Accounting
Business & Management · federal classification: Accounting and Related Services
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $45,403 | $38,853 to $50,417 | 77 | 86% |
| Associate's Degree | $48,438 | $44,682 to $52,235 | 187 | 96% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,790 | $64,270 to $83,032 | 756 | 100% |
| Graduate/Professional Certificate | $82,174 | $64,549 to $103,022 | 8 | 100% |
| Master's Degree | $93,114 | $84,760 to $103,392 | 337 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +3% (2025 to 2035), about 401,700 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $50,670 | -5.6% | 144,100 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,680 | +5% | 115,300 |
| Financial Managers | $166,570 | +9.7% | 65,600 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | $102,740 | +7.2% | 24,700 |
| Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks | $58,260 | -15.9% | 11,400 |
| Tax Preparers | $54,920 | +4.7% | 9,400 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a accounting program, of 1,969 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Western Governors University
- CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- University of Phoenix-Arizona
- Ivy Tech Community College
- Purdue University Global
- Broward College
- Texas A&M University-College Station
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.