RESEARCH · STATISTICS
Accounting and bookkeeping statistics 2026,
every number linked to its source.
The key accounting and bookkeeping statistics for 2026: U.S. accountants and auditors earned a median $83,680 in May 2025 and held about 1.6 million jobs, projected to grow 5% by 2035. Bookkeeping clerks earned a median $50,670 and are projected to decline 6%. ZeraBooks took every figure below from BLS, Census, SBA or IRS pages, each one linked.
Figures checked against their sources on November 4, 2026. Free to cite with a link.
PAY AND JOBS
How many accountants and bookkeepers are there, and what do they earn?
Wages are medians from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025. Job counts from the Occupational Outlook Handbook include self-employed workers; the OEWS counts do not, which is why they are lower.
Accountants and auditors earned a median $83,680 a year
Median annual wage in May 2025, or $40.23 an hour. Half earned more, half earned less.
$83,680May 2025BLS OOH
About 1.6 million accountant and auditor jobs
Accountants and auditors held about 1.6 million jobs in 2025 (1,595,200 in the projections table), including the self-employed.
1.6 million2025BLS OOH
Mean accountant pay is $94,750, well above the median
OEWS counts 1,449,500 wage-and-salary accountants and auditors in May 2025, with a mean annual wage of $94,750. A small number of very high earners pull the mean above the median.
$94,750 meanMay 2025BLS OEWS
21% of accountants work at accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms
The largest single employer group. The median wage there was $81,490 in May 2025; finance and insurance paid the most, at $93,290.
21%2025BLS OOH
Bookkeeping clerks earned a median $50,670 a year
Median annual wage for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks in May 2025, or $24.36 an hour.
$50,670May 2025BLS OOH
About 1.5 million bookkeeping clerk jobs
Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks held about 1.5 million jobs in 2025 (1,532,400). OEWS counts 1,373,680 wage-and-salary clerks in May 2025.
1.5 million2025BLS OOH
Tax preparers earned a mean $60,930
OEWS counts 76,480 employed tax preparers in May 2025, with a median of $26.40 an hour. Seasonal and self-employed preparers are not in this count.
76,480 jobsMay 2025BLS OEWS
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OUTLOOK TO 2035
Is demand for accountants and bookkeepers growing?
For accountants, yes. For bookkeeping clerks, BLS projects fewer jobs, and says why. Projections run from 2025 to 2035.
Accountant jobs are projected to grow 5% by 2035
From 1,595,200 to 1,674,600, about 79,400 more jobs over the decade.
+5%2025 to 2035BLS OOH
About 115,300 accountant and auditor openings a year
Average yearly openings over the decade. Many come from replacing workers who move to other occupations or retire, not only from new jobs.
115,300 a year2025 to 2035BLS OOH
Bookkeeping clerk jobs are projected to fall 6% by 2035
A drop of about 85,600 jobs. BLS expects technological change to reduce demand for these workers.
-6%2025 to 2035BLS OOH
Still about 144,100 bookkeeping clerk openings a year
Even with fewer jobs overall, replacing people who leave creates about 144,100 openings a year on average.
144,100 a year2025 to 2035BLS OOH
The accounting industry employs about 1.08 million people
Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services (NAICS 5412) employed 1,075,600 people in September 2026 (preliminary, not seasonally adjusted), down from its tax-season peak of 1,187,200 in April 2026.
1.08 millionSep 2026BLS CES
FIRMS
How many accounting and bookkeeping firms are there?
From the Census Bureau’s Statistics of U.S. Businesses for 2022, the latest year published. A firm can own several establishments (offices).
120,085 accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll firms
NAICS 5412 had 120,085 firms with 135,960 establishments, 1,231,004 employees, $93.1 billion in payroll and $215.7 billion in receipts in 2022.
120,085 firms2022Census SUSB
74% of those firms have fewer than 5 employees
88,381 of 120,085 firms had fewer than 5 employees, and 114,312 (95%) had fewer than 20. Percentages are our math from the same table.
73.6%2022Census SUSB
50,885 CPA firms
Offices of certified public accountants (NAICS 541211): 50,885 firms, 572,944 employees and $151.1 billion in receipts. 35,096 of them (69%, our math) had fewer than 5 employees.
