The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.

JOB SCORE

5.2/10

What's this?

Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

39% (Low Risk)

Low Risk (21-40%): This occupation has a lower risk of full replacement by AI, software, or robotic systems. Some tasks may be automated or assisted, but the role usually still relies on human judgement, communication, responsibility, physical adaptability, or practical decision-making.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Decision-making and problem solving

Very important

Why this matters

Analyze information, weigh tradeoffs, and choose the best solution—especially when situations are ambiguous, high-stakes, or have real-world consequences.

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Thinking creatively

Quite important

Why this matters

Coming up with original ideas and designs—creating new concepts, products, systems, or artistic work. This kind of open-ended invention and taste-based judgment is harder to automate end-to-end than routine, rule-based tasks.

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Social perceptiveness

Quite important

Why this matters

Noticing others’ emotions and reactions in the moment and adjusting what you say or do based on why they’re responding that way.

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Persuasion

Quite important

Why this matters

Influencing people to change their minds or behavior through conversation, trust, and negotiation.

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Coordinating others’ work

Quite important

Why this matters

Bringing people together, assigning tasks, and keeping a group aligned so work gets done.

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Show 4 more strengths

Coaching and developing others

Quite important

Why this matters

Helps people learn and improve through coaching, mentoring, and feedback. This relies on trust, motivation, and adapting guidance to each person—work that’s hard to replace end-to-end with automation.

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Communicating with people outside the organization

Quite important

Why this matters

Represents the organization to customers, the public, or government—handling questions, concerns, and relationship-building through conversations, writing, calls, or email.

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Consulting and advising others

Quite important

Why this matters

Provide guidance and expert advice to managers or teams on technical, system, or process decisions—explaining options, tradeoffs, and recommended actions.

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Active learning

Quite important

Why this matters

Keeps learning from new information and applying it to make better decisions now and in the future, especially when situations change.

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What users think

Based on 7,029 votes

66% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted that it's probable this occupation will be automated. However, employees may be able to find reassurance in the automated risk level we have generated, which shows 39% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Accountants and Auditors will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Highly likely

Moderate

Uncertain

Low

No chance

Sentiment

Based on user votes over time

View sentiment trend

How opinions have changed over time

Pay & outlook

Wages

High paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors was $81,680 ($39 per hour).

The median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors was 65.0% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Accountants and Auditors' job openings is expected to rise 4.6% by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 1,448,290 people employed as 'Accountants and Auditors' within the United States.

This represents around 0.9% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 106 people are employed as 'Accountants and Auditors'.

What people are saying (175)

Peter La Touché (Low)

06 Apr 2024 16:56

The role of accountants and auditors will expand beyond just examining, analyzing, and interpreting accounting and financial records to managing, assessing, auditing, and certifying the inputs and outputs associated with AI accounting and financial software. This shift will require them to oversee the implementation, development, and maintenance of AI accounting software, which will substantially increase their workload and responsibilities.

Karl Chisolm (Low)

04 Apr 2024 16:45

Accountants and auditors, with their knowledge in evaluating financial and accounting data, are set to be responsible for the ongoing examination and auditing of financial data generated by AI. Their role will involve:

• Developing test strategies for AI-based accounting and financial systems
• Designing and overseeing the execution of test cases for AI-based accounting and financial systems
• Understanding the specific requirements for testing AI-based accounting and financial systems

To effectively perform these tasks, accountants and auditors must acquire new skills in analyzing algorithms and models from an accounting standpoint. This will enable them to establish and evaluate new controls for AI-generated financial data and ensure ongoing compliance with these controls.

While accountants and auditors are already skilled in managing the collection, cleaning, and validation of test data, they currently face challenges in performance and security testing. However, with the assistance of AI and further education, they will become adept at continuously verifying the accuracy of AI-based accounting and financial systems in real-time environments.

As a result, accountants and auditors will be increasingly relied upon to seamlessly integrate AI-based accounting and financial systems with real-time environments. They will need to continuously monitor and audit AI-generated financial data, ensuring error-free performance, and validating security measures to safeguard the system against cyber-attacks

Sharmila Kumari K C

15 Jan 2025 01:38

AI is not likely to displace accounting and auditing altogether in the next 30 years, but it is rather certain to revolutionize the areas by automating bookkeeping, tax calculations, and other similar mundane tasks. Human accountants will work in strategic roles, ethics-related decision-making, and advisory functions.

