2025 Finance and Accounting Job Market Outlook

Finance and accounting leaders continue to face challenges finding candidates with expertise in critical areas such as financial planning and analysis (FP&A), financial reporting and technical accounting, business analytics, and tax. A shrinking pool of candidates for accounting roles is also heightening compliance risks, raising the stakes for businesses that need access to skilled talent to help them navigate complex regulatory and reporting demands. 

Many firms are embracing flexible workforce planning and turning to contract professionals to address skills gaps and short-term needs. Some are also implementing AI and automation capabilities to help boost team efficiency. The combination of digital tools and professionals with specialized expertise can help companies maintain compliance, manage evolving demands and sustain momentum on priority initiatives. 

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Finance and accounting leaders say it takes 7 weeks on average to hire for permanent roles.   

Robert Half’s research also suggests many firms are receiving a high volume of applications, making it harder to identify candidates with the requisite skills. 

of leaders said evaluating applications and determining who to interview are their greatest hiring challenges.

Hiring for strategic priorities: contract and permanent staff

Finance and accounting leaders shared the top strategic initiatives for which they will hire more staff through the end of the year. 

AI implementation

Refining data and analytics strategies

Improving planning, budgeting and forecasting

Financial reporting and compliance

Profitability analyses

The demand for accountants is high, making the accountant shortage a critical challenge for small firms, Big Four practices and corporate accounting departments.

of leaders said their company has a moderate to severe challenge in hiring and retaining accountants. 

71% of finance and accounting leaders reported skills gaps within their department, and 72% of those leaders said the negative impact of those gaps has increased in the last year. 

In response, many companies consider a combination of options for addressing these gaps: engaging contract talent for a specific project or short-term support, seeking permanent hires with specialized  experience, and upskilling employees.

Finance
and FP&A Financial
reporting Tax General
accounting AP, AR and
bookkeeping Finance
and FP&A Financial
reporting Tax General
accounting AP, AR and
bookkeeping

Make sense of shifting job market dynamics

Our Labor Market Overview connects the dots between U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, job postings and hiring trends, giving you a clearer view of employment shifts, workforce turnover and where opportunities are growing.

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Most finance and accounting leaders plan to add new staff or at least maintain headcount in the second half of 2025 to support top business priorities. Yet 93% said it’s challenging to find the talent they need in the current job market.

of finance and accounting leaders are hiring for new permanent positions.

are hiring only for vacated permanent positions. 

Hiring plans: contract roles

70% of finance and accounting leaders said they’re increasing their use of contract talent in the second half of 2025. They also shared what they view as the greatest value in engaging these professionals. 

Access to specialized skills or experience

Flexibility in scaling the workforce

Cost savings compared with hiring permanent employees

Faster time to staff critical roles

Finance and accounting professionals in highest demand

The following positions are in the top 10% of finance and accounting roles in demand, according to an analysis of thousands of job postings and Robert Half placements.

Staff/senior accountant 

Article: Learn more about the top roles in demand

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The survey cited was developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Results may not total 100% due to rounding or allowing for multiple responses. Respondents included executives and hiring managers from small (10-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000+ employees) businesses in private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the U.S.

Over 4 million new positions from more than 8,000 independent job boards and company websites are represented in this report, including 340,000-plus placements from Robert Half. Positions are categorized into more than 450 job titles within Robert Half’s Salary Guide using a proprietary mapping methodology that employs state-of-the-art large language models. This dataset includes roles across the finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, healthcare support, and human resources professions. 