      Median debt
      $24,187
    7. 7American University logo
      American University

      Washington, DC · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $119,020
      Median debt
      Not reported
    8. 8Washington and Lee University logo
      Washington and Lee University

      Lexington, VA · Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $118,946
      Median debt
      $19,500

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What accountants and auditors may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work. Showing 12 of 20.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Accounting
    • Accounting and Business/Management
    • Accounting and Computer Science
    • Accounting and Finance
    • Auditing
    • Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation
    • Taxation

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    52 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about accountants and auditors

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles in this field?

    People in this line of work may be employed under various titles. Common alternative names include Account Auditor, Accounting Consultant, Accounting Systems Analyst, Audit Partner, and Auditor in Charge.

    What college majors are related to this career?

    Students can prepare for this career by pursuing several relevant majors. These programs include Accounting and Related Services, Taxation, Accounting and Computer Science, and Security Science and Technology.

    What certifications can professionals earn?

    Several professional organizations offer certifications for this career. Examples include the Accredited Business Accountant/Advisor, the Accredited Insurance Examiner, and the Associate in Risk Management.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.