The limitations of AI include that it cannot exercise judgment, creativity, and emotional intelligence, which make it certain that humans will continue to be required for complex problem-solving, regulatory oversight, and the instillation of trust in stakeholders. Instead of replacing them, AI will enhance the capability of humans; this will be a partnership where accountants use AI to enhance efficiency and concentrate on higher-value activities.

Upskilling in AI, data analytics, and strategic decision-making will be necessary for accountants to remain relevant in the future..

Nate

12 Jun 2025 22:29

I'm in audit. I think AI will be a HUGE win for CPA’s. There will be a need for human judgment in the foreseeable future. Audit reports will still need to be signed by CPA’s, not AI.

The first accounting jobs to go the way of the dinosaur and telephone operator will be those that are repetitive and don’t require a significant level of judgment, such as bookkeepers and accounting clerks (AR, AP, payroll, purchasing, etc.). A lot of lower-level tax work (data entry, etc.) will likely be automated.

As for auditing, some aspects will likely be taken over by AI, and for the better. A significant amount of transaction-level testing and confirmations will likely be performed by AI, and AI will be a valuable assist for designing and performing analytical procedures.

This will in turn create the need to audit the AI systems and algorithms, like how outsourcing and automation led to the standards in SSAE 18 and framework for SOC reports. There will also be an increased demand for consulting and advisory roles as clients look to implement AI technologies.

AI will help auditors be more efficient by spending less time on rote tasks. It will help auditors design stronger audit procedures, obtain better audit evidence, and improve realization. It will also free up more time to build client relationships and improve the busy season work-life balance. This will translate to more meaningful and fulfilling work and less burnout.

I’m old enough to remember the Y2K hysteria and fearmongering about computers taking everyone’s job. All of this “AI is going to take everyone’s job” strikes the same pessimistic tone.

LudditeCSci

17 Feb 2026 16:25

The only reason Y2K *didn't* cause a global crisis is that over $1T and countless man hours were spent debugging it in advance. And there were still some problems. It reminds me of the old expression that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence". In this case, the absence of a crisis wasn't evidence that there was no crisis; instead, it was a testament to the incredible amount of work we put in to ensure that it didn't become a crisis. You're looking at it completely the wrong way around, as are most commenters on this site. AI specialists are the most qualified to comment on how easily a job can be automated, not the people who actually do those jobs (especially when those people have a vested interest in believing that their current/desired occupation still has a future). I would know because I used to work in AI/ML until I realised the effect we were having on society and quit. Are you going to call *me* a pessimist for realising how bad technological unemployment is truly going to be, as an expert inside the sausage factory, and taking action? (And, yes, my own field of CSci has been decimated by AI. I've accepted that we're one of the worst-affected groups. That leaves me to be honest and apply the same standards to everyone else's fields of work. If it helps, I worked in fintech for a while, so I have an understanding of what "we" are replacing. My goal is to get people to be more proactive in defence against technological unemployment by discouraging complacency -- unlike a lot of people on this site who appear to engage in partisan turf wars over whose field is going to die first.)

LudditeCSci

17 Feb 2026 16:33

Addendum: unlike Y2K, there is no safety net of millions of engineers and trillions of dollars working to derail this train. If anything, far more resources are being put to work to ensure it happens. It's almost a negative image of Y2K as far as the elite and managerial classes are concerned.

James Babatope Omole

12 Oct 2024 05:35

Like any other profession, accountants and auditors provide essential services across various business scales, from small enterprises to large corporations. Everyone engages in some form of accounting daily, whether by tracking income, managing expenses, or assessing financial balances. Thus, accountants are unlikely to be entirely replaced by AI due to automation. However, professionals in this field must undergo continuous training to incorporate automation into their processes. AI will streamline manual tasks and reduce production costs but will not replace critical careers such as accounting, which rely on human expertise, judgment, and adaptability in decision-making.

Peter Swaby (Low)

25 Mar 2024 14:24

The core job description of accountants and auditors involves "installing and advising on systems for recording costs and other financial and budgetary data". Consequently, the artificial intelligence (AI) software that will be utilized in accounting is poised to become the primary system that accountants and auditors will need to implement and provide guidance on. To accomplish this, accountants and auditors will need to enhance their domain knowledge, specifically from an accounting perspective, in AI testing, data analysis, algorithm analysis, and model analysis to effectively implement and advise on these new AI software systems.

