Entry Level Accounting Jobs in 2027 and How to Land One

Entry-level accounting jobs fall into two groups. Clerk roles like bookkeeper ask for some college and no related experience. Accountant, auditor and analyst roles typically ask for a bachelor’s degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says management accountants often start as cost accountants, junior internal auditors or trainees.

What Are the Common First Accounting Jobs?

Here are the roles most graduates and career changers start in, using BLS’s groupings:

• Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerk. You record transactions, process payments and check records for errors.
• Accountant or auditor. You prepare and examine financial records, compute taxes and check systems for risk.
• Tax preparer. You prepare returns for people and businesses.
• Payroll and timekeeping clerk. You keep pay records accurate.
• Budget or financial analyst. You work with budgets, forecasts and financial data.

BLS describes how careers progress. Entry-level public accountants may advance to senior positions as they gain experience. Public accountants often move into management accounting or internal auditing.

Job titles vary from one employer to the next. A “staff accountant” at one company may do work another calls an “accounting associate,” so read the duties, not the title.

What Education Does Each Role Ask For?

BLS gives a typical entry education for each group:

For clerks, BLS says employers vary. Some prefer candidates with college courses or a degree in accounting or a related field, and others accept a high school diploma. You don’t need related work experience, and you get moderate-term on-the-job training.

For accountants and auditors, a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field is typically required. BLS also says some employers prefer a master’s degree, either in accounting or in business administration.

What Do Entry Level Jobs Pay?

BLS publishes wages by occupation, not by years of experience, so it can’t tell you what a first-year accountant earns. Its May 2025 national figures do show you the shape of the range.

The lowest 10 percent column is the closest BLS guide to where a starting wage might land. It isn’t a figure for first-year workers. Pay also depends on your state and the employer. Use the table as a map, not a promise. If you’re choosing between a clerk role and a degree, compare the clerk rows with the accountant row.

How Are the Job Prospects?

It depends on the role. BLS projects accountant and auditor jobs to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations. It expects about 115,300 openings a year over the decade.

For bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, BLS projects a 6 percent decline over the same period, which it ties to automation. It still expects about 144,100 openings a year, because workers leave or retire.

A clerk job is a real way in, but the degree-level path has the stronger projected growth and the higher median pay.

How Does a Degree Help You Start?

You can earn a degree in a program that fits around a job. Many programs offer evening, hybrid or online classes, so you can work and study at the same time.

Transfer credit can shorten the path. Among our bachelor’s programs, a cap of 90 transferred credits is the most common figure, and 7 programs use it. Another 5 programs state a different limit. If you already have college credit from earlier years, ask each school what it’ll accept.

Pace matters too. Some programs use 8-week terms, which means you take fewer classes at a time. See our list of accelerated accounting degrees and our cheapest accounting degrees.

BLS says students may gain practical experience through internships with public accounting or business firms. In our selection, 62 programs describe an internship or externship option, and 4 of them require one. Check the program page for the details.

How Can You Stand Out Without Experience?

Employers hiring for an entry-level role know you don’t have much work history. Show them what you do have.

• List the accounting software you’ve used in class or on a job, and name the tools.
• Describe any internship, volunteer tax help or club treasurer role in plain terms, with the tasks you handled.
• Point to coursework that matches the job, like taxation for a tax role or auditing for an audit role.
• Keep your numbers accurate. Accounting employers notice errors on a resume faster than most.

In an interview, expect questions about how you check your own work. A good answer is a short, real example: you found a mismatch, traced it and fixed it.

If you’re still in school, say when you’ll finish and how many hours a week you can work. Employers can plan around a clear answer.

What Credentials Help Early?

You don’t need a credential to land a first job. BLS says certification gives you an advantage in the job market because it shows professional competence in a specialized field.

When you’re ready, these are the main options:

• The certified public accountant (CPA) license, which runs through state boards. See our CPA exam guide.
• The certified management accountant (CMA) credential, which suits accountants who work inside companies. See our CMA guide.
• The certified internal auditor (CIA) credential, which suits audit work inside a company. See our CIA guide.
• The enrolled agent credential, which the IRS gives for tax work and which doesn’t list a degree among its steps. See our enrolled agent guide.

Wait until you know which direction you want. Most of these credentials ask for experience, so your first job is part of the plan.

What Are the Downsides?

Busy season is real. BLS says longer periods of work are typical at certain times of the year, such as quarterly audits or tax season. If you start in public accounting or tax, expect heavy hours then.

The clerk path has a weaker outlook. With employment projected to decline 6 percent, you may want a degree as a way to move up.

And the CPA path asks for more school or more experience. The traditional route is 150 semester hours, 30 more than the usual four-year bachelor’s degree, and many states now also offer a bachelor’s plus experience path. If a license is your goal, check with your state board early.

Where Should You Start?

1. Pick the role that fits where you are. If you don’t have a degree yet, a clerk or payroll role gets you into the field.
2. Enroll in a program, and ask about transfer credit, internships and term length.
3. Apply for staff accountant, tax or audit trainee roles as you finish.
4. Add a credential once you know whether you want public, corporate or tax work.

Our bachelor’s list is a good place to compare programs, and our guide to remote accounting jobs covers work-from-home options.