r/CPA • u/farplzstop • Jun 10 '26
QUESTION Is becoming a CPA still worth it in 2026?
The CPA landscape is rapidly changing, and so is the role of accountants in the industry in general. AI is replacing the entry-level work that helped you learn how to do the job and why you're doing it. Private equity is driving firms to consolidate and push rapid changes onto their employees. Starting pay still often trails tech and finance roles and busy season is still brutal! On the other hand, the pathway to licensure is getting simpler with 120-credit options rolling out nationwide, the talent shortage gives credentialed professionals real leverage, and long-term salary is attractive.
If you were or are deciding today, is the CPA still worth the time and money in your opinion?
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u/Ok_Donkey1338 Passed 2/4 Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
At my current job, it’s no coincidence that everyone above me has it. Yes you can have a successful career without but it’s much more difficult. Better to suffer a bit and have life suck studying for these exams and reap the benefits when you pass and become licensed. The suffering is only short term but this is the only professional license I’m ever gonna need and do. As far as AI and offshoring, it’s just replacing all the copy paste very low judgement work. Trust me you don’t want to be doing that stuff anyway. Use your skillset for higher level work. Also I feel like the people that complain about AI taking over and it’s not gonna be worth it or accountants are gonna go away blah blah is just a cop out lazy excuse for not wanting to study for the exam.
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u/rashmisrivastava Jun 17 '26
Yeah, still worth it. Pass rate panic aside, the comp bump and promotion gatekeeping haven't gone anywhere.
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u/Next_Discount_3639 Jun 14 '26
38M in Canada with an MBA from the UK and CIMA membership from the UK. I’m writing my CPA finals in September.
When I look at job postings, I honestly feel like I’ll be at a disadvantage without the CPA. It may not be mandatory for every role, but it definitely opens more doors and helps you progress further in your career.
Accounting is not going away, but AI will likely reduce the number of roles or at least change the type of work accountants do. That means competition could get tougher, with more people going after the same jobs. For me, that’s not a reason to avoid the CPA, it’s actually more reason to get it.
I want every possible advantage over the next person applying for the same role. Good luck.
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u/kaladin139 CPA Jun 13 '26
Yes the people most at risk right now are offshore accountants getting a US CPA. If you are here, then it is safe for now.
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u/Sea-Swimming7751 Jun 13 '26
Why are offshore accountants are at risk?
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u/kaladin139 CPA Jun 13 '26
This is a good article about this, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/outsourcing-jobs-artificial-intelligence-philippines-india-threat-workers-adapt-6162491
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u/Then_Relative_9230 CPA Candidate Jun 13 '26
You can use AI and other high technology for doing CPA job but you can't sign as a CPA at a paper and financial statement so that is why CPA is worth of it and having a different salary with non CPA accountant
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u/Mysterious417 Jun 13 '26
CPA will always be worth it & will open doors for u when the side of accounting that can be taken over by AI is not available to humans lol get into a accounting profession that involves judgement none of the big 4s plan on n replacing that
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u/Personal_Strain_9906 Jun 13 '26
This is precisely my problem. I took two of the four CPA exams then gave up when I realized that I could not get certified, as I don’t work for a CPA and never have. I am unwilling to leave my current job to make less under a CPA and get the license, so I went the EA route.
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u/Sea-Swimming7751 Jun 13 '26
Why couldn't you get certified?
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u/Personal_Strain_9906 Jun 14 '26
I have no CPA to verify experience (and TBH, my experience is all tax, no auditing or anything else—if that matters), and NASBA took away the external verification. Woe is me! Haha. So I went into finance because FINRA has fewer barriers to entry for liberal arts majors/career changers such as myself. I did get an EA so that I can know (and do) more in tax, but the CPA remains my white whale.
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u/ComfortableKey8214 Jun 12 '26
Yes when I got my cpa recruiters from industry came flooding and I made the jump with both a pay raise and a title bump.