In order to offer the most valuable and timely advice on any AI system used in finance, both accountants and auditors will need to consistently monitor the inputs and outputs of the installed software. To do this, they will have to explore innovative methods to establish new controls for AI-generated financial data. They will be responsible for developing new systems to assess the efficacy of these controls, in addition to being the ones tasked with consistently ensuring compliance with these new controls.

John Sherman (No chance)

05 Feb 2024 15:35

An auditor is a human being responsible for evaluating the validity and reliability of a company or organization's financial statements. It cannot be a system, process, or methodology. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can serve as a tool for auditors to evaluate financial statements, it cannot replace the need for human auditors. Even if AI were to carry out the majority of tasks that accountants currently do, more accountants would still be required to audit whether AI is complying with laws and regulations.

Society cannot solely rely on Big Tech to evaluate financial statements, as they have proven themselves to be untrustworthy in many situations. For example, numerous antitrust investigations have been launched against them, revealing unscrupulous behavior. It is questionable whether society would be willing to place all their confidence in the hands of a few Tech billionaires, who will be willing to prioritize their political, corporate, and financial interests over society's well-being.

In conclusion, relying solely on Tech Billionaires and other elites to pay their fair share of taxes and evaluate financial statements poses significant perils. It is crucial to have independent human auditors to ensure accuracy and reliability and prevent conflicts of interest that may arise if the elites desire to further enrich themselves at society's expense.

Andrew Davis (No chance)

05 Feb 2024 17:14

The argument that accountants are going to be replaced by artificial intelligence is baseless.

Our society cannot rely solely on the elites' technologies to determine whether they are paying their fair share of taxes. The government will always have to pursue the wealthy to ensure they pay their fair share of taxes, while individuals will always seek legal ways to avoid paying taxes. Advanced technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence will enable individuals to find more innovative ways to evade taxes, making it difficult for authorities to prosecute those who are guilty of tax evasion.

For this reason, accountants and auditors will always be required to verify whether the technologies that are being used to evaluate whether individuals and entities are tax compliant are accurate.

Nick (Low)

03 Apr 2024 18:45

Accounting could have been automated even without AI, but it hasn't happened yet. The main reason is that people are hesitant to automate processes involving financial transactions. When money is involved, there's a natural reluctance to relinquish control. Additionally, there's a significant amount of sensitive information exchanged between the head of accounting and the company owner, making automation seem risky.

Similarly, in fields like law, people are reluctant to trust machines to draft legal documents or represent them in court because of the financial stakes involved. There's a fear that mistakes could be costly. Additionally, companies are wary of outsourcing these tasks offshore due to concerns about the security of their financial data.

In essence, the reluctance to automate accounting and legal processes stems from the inherent risks and the sensitivity of financial transactions, as well as concerns about maintaining control and data security.

Joelle Montaque (No chance)

25 Mar 2024 02:21

Continuous monitoring of Artificial Intelligence Software used in Accounting is essential to ensure accuracy, completeness, reliability, and relevance of its inputs and outputs. Companies need assurances to mitigate risks related to legal, regulatory, and investor scrutiny that could harm their brand and viability. Accountants and Auditors are best suited to oversee AI systems in accounting due to their expertise in financial scrutiny.

Unlike other professions, Accounting and Auditing require specialized skills that most individuals in an organization lack without rigorous training. The level of training needed to certify Accounting AI outputs is comparable to becoming an accountant. Given accountants' proficiency in analyzing financial records, they are the most qualified to verify the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated financial data. Neglecting monitoring by accountants and auditors will expose companies to increased scrutiny from investors and regulators.

As the digital landscape expands and virtual transactions become increasingly prevalent, companies will need to expand their hiring of Accountants and Auditors to ensure that every transaction processed by their AI Accounting software meets set performance standards. Accountants will play a growing role in setting up, adhering to, and evaluating controls for auditing AI-generated data. The responsibilities of Accountants and Auditors will include conducting thorough assessments to verify the integrity of operations and reports within these organizations.

Arthur Mckenzie (Low)

05 Feb 2024 17:28

Once technologies become more advanced, individuals will also find more innovative ways to misappropriate funds within the confines of these advances in technology. It will be the role of accountants and auditors to continuously advise and assess whether the technologies installed are serving their purpose and whether true and accurate financial statements are being generated by these technologies. Imagine installing technology only to find out that millions have been lost due to faults arising from technology, and there was no one to continuously assess independently whether the system was carrying out its intended purpose.

