Accounting Jobs

What do accounting jobs pay?

Employers show a wide range of pay in their postings. For jobs listing a salary, the middle half of postings start between $75,200 a year and $129,500 a year, with a median starting pay of $95,300 a year. If the posting lists an hourly wage, the middle half start between $20.00 an hour and $34.84 an hour, with a median of $25.00 an hour.

Olive first saw 3,899 new accounting postings in the last 30 days, against 2,501 in the 30 days before. Olive's intake of postings across every job shifted in the week of October 19, 2026, so the two counts are not like for like, and this page doesn't read a trend from them.

Who is hiring for accounting jobs?

Large professional services firms and global enterprises make up the top employers. Deloitte is the top hirer with 203 open postings, followed by EY with 115 postings. Other active employers include Baker Tilly with 87, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP with 72, and Amazon with 61.

How to get hired for an accounting job

Employers typically look for experienced professionals. The median experience requirement is 5 years, and just 9% of postings are open to entry-level candidates. Education is highly valued, as 92% of postings that list an education preference require a bachelor's degree or higher.

Credentials and technical spreadsheet software skills are frequently requested. Professional certifications like cpa appear in 13% of postings, and active cpa license is noted in 7% of postings. Technical skill demands are led by Microsoft Excel in 15% of listings, and general Excel capability in 12%. Core functions like financial reporting (14%), general accounting (9%), and internal controls (8%) are also highly sought.

• Be prepared to demonstrate intermediate to advanced spreadsheet functions in your interviews.
• Highlight your familiarity with internal reporting guidelines and compliance standards.

Accounting job interview questions

Expect managers to ask behavioral and technical questions about accuracy, compliance, and systems. Prepare for these common scenarios:

• Tell me about a time you discovered an error in a ledger after the period was closed. How did you resolve it?
• How do you organize your workflow to ensure accuracy during month-end closing?
• Describe a situation where you had to explain a complex financial report to a manager outside of the finance team.
• If a department manager submits an expense that appears to violate internal compliance rules, what action do you take?

Where the accounting jobs are

Geographically, the top state for these roles is California with 526 open positions, followed by New York with 382 and Texas with 369. Many postings are also located in Florida (201) and Illinois (194).

Among metropolitan areas, New York, NY leads with 185 jobs, followed by San Francisco, CA with 115, and Chicago, IL with 93. Rounding out the top cities are Boston, MA (81) and Dallas, TX (79). There is some geographic flexibility, as 4% of the roles are fully remote (representing 186 openings), and 24% are hybrid (representing 1,073 openings).

Questions people ask

What do accounting jobs pay?

The median posted annual pay is $95,300 a year, and the median posted hourly rate is $25.00 an hour. Half of the listed salaries start between $75,200 a year and $129,500 a year.

Do I need a credential to apply for accounting jobs?

A formal certification is often preferred but not always required. About 13% of current postings ask for a cpa, and 7% request an active cpa license.

Are there entry-level accounting jobs available?

Only about 9% of current openings are designated as entry-level, and the typical minimum experience requested is 5 years.

Can I work from home in accounting jobs?

Yes, although fully remote roles make up just 4% of the market. Hybrid positions are much more common, accounting for 24% of current postings.