headcounts grow 5%; pay rates surge at 7% pace

the only down spots? tax prep and payroll.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

we like to see a month or two of increases when we’re talking about jobs, but how about six or seven? that’s the rosy picture seen across several sectors in accounting, according to the latest available data.

more: cpa staff wages hit new high and keep climbing | firms battle staff shortages with pay hikes | tax & accounting firms beef up wages and headcounts | employee counts, earnings rise
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oh, you’re an employee looking at potential earnings? they just hit new highs at cpa firms and for staff overall.

we report here on the accounting profession as a whole as well as:

  • cpa firms
  • tax preparation services
  • payroll services
  • bookkeeping
  • women


nationally, the unemployment rate declined to 3.5 percent in september, according to the latest available data. total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000, with 46,000 of those jobs coming from professional and business services.

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overall employment in the accounting profession

the accounting profession overall grew for the seventh straight month, hitting 1,123,000 in september – up 7,300 or 0.7 percent for the month and 54,800 or 5.1 percent for the year. weekly hours took the smallest of upticks to 36.4, up 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and 24 minutes or 1.1 percent for the year. hourly earnings flirted with the heady $40 rate, hopping to a high mark of $39.81, up 48 cents or 1.2 percent for the month and $2.52 or 6.8 percent for the year.

staff showed the same seven-month pattern in reaching 811,600, up 3,000 or 0.4 percent for the month and 38,200 or 4.9 percent for the year. they averaged 35.3 weekly hours, up 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and 54 minutes or 2.6 percent for the year. earnings dipped to $29.96, down 2 cents or 0.1 percent for the month but up 73 cents or 2.5 percent for the year.

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average hourly earnings overall at cpa firms

cpa firms

cpa firms employed 523,200 and have trended upward for six months, adding 3,300 or 0.6 percent for the month and 19,600 or 3.9 percent for the year. employees put in 37.2 hours, up 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and year. earnings hit a new high of $42.12, up 20 cents or 0.5 percent for the month and $3.13 or 8 percent for the year.

staff at cpa took tiny steps in six months of growth, 13,100 overall, to reach 360,400. the most increase was 1,800 or 0.5 percent for the month and 13,900 or 4 percent for the year. they averaged 35.8 hours, up 12 minutes or 0.6 percent for the month and 42 minutes or 2 percent for the year. they made $32.05, down 10 cents or 0.3 percent for the month but up $1.48 or 4.8 percent for the year.

tax preparation

tax preparation services employed 97,500, down 800 or 0.8 percent for the month and year.

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employment in payroll services

payroll services

payroll services took their first dip of the year after six months of increases to 202,300, down 3,600 or 1.7 percent for the month but up 16,500 or 8.9 percent for the year. employees worked 36.7 hours, unchanged for the month and up 24 minutes or 1.1 percent for the year. earnings of $38.46 were up 12 cents or 0.3 percent for the month but down 6 cents or 0.2 percent for the year. they have declined five of seven months and are down 5.3 percent from january’s $40.59 high.

staff followed the same pattern, declining to 168,400 after six months of growth. they were down 3,500 or 2 percent for the month but up 15,500 or 10.1 percent for the year. they averaged 36.4 hours, down 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and 48 minutes or 2.2 percent for the year. earnings of $30.78 were up 39 cents or 1.3 percent for the month and 40 cents or 1.3 percent for the year.

bookkeeping

other accounting services have grown slightly each of the last six months, and at 292,100 were up 400 or 0.1 percent for the month and 14,800 or 5.3 percent for the year.

women

women also made a seven-month climb, to 711,100, up 3,100 or 0.4 percent for the month and 38,500 or 5.7 percent for the year. they numbered 314,600 at cpa firms, up 1,400 or 0.4 percent for the month and 6,900 or 2.2 percent for the year. there were 98,300 women in payroll services, down 3,600 or 3.5 percent for the month but up 700 or 7.7 percent for the year.