Thomas Taylor (No chance)

13 Mar 2024 17:41

The increasing use of AI in institutions will not diminish the need for accountants, but rather create a greater demand for highly skilled and certified accounting professionals. As AI becomes more prevalent, there will be a need for accountants who can evaluate whether the software being used meets the necessary performance criteria to consistently generate output that adheres to International Accounting Standards. This will involve auditing the datasets of AI, analyzing its previous inputs and outputs to identify errors and their causes, and developing strategies to improve these digital products and processes. To do this, accountants will need to expand their knowledge of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning concepts.

While accountants are already required to complete continuous education requirements annually, their curriculums will now need to be updated to place a greater emphasis on the management of AI and quality assurance processes to ensure that these systems are performing at a level that meets International Accounting Standards.

James Smith (Highly likely)

10 Oct 2025 11:16

Already accounting entries and accounting related activities are automated in SAP and JD Edwards. I have personally experienced it 7 years back. It is already fully automated by now.
Auditing is fully automated using CAAT (Computer Assisted Aided Technics). I experienced it in Dubai in 2021

Lou (Highly likely)

05 Mar 2022 19:01

It’s simple data-driven work. Easily automated. It’s also a high-wage job so the incentive to automate is high.

Mark

09 Dec 2020 05:34

Over the last 5 years, we already laid off most of our accountants. Turns out, with the improved software we've been getting, we only need a few senior accountants to monitor most of our finances instead of having entire teams performing less-than-optimal analysis. Tough luck. Not only do they have shit jobs (I WAS an accountant, myself) but they may not have a future in the practice. I'm not saying private accountants will be replaced entirely but there's simply no need to hire tons of them when a few can do the job just as well. Can't say the same about public though. They may still provide some use.

Marc J. (Highly likely)

24 Mar 2026 02:33

It is a profession with a lot of churn. It doesn't take many credits (20-40) / money (10K or less) to get into the industry if you already graduated college. Add in AI, I don't see this being a great career path for steady pay.

Asif S. Gill (Highly likely)

21 Feb 2026 08:43

I believe most accountants who don’t evolve with technology won’t survive the next decade (2030s). The number of jobs, especially at the junior level, will decrease by at least 50%, leaving half maybe even 75% of junior accountants jobless. If you evolve, become a data analyst or business manager, or simply use technology in your field, you can definitely make 1.5 to 3X more money.

Someone (No chance)

23 May 2025 23:23

Because we already have automation in this. And still people need them.

Timothy Blake (Low)

10 Mar 2024 15:43

The accounting process involves the ongoing objective analysis and assessment of financial statements. Objectivity requires accountants to base their findings solely on facts, free from personal biases or external influences. Despite the belief that machines and algorithms are unbiased, AI-generated outputs can still contain systematic errors due to human-created algorithms and potentially flawed datasets. Therefore, accountants must continuously monitor AI outputs to ensure decisions are fact-based and logically sound.

Without accountants' oversight, AI-generated results cannot be reliably verified for accuracy, completeness, reliability, and relevance. With the increasing volume of financial data, the demand for accountants will rise to validate datasets used by AI models for decision-making. Furthermore, there will be an increased need for accountants to evaluate the reliability of outputs produced by AI models.

Guts (Uncertain)

04 Sep 2021 10:38

Depends on your expertise as an accountant, depends on your role, depends whether you're liked in your team, depends whether your industry is complex (like insurance), depends on your qualifications and depends on your willingness to learn and reinvent yourself. Not a black-and-white issue. Imho accountants will just become business analysts or advisors.

Job description

Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.

O*NET-SOC code: 13-2011.00

Accountants and Auditors

Explore safer careers (3)

At a glance

Occupation snapshot

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

Human strengths important in this job

Decision-making and problem solving

Thinking creatively

Social perceptiveness

Persuasion

Coordinating others’ work

Coaching and developing others

Communicating with people outside the organization

Consulting and advising others

Active learning

What users think

What do you think the risk of automation is?

Sentiment

How opinions have changed over time

How opinions have changed over time

Pay & outlook

Wages

Wages over time

Growth

Total employment, and estimated job openings

Volume

People also viewed

What people are saying (175)

Job description