Changing careers can feel worrying, but it is also normal. People change careers several times in their working lives, and accounting is one of the most realistic second careers in Canada: it has clear entry routes, steady demand across industries, and roles at every level, from bookkeeping to designated accounting. Before you commit, though, read this first – the honest version, including what a career change into accounting really costs in time and money, and how to do it without starting from zero.
The Short Answer: Is Accounting a Good Second Career in Canada?
Yes, for the right person. Accounting suits career changers because employers value maturity, reliability, and transferable skills, and because you can enter through bookkeeping or a diploma route while you study further. It is not a shortcut, though: the CPA designation takes years, and the first role may pay less than your current job. Go in with a plan, not just enthusiasm.
1. First, Be Honest About Why You Want Accounting
When you interview for your first accounting role, you will be asked why you chose accounting, and why now. Career changers get this question more than anyone, so have a real answer ready. Ask yourself:
- What attracts you – problem-solving, working with clients, stable progression, or the structure of numbers and rules?
- What do you dislike about your current work, and does accounting actually fix that, or just move it?
- Are you prepared for study alongside work, and possibly for a lower starting salary while you build experience?
- Do you enjoy detail work for long stretches? Accounting rewards patience and accuracy more than excitement.
Write your answer down in two or three sentences. If you cannot explain it convincingly to yourself, an interviewer will notice too.
2. Identify the Skills You Already Have
Career changers often undervalue what they bring. Accountants need far more than maths. Map your current skills honestly:
- Transferable strengths: problem-solving, communication, analysis, organisation, client service, managing deadlines, and working under pressure.
- Industry knowledge: if you worked in retail, construction, healthcare, or manufacturing, you understand those businesses – and firms serving those sectors value that.
- Technology comfort: spreadsheets, databases, and learning new software quickly all transfer directly.
- Gaps to close: double-entry bookkeeping, Canadian tax basics, and the software employers name in postings – most commonly QuickBooks Online and Excel.
Your cover letter and interviews should lead with the transferable skills, then name the gaps and what you are doing about them. That combination – experience plus a credible upskilling plan – is exactly what hiring managers look for in a career changer.
3. Understand the Honest Routes (and the CPA Reality)
There are three realistic routes into accounting as a second career in Canada:
- Bookkeeping start. Practical training in bookkeeping, payroll, and personal tax (T1) can prepare you for bookkeeping and accounting technician roles. This is the fastest route to a first Canadian accounting job, and you can study further while working.
- Diploma route. A college diploma in accounting or business administration, combined with work experience, opens junior accountant and accounting technician roles.
- Degree plus CPA route. If you already hold a degree, you may be able to complete CPA prerequisite courses, then the CPA Professional Education Program (PEP), the three-day Common Final Examination (CFE), and 30 months of qualifying practical experience. This is the route to senior, designated roles, and it takes years.
Be clear on one point: the CPA designation requires a degree and cannot be earned on experience alone. Anyone promising otherwise is misleading you. What experience can do is get you working and earning while you progress, and many successful accountants build their careers that way – bookkeeping first, designation later, or never, if their goals do not need it.
4. Plan for the Financial Step Back
The hardest part of a second career is often financial, not academic. Your first accounting role may pay less than your current job, and study costs money too. Plan for it:
- Save a buffer before you switch, if you can, covering three to six months of essential expenses.
- Compare routes by cost and time: practical training is typically the cheapest and fastest; a diploma costs more; the CPA route costs the most and takes the longest.
- Consider part-time study while you keep your current job, so income continues while you retrain.
- For pay context, the Government of Canada Job Bank reports a median wage of $40.87 per hour in Ontario for financial auditors and accountants (NOC 11100, 2025 wage release). Junior and bookkeeping roles pay less than that median, senior and designated roles pay more – use it as context for planning, not as a promise for a first role.
- Ask training providers exactly what is included – software practice, Canadian tax content, resume help, employer connections – before you pay.
5. Get Experience Before You Need It
The biggest struggle for career changers is the experience gap: employers want experience, and you need a job to get it. Break the loop with these steps:
- Practical training on real client-style cases, so you can describe real tasks in interviews, not just coursework.
- Volunteering: bookkeeping or admin work for a community organisation gives you a Canadian reference and shows initiative.
- Part-time or temporary roles in accounts payable, receivable, or bookkeeping, even at a step down from your current level.
- Public practice first, if you can: working in an accounting firm exposes you to many clients and industries at once, which builds experience faster than a single in-house role.
- Networking: talk to accountants in roles you want, ask what their employers look for, and let people know you are switching – referrals matter more than cold applications.
6. Your 90-Day Second-Career Plan
- Days 1-15: Write your why accounting answer, map your transferable skills and gaps, and choose your route from section 3.
- Days 16-30: Enrol in practical training or a diploma program covering bookkeeping, payroll, and Canadian tax basics on practical cases. Start a savings buffer plan if you have not already.
- Days 31-60: Volunteer or take on a small bookkeeping task. Rebuild your resume in Canadian format, leading with transferable skills and results.
- Days 61-90: Apply to 5-10 well-matched roles per week, practise interviews with STAR stories from your current career reframed for accounting, and follow up every application once.
At the end of 90 days you should have a route, a skill plan in motion, at least one Canadian reference, and a steady application habit. That is how a second career actually starts – not with a single decision, but with 90 days of steady steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too late to start accounting as a second career?
No. Employers value maturity, reliability, and transferable skills, and accounting has entry routes at every level. What matters is a realistic plan, not your age.
Do I need a degree to switch to accounting in Canada?
Not for bookkeeping, accounting technician, or junior accountant roles – practical training or a diploma can get you started. A degree is required for the CPA designation, along with the PEP program, the CFE exam, and 30 months of practical experience.
How long does it take to change careers into accounting?
Practical training can prepare you for a first role in months; a diploma takes one to two years; the CPA route takes several years. The right timeline depends on your starting point and your target role.
Will I earn less when I switch to accounting?
Possibly, at first. Junior and bookkeeping roles pay less than the Job Bank median of $40.87 per hour in Ontario for financial auditors and accountants (NOC 11100), which reflects experienced and designated roles too. Plan financially for a step back, and treat it as temporary.
What skills from my current career transfer to accounting?
Problem-solving, communication, analysis, organisation, client service, deadline management, and technology skills all transfer. Industry knowledge from your current sector is also valuable to firms serving that sector.
Should I start with bookkeeping or go straight for the CPA?
If you need income soon or lack a degree, start with bookkeeping or a diploma and build from there. If you already hold a degree and can commit several years, the CPA route is open to you. Many people do both in sequence.
Get Help Planning Your Switch
If you want help planning a switch into accounting, Get Trained Get Hired offers a free 30-minute career counselling meeting. Our practical training is based on real-life cases, and after training we work on your resume and help connect you with accounting firms through our network. Contact us at salman@gettrainedgethired.com or call 647-276-7150. You can also explore our Bookkeeping Course, our Accounting Course, our guide to starting a career in accounting, whether you can be an accountant without a degree, and how to get a good accounting job in Canada.
Disclaimer: This page gives general information only. It does not consider your situation and is not professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional for advice about your own circumstances.
