Career change to accounting
Accountants and Auditors earn a median of $83,680 a year (BLS, May 2025). Below: the jobs whose skills carry over best, what you need to get in, and pay.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0, BLS OEWS May 2025 and BLS CPS 2025 · How we match careers
- Median pay
- $83,680
- Usual preparation
- A bachelor's degree
- Workers 45 or older
- 50%
- U.S. jobs
- 1,449,500
The best jobs to switch from
Jobs whose skills carry over best into accountants and auditors, by our career-change match score, with the skills people in that job usually need to build.
| If you are now… | Match | Your median pay now | Skills to build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treasurers and Controllers | 92% | $166,570Broader BLS group | Programming, Operations Monitoring, Service Orientation |
| Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | 86% | $78,210 | Management of Financial Resources, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | 84% | $78,000 | Management of Financial Resources, Instructing, Management of Material Resources |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 83% | $50,670 | Management of Financial Resources, Persuasion, Instructing |
| Investment Fund Managers | 82% | $166,570Broader BLS group | Programming, Social Perceptiveness |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | 82% | $78,660 | Operations Monitoring |
| Document Management Specialists | 81% | $116,580Broader BLS group | Management of Financial Resources, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness |
| Brokerage Clerks | 80% | $65,750 | Management of Financial Resources, Complex Problem Solving, Persuasion |
| Compliance Managers | 79% | $141,900Broader BLS group | Management of Financial Resources, Complex Problem Solving, Programming |
| Business Intelligence Analysts | 78% | $120,230Broader BLS group | Management of Financial Resources, Negotiation, Management of Personnel Resources |
Skills to build: skills that are at least 0.25 points more important in the new career (O*NET 31.0 importance, 1–5). How we match careers
What you need to get in
Education
O*NET does not publish an education breakdown for this career.
Usual preparation: A bachelor's degree (O*NET 31.0 Job Zone). Most common on-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
Licenses and requirements
Accountants and auditors typically need at least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. Accountants who file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission must be licensed CPAs. All states require CPA candidates to complete 150 semester hours of college coursework, and becoming a CPA requires passing a national exam and meeting other state requirements.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors
Similar careers to consider
The careers most like accountants and auditors by skills and daily work (O*NET 31.0).
- Budget Analysts85% similar · $91,640 · A bachelor's degree
- Tax Preparers84% similar · $54,920 · 1–2 years (training or associate)
- Credit Analysts84% similar · $83,510 · A bachelor's degree
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks84% similar · $50,670 · 1–2 years (training or associate)
- Insurance Underwriters83% similar · $81,370 · A bachelor's degree
- Financial Examiners83% similar · $94,160 · A bachelor's degree
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Questions about switching to accounting
What jobs make it easiest to switch to accounting?
By our skill match, people working as Treasurers and Controllers (92%), Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists (86%) and Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators (84%) have the most transferable experience.
What education do you need for accounting?
Usual preparation for accountants and auditors: a bachelor's degree (O*NET 31.0 Job Zone).
Is it too late to switch to accounting at 40?
50% of accountants and auditors are 45 or older and their median age is 44.7 (BLS Current Population Survey, 2025).
How much do accountants and auditors make?
The national median is $83,680 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). Highest-paying states: District of Columbia ($111,530), New York ($102,640), New Jersey ($100,830).