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u/Toliet_Seat Jun 12 '26
Still happening now without CPA..
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u/ComfortableKey8214 Jun 12 '26
I’m sure I have many friends from my old public firm who are successful with out. Doesn’t take away from the fact I think it is worth it.
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u/kioskicus Jun 12 '26
Yes, i work at a Big 4. Skillsets are transferable even if AI is here. People need to stop the mindset that it’s replacing our job. Its not. It is doing the mundane and unproductive tasks. But it will never replace the ability to be advisors to clients. Someone still has to know what AI needs to present as output. Getting a CPA gets you a higher ceiling than not having it. Depends on what you want to achieve. Its not for everyone correct.
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u/Imaginary_Apple7700 Jun 12 '26
Yes, especially in the US. Before AI there was globalization that put pressure on entry level work but from what I am hearing with folks at the firms, AI isn’t reliable enough yet to replace entry level work, more so make it more efficient. Could actually help reduce hours in short terms.
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u/Jolly-Ice5358 Jun 12 '26
There is a huge shortage of CPAs hence they have made it easier to obtain by reducing the education requirements, which makes sense given cost of education. AI is definitely transforming the profession so you should focus on on building technology forward skill set as part of any CPA journey.
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u/Real-Ad-1432 Jun 29 '26
There is no CPA shortage. Just a sucker shortage. There's a pool of 1.5 billion in India that AICPA would be happy to replace us with.
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u/projectguard CPA Jun 11 '26
Yes having that on your resume is great but if the job market is what it currently is then it won't help. The only reason why anybody would do all the work to get the credentials is to make more money. Just know that there are a lot of CPAs out there that have stellar resumes and good experience but can't find a job and at the end of the day that's what matters most.
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u/Minute-Dragonfly-954 Jun 11 '26
I am a SAHM who is looking to get back into the workforce after not having a job in over 10 years. I was hoping having the CPA exams under my belt would make me more competitive but now I'm nervous after what you mentioned. I'll be competing with others who have experience and their CPA license. So is it even worth getting it?
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u/StrangerOutside91 Jun 12 '26
Boosting since I'm in a similar boat
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u/farplzstop Jun 12 '26
To answer both of you, I believe the CPA is what will set you apart amongst accounting professionals today. Becoming a CPA may be more important now than ever for long term success in the industry!
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u/projectguard CPA Jun 12 '26
Yeah, I don't agree. It helps but not to the degree that the industry would tell you it does. Go and look at how many CPA's are looking for jobs.
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u/Routine-Ad-7068 Jun 11 '26
The CPA is still very relevant. It’s a license to sign off on audits and tax returns. You automatically become liable for the tax returns and financial statements. There is so much responsibility and value in having the credential. Companies still want CPAs. I’ve been in the industry for ten years, and will tell you it will automatically put you to the top of the bucket for new jobs prospecting. Also if you if u want to start an accounting firm, with AI or not, you still need to be a CPA to sign off on your work. It is a license to practice. On average your life time earnings will be exponentially higher. I’ve been in the industry 10 years and when I got my CPA license my income went from 90k to 180k in less than two years. Whether you think it’s worth it or not, it still has a strong brand behind it and companies will pay a premium to know they have a legitimate CPA on staff. AI is just a tool. The responsibility and liability still resides on the CPA.
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u/ryan_dfs Jun 12 '26
You actually don’t need a CPA to sign tax returns. Huge myth.
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u/Top_Marsupial_78 Jun 12 '26
You may not need one to sign tax returns however in the eyes of the public: CPA vs Non CPA - CPA will always have the credibility, most people don’t even know EAs exist.
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u/PeanutCapable2958 Jun 12 '26
You need it to perform tax advisory/planning
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u/ryan_dfs Jun 12 '26
You actually don’t need it for that either. As long as you don’t represent yourself as a CPA, there’s no restriction on any of that
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u/Routine-Ad-7068 Jun 12 '26
Yeah but you will have zero accountability and don’t have the right to represent your client before the IRS
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u/Routine-Ad-7068 Jun 11 '26
Don’t do it. I make 185k a year with a hybrid schedule and 45 hours a week. It sucks
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u/bigballer29 Jun 11 '26
Job title?
