Number of accountants and auditors employed in the U.S. 2012-2021
Despite increasing for most of the last seven years, the number of accountants and auditors in the United States currently almost recovered equivalently back to its peak in 2012, the number of accountants and auditors in the United States stood at 1.32 million in 2021.
Accountants and auditors
Auditors and accountants are responsible for preparing financial records, examining these records to ensure their accuracy and compliance, and ensuring that the correct amount of tax is paid. While most companies employ in-house accountants to maintain financial records, to guarantee independence audits are generally conducted by third-party consultancy firms. By far the largest external accountancy and audit firms in the United States are the Big Four – PwC, Deloitte, EY and KPMG.
Accountants in the U.S.
The number of accountants in the United States can be expected to continue to rise over the short term, with around one fifth of accountancy businesses planning to hire new staff in early 2021. California, Texas and New York employ the most accountants, totaling around 370,000 as of May 2019. However, wages for accountants are higher in the District of Colombia than in any of these states, with a median annual wage of almost 104,000 U.S. dollars at this time. Nationally, wages for accountants vary greatly depending on experience and seniority, ranging from around 50,000 U.S. dollars at the low end to as high as 518,000 for Chief Financial Officers.
Accountants and auditors
Auditors and accountants are responsible for preparing financial records, examining these records to ensure their accuracy and compliance, and ensuring that the correct amount of tax is paid. While most companies employ in-house accountants to maintain financial records, to guarantee independence audits are generally conducted by third-party consultancy firms. By far the largest external accountancy and audit firms in the United States are the Big Four – PwC, Deloitte, EY and KPMG.
Accountants in the U.S.
The number of accountants in the United States can be expected to continue to rise over the short term, with around one fifth of accountancy businesses planning to hire new staff in early 2021. California, Texas and New York employ the most accountants, totaling around 370,000 as of May 2019. However, wages for accountants are higher in the District of Colombia than in any of these states, with a median annual wage of almost 104,000 U.S. dollars at this time. Nationally, wages for accountants vary greatly depending on experience and seniority, ranging from around 50,000 U.S. dollars at the low end to as high as 518,000 for Chief Financial Officers.
