The job title- ‘Accountant’ claimed the top spot in FlexJobs’ annual ranking of the 10 most popular and searched remote jobs in the U.S.
In a report seen by Nairametrics, the ranking unveiled that the job title ranks first, contrary to expectations that tech-related roles would dominate.
According to the annual ranking, the demand for this skilled profession extends across various sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government.
FlexJob ranking of remote job titles
Here is the top 10 list of the most popular remote job titles:
- Accountant
- Executive Assistant
- Financial Analyst
- Product Manager
- Customer Service Representative
- Software Engineer
- Customer Success Manager
- Accounting Manager
- Product Designer
- Writer
Why Accountants top the list
The shortage of accountants in the U.S., influenced by the retirement of Baby Boomers and a significant reduction in students pursuing accounting programs, has prompted companies to increasingly provide remote or hybrid accounting positions to address this shortfall.
According to ZipRecruiter’s chief economist Julia Pollak’s interview with CNBC Make It, she notes:
- “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…
- “…also, remote work is the number one way to assure people that you’re giving them some degree of autonomy and flexibility”.
Value of the accounting profession and labour market projections
The surge in demand for accountants extends beyond the finance and consulting sectors, which attributed partly to the dynamic changes in tax regulations and financial reporting standards.
Julia Pollak emphasized this further stating:
- “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 risk
- “There’s a lot of oversight … you can’t afford the legal liability of messing this up.
- “As an accountant, you are a highly valued employee, so the risk of getting laid off is pretty low. 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.”
In justifying the idea that Accountants can work remotely, FlexJobs lead career expert Toni Frana says,
- “Many of the core job responsibilities for accountants — managing financial records, analyzing data, preparing tax returns — can easily be done remotely.
- “Accounting has also long been considered one of the strongest fields for a remote career and I anticipate seeing an imminent spike in remote accountant openings ahead of tax season”.
According to a report on ZipRecruiter, the proportion of available accountant positions that offer remote work increased from approximately 8% in 2019 to nearly 20% in 2023, according to data.
In general, the job outlook for accountants is expected to grow at least 4% over the next decade, resulting in the addition of more than 15,000 jobs each year, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Though the typical average salary for accountants in the U.S. hovers around $68,000, ZipRecruiter data indicates that seasoned professionals in the field can potentially earn between $150,000 to over $200,000 annually.
Top companies hiring remote Accountants
FlexJobs lists the following companies hiring Accountants for remote positions, which are: Kforce, Supporting Strategies, and Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) amongst others as the leading companies recruiting for remote accounting positions.
Typically, these roles mandate candidates to possess a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field, coupled with certification in a specific accounting discipline, such as obtaining licensure as a Certified Public Accountant, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Despite reports from Bloomberg indicating that the Big Four accounting firms—KPMG, PWC, EY, and Deloitte experienced significant job reductions in 2023, such large-scale layoffs are infrequent, as indicated by Julia Pollak.
