Accounting is One of the Best Flexible Roles in 2024 - And Pays Well (2024)

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The jobs site Indeed tracked the 50 best jobs in the U.S. with higher-than-average salaries and some chance of remote work.

Jan. 25, 2024

By Michael Grothaus, Fast Company (TNS)

If you’re looking for a new job in 2024—especially one with a higher-than-average salary and some chance of remote work—you’ll want to give Indeed’s 50 Best Jobs in theU.S.for 2024 list a look.

The jobs site tracks the best jobs in America annually, but this year’s list was compiled in a slightly different way. As Indeed points out, a recent Forrester study shows that those seeking jobs name “fair pay” as the primary factor that influences their well-being in the workplace, with the flexibility of the job a close second.

That’s why for its 2024 Best Jobs list, Indeed partly selected the jobs based on a salary minimum above the national average in America and jobs for which at least 10% of the listings included flexible terms like “remote” or “hybrid” work. The jobs platform also took into account opportunity growth of the job and availability of the jobs in consideration.

These are the top 10 jobs in America, based on Indeed’s criteria, followed by their starting salary:

  1. Mental health technician: $77,448
  2. Loan officer: $192,339
  3. Mental health therapist: $76,140
  4. Electrical engineer: $102,590
  5. Construction project manager: $103,431
  6. Mechanical engineer: $96,091
  7. Psychiatrist: $258,440
  8. Human resources manager: $79,174
  9. Senior accountant: $82,811
  10. Data engineer: $130,135

Looking at the top 10 list, you can see two types of jobs dominate: those in the mental health field and engineering positions. Indeed points to a Mental Health America report that shows 20.78% of adult Americans have admitted to struggling with mental health issues in 2023. Those struggles have led to an increased need for people working in the mental health field.

Another finding from Indeed’s list is that 70% of the top 10 jobs have a high probability of being impacted by AI. Yet that doesn’t mean AI itself may take your job. “In reality, it isn’t generative AI that is going to take your job,” saidSvenja Gudell, chief economist at Indeed, but rather the person who “knows how to work with the tools that generative AI has given them.”

But tech jobs no longer dominate Indeed’s top 50 list, either—and part of that is because tech jobs are no longer seeing the exponential growth they did during the pandemic years. Instead, layoffs hit the tech industry hard in 2023, a trend that has crept into 2024 so far as well.

You can check out Indeed’s full list here. Jobs are ranked by the number of job postings per one million total postings.

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Fast Company © 2024 Mansueto Ventures LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

Accounting is One of the Best Flexible Roles in 2024 - And Pays Well (2024)

FAQs

Is accounting a good career in 2024? ›

Accountants claimed the top spot in FlexJobs' 2024 ranking of the top remote jobs in the U.S., thanks to increasing demand for these skilled professionals across several industries, including finance, health care and government.

Why is accounting highly flexible? ›

It's highly flexible

Whether you want to work in fashion, politics, sport or business – accountancy could be your route in. The skills you gain when you study accountancy turn you into a highly sought-after finance professional who can work across teams and in strategic, diverse roles – all the way up to the boardroom.

How flexible is an accounting career? ›

As most work is housed digitally, an accountant can opt to perform duties from home or at the office. However, accountants have to deal with varying or inconsistent hours during busy periods, like the end of fiscal years and tax seasons.

Why does accounting pay so well? ›

The lucrative salary is based on demand and makes accounting one of the best business jobs. "Few fields are as fertile as the domain of accounting," said Robert Valli, former dean of the LIU Post College of Management in Old Westbury, N.Y., who added that accounting is, in his opinion, recession-proof.

What is the best job in 2024? ›

These are the Best Jobs of 2024, According to Indeed
RankJob title% Change in Job Share, 2020 vs. 2023
1mental health technician1
2loan officer3
3mental health therapist132
4electrical engineer34
21 more rows
Apr 18, 2024

What is the demand for accounting in 2024? ›

Accountants' Demand Keeps Growing in 2024

Nowadays, the accountant demand in 2024 has changed. They can become partners and help their partners navigate strategic financial regulations. They can also help organizations in making decisions and driving growth.

Is accounting a very stressful job? ›

Stress is a common issue among many professions, and the field of accounting is no exception. According to a recent study, accounting is among the top 10 most stressful jobs in the world.

What is the hardest part of being an accountant? ›

Here are the Top Challenges of being an Accountant (and if you are then you know whom to contact):
  • Repetitive work: ...
  • Working Overtime: ...
  • Competition: ...
  • Focus under pressure: ...
  • Continuous Learning: ...
  • Detail-oriented: ...
  • Steady growth and not ballistic: ...
  • Non-Negotiable deadlines:

Why do people enjoy accounting? ›

For instance, you might explain that your skill development makes the challenges and analysis of financial data interesting and exciting. You might also describe specific challenges that required you to rely on a specific skill like applying mathematical formulas to help solve a problem.

Why is no one going into accounting? ›

Higher starting salaries with other majors was the top reason why non-accounting majors who had considered the field decided against it, according to a survey of nearly 500 students this spring by the Center for Audit Quality, an industry group.

Is accounting hard to break into? ›

How Hard Is It To Become An Accountant? Becoming an accountant isn't as easy as simply announcing that you are one, but it isn't as difficult as you might think, either. The subjects you must master can be challenging and intense at times, but if you put in the time and effort you'll do just fine.

Is accounting more flexible than finance? ›

Accounting majors have a great deal of flexibility, especially since the major covers accounting, business and finance. And, once an accounting student graduates, there are a vast number of options and career paths from which to choose.

Why are accountants so underpaid? ›

Accountants are underpaid. Accountants lack the confidence to charge amounts that will make them profitable while responding to every email and phone call within a reasonable time frame. To be more responsive, an accountant needs either fewer, but higher paying clients or staff. Either way, clients need to pay more.

What kind of accountant makes the most money? ›

High Paying Accounting Jobs
  • Internal Audit Consultant. ...
  • Controller. ...
  • Financial Reporting Manager. ...
  • Audit Manager. ...
  • Payroll Director. ...
  • Regional Controller. Salary range: $94,000-$135,000 per year. ...
  • Finance Executive. Salary range: $57,500-$134,500 per year. ...
  • Senior Accounting Manager. Salary range: $90,500-$134,000 per year.

Do accountants actually make good money? ›

Accountants made a median salary of $78,000 in 2022. The best-paid 25% made $101,150 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $60,920.

Is bookkeeping in demand in 2024? ›

Over the last few years, we've had fewer and fewer clients asking us for help finding bookkeepers. That's changed in 2024. Demand for bookkeepers has come roaring back but with a few notable differences from previous years.

Will accountants be gone in the future? ›

No, accountants won't be gone in the future. The role of accountants is expected to evolve with the integration of AI but not become obsolete.

Is accounting a good career for the future? ›

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.4% employment growth for accountants between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 67,400 jobs should open up. An accountant is a person who keeps or inspects financial records. These professionals are organized and detail-oriented.

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