PAY & COMPENSATION

New 20-Year Low in College Accounting Graduates

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But are trends already on the upswing again?

By CPA Trendlines

The pipeline of U.S. accounting graduates has fallen to its lowest level in roughly 20 years, capping a decade-long slide of about 17% in completions even as demand from public accounting firms remains strong, according to the latest release of a much-watched study.

In this report:
  • The tension between shrinking supply and resilient demand
  • Bachelor’s degrees: From mid-2010s peak to current lows
  • Master’s degrees: A steep 15% drop in the last academic year
  • CPA Exam Trends: The new baseline
  • Potential Turning Point? New growth in enrollments

In addition, the CPA exam pipeline has thinned over the past 10 years, with new candidates and successful passers both down from earlier peaks, though 2023 saw a temporary surge tied to the rollout of the CPA Evolution exam.

New research is also revealing that while auditors remain in steady supply, the tax profession is facing a severe and deepening talent drought.

And yet, new enrollment data point to a possible turning point, with accounting program enrollments up double digits in 2024–25 and firms signaling plans to keep hiring as many or more graduates in the year ahead.

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Stay or Go? Rethink Job Hopping | Accounting Influencers

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Is the next big opportunity across the street…or right where you already are?

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Accounting Influencers
With Rob Brown

Post-pandemic, accounting professionals saw record pay increases just for changing employers.

However, as economic conditions tighten and median pay raises for job switchers fall from roughly 7% to just over 4%, the calculus is changing. The latest episode of the Accounting Influencers explores this new reality, urging professionals to look beyond paychecks and consider the broader picture of career satisfaction.

During the Great Resignation, switching jobs was practically risk-free. Firms desperate for talent offered 15–20% salary hikes to fill open seats. Today, however, that market has cooled. With inflation steadying and corporate budgets tightening, job hopping no longer guarantees the big payouts it once did.

As host Rob Brown explains, “The financial upside of switching jobs has narrowed, but the emotional and professional costs of moving may be higher than ever.”

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Use Smart Compensation to Drive Partner Performance

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$100 bill being built of blocks

Five management objectives to address.

By Domenick J. Esposito
8 Steps to Great

“Show me your compensation plan and I’ll show you your strategy.” – Dom Esposito

As you strive to become a mid-market sustainable brand, your firm needs to become a performance-driven organization if you want to take advantage of future opportunities and drive growth and profitability. An effective performance management and compensation plan (PMCP) is critical to making your firm’s strategic plan a reality.

MORE by Domenick J. Esposito
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The basic premise is that compensation rewards first look to:

  1. how successful the entire firm is,

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The $100,000 H-1B Shock: What It Means for Accounting Talent

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What changes, what doesn’t, for thousands of jobs in accounting.

In tax and audit in 2024, increases in salary bands were far from evenly distributed.

By Dominic Piscopo

I just consumed hours of H-1B visa content, so you don’t have to. Here are my findings.

Accounting isn’t the heaviest H-1B user (That’s IT & Tech.), but the profession still relies on international grads in audit, tax, advisory, and increasingly data and automation roles. In 2024, USCIS approved around 400k H-1Bs overall, with 2% to 3% of those in categories that could include accounting. So, while other industries are far more reliant on this program, there may still be thousands of roles in accounting. READ MORE →

CPA Pricing Power Falters as Salaries March Upward

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The tax and accounting sector shows signs of accelerating change.

By CPA Trendlines

Salaries at CPA firms are entering their second year of marked year-over-year gains, even as billing rate increases remain few and far between, according to a new analysis by CPA Trendlines.

MORE: Most Tax and Accounting Firms Are Relying on Pay Raises in a Losing Battle for Talent | Higher Wages, Fewer Jobs: A New Era for CPA Staffing | Struggling to Keep Up with Market Salaries? |

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An industry that once seemed stable and predictable is now anything but. Some can call it a transformation. For others, it’s a massive dislocation.

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