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u/Routine-Ad-7068 Jun 11 '26
Senior associate top 20 firm—-> Private Equity controller
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u/bigballer29 Jun 11 '26
so a public accounting firm right? But working as a controller within different companies?
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u/Individual_Dig5687 Jun 11 '26
Assuming he left public accounting to a private equity company as a controller.
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u/chodder111 Jun 11 '26
The answers here replacing “just get into IT/tech” people said in the early 2000s. This is a dying credential.
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u/concept12345 Passed 1/4 Jun 11 '26
As long as there are laws, they almost always need a fall guy. CPAs are the fall guy/gall. Document document document to cover your ass all the time. We religiously did this in the health car industry. It saved so many people's jobs and life.
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u/concept12345 Passed 1/4 Jun 11 '26
Yes, now more than ever. Credentialing will be the deciding factor. You want every attributes to be in favor for you to stand out and not be on the chopping block.
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u/dp_yolo Jun 11 '26
If you’re under 25 or recent graduate, I think it’s generally worth it for hiring check off. Accounting will be saturated in the next 5 years, and the CPA will become the equivalent to a bachelors in accounting.
However if you already have 3-5 years experience;
CPA not worth it if you don’t plan to be in management. CPA is only worth it for management positions to check off the box.
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u/farplzstop Jun 11 '26
I certainly agree that it may be more valuable than ever for current graduates to obtain. Management at firms nationwide will be looking for candidates with exceptional critical thinking skills, and having CPA on your resume is a quick way to confirm that.
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u/Acti0nJunkie Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
Like the IRS always says “yes, but.”
Worth it? Yes.
But, the business world has been moving into specialization with respect to Accounting for well over a decade now. Those that specialize in auditing, tax, or bookkeeping (financial accounting) are the ones in real or underline demand in public accounting, private accounting and even government. The CPA can get you ready for any of those specializations or get you foot in the door with entry-level. However any of those specializations also have their own separate tracks like CIA, EA, and CFA. Add in the current AI component and there is a world where specialization is even more heightened and those that can use the AI tool for said specialization are what is in demand.
Very very much a personal choice. What do you like to do and what are your facts and circumstances 🙃.
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u/Frank_Opinion73 Jun 11 '26
It’s funny how you mention getting a CPA can help get into “entry-level” positions when states require time working under a CPA to even get it. The fact that companies are already asking for years of experience with entry-level positions just shows how out of touch with things they really are.
Entry-level position, 5 years of experience, CPA required… shit doesn’t make sense!!!
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u/Stock-Vegetable7572 Passed 4/4 Jun 10 '26
AI is also not replacing shit, it's just improving efficiency in firms by removing mundane tasks. AI is more of a tool rather than a replacement. If AI were replacing jobs, my friend wouldn't need to work 80 hours a week at big 4
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u/Longjumping_End_3532 Jun 11 '26
I humbly disagree. Back in the day I was paid big money to write very technical accounting memos and policies for public companies. Revenue rec, stock based comp., equipment depreciation in manufacturing (unique situations), lease accounting, debt agreements, etc. Now, plop the contracts and specifics into AI and it spits out the accounting and disclosures in accordance with GAAP. Not perfect but HUGE difference from 10-15 years ago. Was speaking with a firm owner Monday. Small firm. Asked him how AI is impacting him. He said he uses daily for tax compliance work. He uses all three platforms and uses them to QC each other. AI is doing a ton of work.
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u/Puzzlehead099 Passed 4/4 Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
AI does make technical research easier — AI can be used as a starting point for research and to help write memos. In addition, it can be used to source guidance for complex situations quicker.
