The Profession
What’s changing in accounting, and what it means for you.
My take, as a licensed CPA, on the four shifts that will shape your first five years. I update it when something big moves.
From the 2,700+ US accounting job postings we track right now
1Private equity is buying accounting firms
What’s happening
At least 10 of the 30 largest US CPA firms now have private equity owners, and about two dozen of the top 100 have taken PE money since 2021. The first owners are already selling to the next ones: Citrin Cooperman moved from New Mountain Capital to Blackstone in 2025.
What it means for you
A PE-backed firm is run to hit an investor’s return in a few years. That usually means more push on efficiency, more offshoring, more spending on technology. The old path to equity partner gets narrower, because much of the equity now belongs to the investor.
What I’d do
In interviews, ask who owns the firm and what changed for staff since the deal. It isn’t a reason to say no. Some PE firms pay more and invest in better tools. Just know who your employer answers to.
2Fewer entry-level seats, more work offshore
What’s happening
PwC US now hires new advisory associates in 13 offices instead of 72, and plans to hire about a third fewer graduates by 2028. In the UK, the Big Four cut graduate intake between 2023 and 2025, KPMG by nearly 30%. Meanwhile the CPA exam is offered in India (since 2020) and the Philippines (since 2024), where firms keep growing offshore teams.
What it means for you
The routine first-year work, reconciliations, tickmarks and simple returns, is exactly the work going offshore and to AI. First jobs are harder to get, and the CPA is now a global credential: for some roles you compete with CPAs in Bangalore and Manila.
What I’d do
Aim to be the person who reviews and explains, not only the one who prepares. Get licensed early, because signing, client contact and judgment stay onshore. And look at industry roles, not just public accounting.
3AI changes the work. It doesn’t replace knowing the rules.
What’s happening
A growing share of the US accounting jobs we track mention AI or automation (see the numbers above). Every firm is rolling out AI tools for drafting, research and testing. In our own tests, the top AI models still miss tax and GAAP questions a CPA candidate is expected to get right.
What it means for you
The skill that matters is knowing the rule well enough to catch the AI when it’s wrong. Reviewing becomes the job. That is the same skill the CPA exam tests.
What I’d do
Use AI every day, and check it against the source every time. Learn the tools your target employers list in their postings. Don’t skip the fundamentals because a chatbot can answer: the chatbot is the thing you’ll be checking.
4The 150-hour rule is fading
What’s happening
Since 2024, state after state has added a second way to get licensed: a bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience, instead of 150 credit hours. By mid-2026, around 40 states had passed it. Every path still requires passing the CPA exam.
What it means for you
In most states you no longer need a fifth year of school to become a CPA. That makes the license cheaper and faster, and it means more people will hold one. The exam becomes the main thing that separates candidates.
What I’d do
Check your state board’s current rules before paying for extra credits. Start the exam while you work, and favor employers that pay for it. The numbers above show how many postings say they do.
Get the changes as they happen
The news page summarizes more than 100 sources every day. Pick the topics you care about and get an email when they move.
Read today’s accounting newsNick Miller, CPA (Oregon license #14907). Questions or disagree? finance@chatcpa.io
Sources
- CFO Brew: Accounting enters its private equity flip era (April 2026)
- Fast Company: PwC limits entry-level roles to 13 locations (February 2026)
- City AM: Big Four slash graduate jobs as AI takes on entry-level work
- NASBA: CPA Exam available in India
- US CPA exam offered in the Philippines from July 2024
- Atlas CPA Index: states adding 120-credit pathways (2026)
- Job data: ChatCPA job tracker, US postings