According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 126,500 openings for accountants and auditors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Globalization, a growing economy, and a complex tax and regulatory environment are expected to continue leading the strong demand for accountants and auditors.
In general, employment growth of accountants and auditors is expected to be closely tied to the health of the overall economy. As the economy grows, these workers will continue being needed to prepare and examine financial records. In addition, as more companies go public, there will be greater need for public accountants to handle the legally required financial documentation.
The continued globalization of business may lead to increased demand for accounting expertise and services related to international trade and international mergers and acquisitions.
Technological change is expected to affect the role of accountants over the projections decade. Some routine accounting tasks may be automated as platforms such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain become more widespread. Although it will increase accountants' efficiency, this change is not expected to reduce overall demand. The automation of routine tasks, such as data entry, will instead make accountants' advisory and analytical duties more prominent.