50,885 firms2022Census SUSB
45,390 bookkeeping and other accounting firms
Other accounting services, which includes bookkeeping (NAICS 541219): 45,390 firms, 247,793 employees and $29.0 billion in receipts.
45,390 firms2022Census SUSB
19,464 tax preparation firms
Tax preparation services (NAICS 541213) had 19,464 firms and 131,615 employees; payroll services (541214) had 4,484 firms and 278,652 employees.
19,464 firms2022Census SUSB
THE CLIENTS
How many small businesses need bookkeeping and tax help?
The market every bookkeeper and small firm serves, from the SBA Office of Advocacy and the IRS.
36.2 million small businesses in the U.S.
There are 36,207,130 small businesses. 29,811,495 of them (82.3%) have no employees; 6,395,635 are employer firms.
36,207,130Feb 2026SBA Advocacy
Small businesses employ 45.9% of private-sector workers
That is 62.3 million people.
45.9%Feb 2026SBA Advocacy
Federal paperwork cost small businesses over $81 billion in 2025
More than 80% of that paperwork burden comes from the IRS alone.
$81 billion2025SBA Advocacy
886,338 people hold a current IRS preparer number for 2026
Individuals with a current preparer tax identification number (PTIN) for 2026, as of September 1, 2026. 209,076 of them are CPAs and 71,966 are enrolled agents; credentials can overlap.
886,338Sep 2026IRS
READING THE NUMBERS
Why do sources give different counts of accountants?
Three BLS programs count accountants and auditors three ways. None is wrong; they answer different questions.
| Source | Accountants and auditors | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) | 1,595,200 | All jobs, including self-employed, from the employment projections |
| OEWS (May 2025) | 1,449,500 | Wage-and-salary jobs reported by employers, no self-employed |
| Current Population Survey (2025) | 1,766,000 | People who say this is their job, from a household survey |
Quote the source and year with any count. Wages match between the Handbook and OEWS because the Handbook uses OEWS wages. The CPS 2025 averages exclude October.
OUR READ
What do these numbers mean for bookkeepers and small firms?
Two lines stand out. Accountant jobs are still growing, and bookkeeping clerk jobs are not, with BLS pointing to technology as the reason. The work itself hasn’t gone away: 36 million small businesses still need books kept. What is shrinking is the typing.
That is the bet ZeraBooks makes. Bookkeepers who hand the routine work to software can serve more clients with the same hours; see bookkeeping automation for bookkeepers for the numbers per client, and what a bookkeeper costs for the wage side. Firms short on staff can read the CPA shortage statistics, and small businesses that want the books done for them can use ZeraBooks bookkeeping services. Our overview for accountants covers the software.
DOWNLOAD
Can I download these statistics?
Every figure on this page in one CSV: the statistic, value, period, source and link. Free to use with a link back to this page.
Accounting and bookkeeping statistics 2026 (CSV)
One row per statistic, with the source URL for each. Opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
CITE THIS PAGE
How should I cite these statistics?
Cite the original source next to each number, then this page for the collection: “Accounting and Bookkeeping Statistics 2026,” ZeraBooks, updated November 4, 2026, https://www.zerabooks.com/research/accounting-bookkeeping-statistics-2026. Journalists can reach us through the ZeraBooks press page for anything we have not covered.
How much does an accountant make in 2026?
The latest official figure is a median of $83,680 a year for accountants and auditors in May 2025, from the BLS. The mean was $94,750. BLS publishes new wage data each spring.
Is bookkeeping a dying profession?
Bookkeeping clerk jobs are projected to fall 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 144,100 openings a year still expected from people leaving. The routine data entry is shrinking; bookkeepers who review, advise and run many clients with software are where the work is moving.
How many accounting firms are in the U.S.?
The Census Bureau counted 120,085 firms in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services in 2022, including 50,885 CPA firms. Nearly three in four had fewer than 5 employees.
How many CPAs are there?
NASBA counted 650,667 actively licensed CPAs as of August 27, 2026, from 53 of 55 licensing jurisdictions. More on supply is on our CPA shortage statistics page.
Where do these statistics come from?
Only primary sources: the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, the SBA Office of Advocacy and the IRS. Each statistic links to the page it came from, and none are ZeraBooks figures.
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Last updated November 4, 2026 · Written by Damin Mutti, founder of ZeraBooks