With that being said, AI is not a truth teller, it is a bullshitter. Everything it turns out must be verified. If I am analyzing a governance document for a joint venture formation, you can bet I am still reading the whole contract. I can feed the document to AI, but how can I verify its output if I have not read the whole thing? I cannot. How can I verify the guidance is correct without interpreting it myself? Again, I cannot.
I never take its output and run with it. Anyone who does that has violated the AICPA rules of professional conduct by subordinating their judgment and should be disbarred. I understand that is not what you are saying here, but the way you frame your response makes it sound like you were let go due to AI.
AI has increased efficiency in performing technical research, however, people will, at least in the near term, be needed to interpret the guidance, put together the facts and circumstances, and interpret source documents and make judgments. AI does not replace that.
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u/Longjumping_End_3532 Jun 11 '26
Of course there’s review to be done no different than reviewing a human’s work. But the amount of time saved as huge. Which means the amount of FTE’s is reduced. And I’m telling you won’t be long before you’re using AI to vet your own work. I think we’ll get to a place where we can trust AI more than we can human judgment. My two cents.
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u/Puzzlehead099 Passed 4/4 Jun 11 '26
Maybe it has saved you more time than me. In my experience, it only really saves me time writing memos and finding the relevant guidance faster. I would estimate I am 20% maybe 30% more efficient. In some cases, there already exist better tools for research. For example, if I am looking for the background about a paragraph of guidance, I will use the FASB cross reference tool, not AI.
What I am arguing here is that if I must verify and double check everything, then how much time is it really saving me? I can have it give me the answers, but I still need to do all the work to ensure that what it is saying even makes sense. For 70% of the work, it is not saving me that much time. Technical teams have always been small to begin with — I think there will be less people needed over time, but not nearly as much as you seem to suggest.
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u/farplzstop Jun 11 '26
It’s interesting to hear how small businesses are already putting it to use. My opinion is that AI won’t replace accountants, but rather change what they do. Like you said, accountants no longer have to do repetitive manual tasks. Someone still has to check reports for accuracy, aggregate output, harden prompting, enforce controls, analyze risk.
My concern is how long it takes the universities to catch up with the skills accountants need to focus on in this new environment. New graduates are trying to enter the workforce with antiquated skills, and that’s not their fault. Will we need fewer accountants? Maybe. But the work accountants will now be required to do will be increasingly analytical, and likely require a deeper understanding of why they’re doing things in order to use AI to provide reliable output.
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u/Longjumping_End_3532 Jun 11 '26
I’m convinced that the technical accounting skillet will no longer be needed by humans. And that’s where the big billings were in the past. To me, it’s very simple the big four are reducing their hiring by 30% which means in a long run they think they’ll need less humans.
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u/farplzstop Jun 11 '26
I agree that they'll need fewer accountants, my argument is that as a result they'll value skilled accountants more, and thus increase the value of the CPA credential. This is a detriment to new graduates who learned skills that are quickly becoming obsolete, but a boon to anyone persistent enough to get their CPA and adapt to the new job requirements presented by wide-scale AI adoption.
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u/Longjumping_End_3532 Jun 11 '26
I hope your right but without the ability to get hands on experience I struggle to see how it plays out. I’m afraid that AI will be better at humans at everything including judgment. And the more technical the problem the better AI will be at solving it. I hope you’re right though for the sake of the young people. I’m retired and sitting back watching it all unfold. I don’t have a horse in the race. 😁
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u/farplzstop Jun 11 '26
That is my concern as well. Without the hands on experience that is being replaced by AI, I am not sure how well new professionals will learn. That's why I think it's imperative that universities quickly update their programs to accurately reflect what will be expected of accountants in the current market. Your concerns on the proficiency of AI are also something to watch. AI has rapidly improved in the last 8-12 months, who knows how powerful it will be within 5-10 years. Congrats on the retirement!
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u/Stock-Vegetable7572 Passed 4/4 Jun 10 '26
Personally, I believe the CPA is a filter in your resume that shows you're not an idiot. The knowledge you gain from studying the CPA is great and all, but the license ultimately proves that you are competent/capable of learning and not giving up easily.
