Are Accountants in Demand in Canada?
Yes — but not in the way most articles claim. Accountants are in steady demand in Canada, and the honest picture is better than a hype headline and worse than a guarantee. The federal government’s own projections rate the outlook for financial auditors and accountants as balanced through 2033: about 83,100 job openings are expected between 2024 and 2033, against roughly 118,900 new job seekers. That means there will be plenty of work — and real competition for it.
This guide gives you the verified numbers, explains where demand is strongest, and shows you how to position yourself so you are the candidate employers choose.
The Numbers: What the Government Actually Projects
Accountants in Canada fall under National Occupational Classification (NOC) 11100, financial auditors and accountants. The Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) — the federal government’s own forecasting system — rates this occupation as balanced at the national level for 2024–2033. Labour demand and labour supply are expected to be broadly in line. The occupation showed balanced conditions in recent years, and the projected flows of openings and seekers are similar.
The raw numbers behind that rating:
- 83,100 job openings are projected for 2024–2033 — about 8,310 per year — from both new positions and replacement demand as people retire.
- 118,900 new job seekers are expected over the same period, from school leavers, immigrants, re-entrants, and people changing occupations.
- 247,300 people worked in this occupation in 2023, so the field is large and established.
- 41% of accountants work in legal, accounting, consulting, and other professional services — an industry expected to grow about 1.6% a year.
Read that carefully: more seekers than openings. That does not mean there are no jobs — 8,310 openings a year is a lot of jobs. It means the advantage goes to candidates who can actually do the work: practical training, Canadian experience, and a CPA designation beat a generic degree every time.
Ontario is a brighter spot. Job Bank rates the employment outlook for accountants in Ontario as Good for 2024–2026, with employment growth leading to a moderate number of new positions and a moderate number of openings from retirements. The Greater Toronto Area, where Get Trained Get Hired is based, has the largest concentration of accounting jobs in the country.
How Much Do Accountants Earn in Canada?
According to Job Bank’s 2025 wage data for NOC 11100, the median wage for financial auditors and accountants in Canada is $40.36 per hour, with a range from $25.00 to $71.43 per hour. That works out to roughly $83,949 a year at full-time hours at the median rate — but your actual pay depends heavily on your role, your designation, and your city. A junior accountant without a CPA earns far less than a senior CPA in a large firm.
For comparison, bookkeepers (NOC 12200) earn a median of $28.02 per hour nationally. The pay gap between bookkeeping and accounting is real, and it is one of the main reasons people move from bookkeeping into accounting — usually by adding training and working toward the CPA.
Why Accountants Are Always Needed
Every business in Canada needs accounting work done, and that need does not disappear in a slow economy. Accountants are the financial backbone of a business: they prepare and examine financial records, make sure the right taxes are paid on time, and give owners perspective on how the business is actually running. Personal accountants do the same for individuals, aiming to improve their financial situation.
The demand is structural, not fashionable. Businesses must file taxes, keep records the Canada Revenue Agency requires for six years, pay employees, and report to lenders and investors. None of that is optional, and none of it can be fully automated. Software has changed the work — data entry is faster, and reports are generated in seconds — but it has not removed the need for people who understand what the numbers mean and can explain them to a business owner.
Accountants are also in demand for immigration reasons: NOC 11100 is a TEER 1 occupation, which means it is eligible under Canada’s Express Entry system. That is one reason so many internationally trained accountants choose Canada — and one reason the competition for entry-level roles is real.
Where Demand Is Strongest
Demand is not evenly spread. It is strongest where the work is concentrated:
- Toronto and the GTA — the largest accounting job market in Canada, with the most firms, the most head offices, and the most openings.
- Accounting and tax firms — small and mid-sized firms hire constantly, especially before and during tax season, and they are the most realistic first employers for newcomers.
- Industry and commerce — banks, insurance companies, and large employers hire accountants for internal finance teams.
- Government and non-profits — steadier hiring, often with better work-life balance and clear requirements.
- Tax season — demand spikes every year from January to April, and firms hire temporary and contract accountants to handle the load. A temp role during tax season is a realistic way in.
Demand is weakest for candidates with no Canadian experience, no practical training, and no designation. That is not a market problem — it is a preparation problem, and it is fixable.
What Employers Actually Want
When employers say they cannot find accountants, they usually mean they cannot find accountants who are ready to work. The candidates who get hired fastest have some combination of:
- Practical training — bookkeeping, personal tax (T1), corporate tax (T2), payroll, and QuickBooks, learned on real files.
- Canadian experience — even a short placement, co-op, or volunteer bookkeeping role counts, because it proves you have worked with Canadian tax rules and software.
- A CPA in progress — you do not need the designation to get a first job, but being enrolled in the CPA path signals serious intent.
- Software skills — QuickBooks and Excel are expected; Sage 50 is a bonus.
- Communication — accountants explain numbers to people who are not accountants. Clear, plain-language explanations matter.
What does not work is a foreign degree alone, a theory-only course, or a resume that lists skills you have never practised. Employers test for real ability, and the interview is where that shows.
How to Position Yourself in a Balanced Market
In a balanced market, the winners are the prepared. Here is a realistic 90-day plan:
- Days 1–30: Get practical training in bookkeeping and tax — T1 and T2 — on real files. Learn QuickBooks properly, not just the basics.
- Days 31–60: Get Canadian experience through a placement, co-op, volunteer role, or temp work. Even a few weeks of real files changes how employers see you.
- Days 61–90: Build a results resume, register with temp agencies, and apply for junior accountant, accounting clerk, and tax preparer roles. Target small and mid-sized firms first — they hire faster and train more than large firms.
Longer term, the CPA designation is the single biggest lever on your pay and your options. It requires a university degree, 120 credit hours, the CPA Professional Education Program, the Common Final Examination, and 30 months of practical experience. It is a multi-year commitment, but it is also the difference between the $25-an-hour end of the range and the $71-an-hour end.
The Honest Answer
Are accountants in demand in Canada? Yes — there will be more than 8,000 openings a year through 2033, Ontario’s outlook is rated Good, and every business in the country needs accounting work done. But demand is balanced, not desperate, and more people are seeking these jobs than there are openings. The accountants who do well are not the ones who read a headline and applied — they are the ones who arrived with practical skills, Canadian experience, and a plan.
If that is you, the market is open. If it is not you yet, the fix is straightforward: practical training, real files, and a first job that gives you Canadian experience.
Start Your Accounting Career
If you would like a challenging and diverse role, consider an accounting career. You can get your foot in the door with practical training that teaches you the skills employers actually test for.
Reach out to Get Trained Get Hired to book a free 30-minute career counselling meeting. At Get Trained Get Hired we provide you with the necessary training to learn practical skills to become an accountant. Our training is based on practical real-life cases. After the training, we work on your resume and try to place you in accounting firms through our network. You will also get access to like-minded individuals who are looking for jobs through our WhatsApp group. Please feel free to contact us at salman@gettrainedgethired.com or call us at 647-276-7150.
Related reading: How to Become a Professional Bookkeeper in Canada, Accounting Training Opportunities in Canada, Is It Easy to Get an Accountant Job in Canada?, and How Do I Become an Accountant in Canada?.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is intended to provide general information. The information does not consider your situation and is not intended to be used without consultation from professionals. Salman Rundhawa and Gettrainedgethired.com will not be held liable for any problems that arise from the usage of the information provided on this page.
