Probably the most sought-after distant job corporations are hiring for is not in tech, as you would possibly count on. Accountant is the most popular work-from-home job in the marketplace proper now.

Accountants claimed the highest spot in FlexJobs’ annual ranking of the highest distant jobs within the U.S., because of rising demand for these expert professionals throughout a number of industries, together with finance, well being care and authorities.

A shortage of accountants within the U.S. — pushed by retiring Child Boomers and a pointy decline within the variety of college students enrolling in accounting applications — has led corporations to supply extra distant or hybrid accounting roles as a option to bridge the hole.

“It’s an industry that’s under tremendous pressure to appeal to new generations of talent to modernize and re-envision roles, to improve work-life balance, and remote work is the number one way to assure people that you’re giving them some degree of autonomy and flexibility,” ZipRecruiter chief economist Julia Pollak tells CNBC Make It.

The demand for accountants has transcended the finance and consulting sectors in recent times partially as a consequence of quickly evolving tax laws and monetary reporting requirements. On ZipRecruiter, the share of open accountant roles that had been distant jumped from about 8% in 2019 to almost 20% in 2023, in accordance with information shared with CNBC Make It.

General, the variety of jobs for accountants is expected to grow a minimum of 4% over the subsequent decade, with greater than 15,000 jobs added annually, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reviews.

“Compliance and, by proxy, having good accountants is now more important than ever, because industry regulation touches nearly every area of business, which means organizations are exposed to more financial and reputational risks,” Pollak explains. “There’s a lot of oversight … you can’t afford the legal liability of messing this up.”

A six-figure paycheck and low threat of layoffs

Lots of the core job duties for accountants — managing monetary data, analyzing information, getting ready tax returns — can simply be accomplished remotely, says FlexJobs lead profession skilled Toni Frana.

Accounting has “long been considered” one of many strongest fields for a distant profession, says Frana, including that she anticipates seeing an imminent spike in distant accountant openings forward of tax season.

On FlexJobs, among the prime corporations hiring for distant accounting roles embody Kforce, Supporting Methods and Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH).

Most jobs require a bachelor’s diploma in accounting or a associated area, in addition to a certification in a particular area of accounting, like changing into a licensed Licensed Public Accountant, in accordance with the BLS.

Whereas the typical imply wage for accountants within the U.S. is about $68,000, in accordance with ZipRecruiter data, extra skilled accountants stand to earn wherever from $150,000 to upwards of $200,000 a yr.

Though Bloomberg reviews that the Large 4 accounting companies — KPMG, PWC, EY and Deloitte — collectively shed hundreds of jobs in 2023, such layoffs are uncommon, Pollak says.

“As an accountant, you are a highly valued employee, so the risk of getting laid off is pretty low,” she notes. “You’re a trusted member of the inner circle, you see all of the dirt and get the company out of trouble — it’s a very important, stable job.”

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