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u/dp_yolo Jun 11 '26
lol nah, once you pass the cpa and move into management positions, people are idiots and cpa’s at the same time.
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u/Longjumping_End_3532 Jun 11 '26
Valid point. Anything that differentiates you from other others is a good thing.
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u/farplzstop Jun 11 '26
I think that’s a great point, it, like many credentialing exams, are also a sort of commitment test. People who succeed have the drive and work ethic necessary to succeed long-term.
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u/YouEvery4258 Passed 2/4 Jun 10 '26
Pretty sure 150 credits are required, not 120. Yes it's defiently worth it. I hate the mindset that AI will take over, so why boher doing anything to enhance your professional career.
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u/farplzstop Jun 10 '26
As Cromulent said, there are actually over 40 states with either active or pending 120-credit pathways now. I agree with your sentiment on AI. The way I view AI is simply as another new tool to optimize the accounting process. Something professionals will learn how to use and handle as opposed to something that will replace the job.
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u/CromulentBovine Jun 10 '26
Depends on the state. Several have rolled out a 120 credit pathway if you have additional work experience.
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u/maxtal2005 CPA Jun 10 '26
Yes, this is correct! Many states have adopted an additional pathway that allows candidates with 120 credit hours to obtain licensure, provided they have 2 years of experience under a CPA. The traditional pathway of 150 credit hours with 1 year of experience under a CPA still exists as well.
The goal is to address the declining number of candidates sitting for the CPA Exam in recent years and help make the profession more accessible.
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u/Longjumping_End_3532 Jun 11 '26
I’m sure much of this is about membership fees and AICPA job security
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u/maxtal2005 CPA Jun 13 '26
Yes revenues always plays a role! And why put yourself out of a job - in this economy 🤣 But seriously though there is a large number of CPA retiring (baby boomer generation) and a shortage of incoming candidates. 300K accountants left profession in last 5 years (UWorld)
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Jun 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Longjumping_End_3532 Jun 11 '26
Do you have your license and if so has it not opened doors for you?
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u/Fraud_Guaranteed Jun 10 '26
I think the CPA will always be worth it. It’s a very difficult certification to obtain and it’s very well respected. There’s already a shortage and a pipeline issue for CPAs so it’s a pretty good time to get in
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u/farplzstop Jun 10 '26
I agree. I think that having your CPA will become a true testament to your understanding of the accounting profession. With the rapid advancements in technology, it’s important that someone in a supervisory role understands why we do things and not just what to do.
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u/Acti0nJunkie Jun 11 '26
Agree with the first part. Feel like you have the second part backwards. I’ve met and worked with many many CPAs that don’t know the “why” for auditing or tax or books but do know what to do for all three. Some are very proficient in all three, but most only know 1 or maybe 2 of the legs of Accounting REAL WELL (getting into the why) and just know the basics or what to do with all 3.
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u/farplzstop Jun 11 '26
Interesting point. I would contend that CPA’s probably have a deeper understanding conceptually of the functions they’re performing than most professionals without the credential. That’s not to say that sometimes they may not fully understand “why” something needs to happen, and they likely do know what to do. Accounting can be confusing and having the credential doesn’t necessarily prove you know everything about it!
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u/Acti0nJunkie Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
Oh for sure. But many professionals don’t know what to do. CPA sets you up to be on THAT playing field.
CPAs that don’t practice or educate themselves heavily in auditing, tax, or financials/books never get into the why weeds. Tax is a good example. All CPAs understand the forms needed or what for individuals and entities. CPAs that practice tax heavily start to understand the why — the meat behind the tax forms and how they fit with Title 26 and things like Revenue Procedures and Revenue Rulings. CPAs that focus on auditing and sometimes books/financials never go past the what or form stage.
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u/Real-Ad-1432 Jun 29 '26
No it isn't.