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Boston Career Explorer

Business and Financial Operations

Accountants and Auditors

Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.

Also called: Accountant, Accounting Officer, Audit Partner, Auditor, Cost Accountant, CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

Median pay in Greater Boston
$100,150
$48.15/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
37,150
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+1.6%
3,540 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$72,450$79,990$100,150$129,490$161,450

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
  • Process invoices for payment.
  • Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
  • Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
  • Prepare adjusting journal entries.
  • Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure88 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 99
  • Language-model AIOE 82
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 83

Observed AI use today: Substantial (Anthropic Economic Index)

Accountants and auditors have higher AI exposure, and observed AI use is substantial. AI tools can help with processing invoices, reconciling accounts, preparing journal entries, and checking records. Giving advice, making judgment calls on tax and reporting rules, and explaining results to clients or managers still rely on people.

Likely to change

  • Processing invoices and reconciling accounts
  • Preparing journal entries and routine tax returns

Still relies on people

  • Judgment on tax and reporting questions
  • Advising clients and explaining financial results

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Compliance Officers

    Checking records for accuracy and rule-following carries over directly. This role has lower AI exposure and a Boston median pay of $103,940.

    Pay difference
    +$3,790 median
    AI exposure
    Higher
    MA growth
    +3.0%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

  • Administrative Services Managers

    Reviewing reports for accuracy builds on your detail skills. This role has lower AI exposure and a higher Boston median pay of $120,670.

    Pay difference
    +$20,520 median
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    MA growth
    +3.8%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

  • Project Management Specialists

    Your comfort with budgets and finances helps in planning project resources. This role has lower AI exposure and a Boston median pay of $114,990.

    Pay difference
    +$14,840 median
    AI exposure
    Higher
    MA growth
    +2.7%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

35 programs near Boston (plus 20 graduate)

Related occupations

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