The ‘Boring’ Job Gen Z Is Reviving to Make Six Figures Right Out of College
If you ask someone to name a dull career, the answer “accountant” comes up often. Studies have even ranked it as one of the most stereotypically boring jobs in the U.S. However, boring doesn’t always mean bad, especially not when the paychecks are hitting six figures. That’s the surprise unfolding right now. Gen Z is taking over a profession that older generations abandoned, and in doing so, they’re discovering one of the most secure and well-paying career paths available.
Why A Shortage Opened The Door
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In the past five years, roughly 340,000 accountants left the field, citing burnout, policy shakeups, or early retirement. The wave isn’t slowing down. Industry data suggests three-quarters of the remaining workforce will retire within the next decade. That’s a massive talent gap. Despite the job often being dismissed as monotonous, losing that many people this quickly puts businesses and taxpayers in a bind.
It also creates rare conditions for anyone willing to step in. Accounting firms have struggled to recruit, with degree completions declining since 2015 and dropping sharply again between 2021 and 2023. Many roles have stayed open for months, even as the demand for tax expertise keeps rising. For Gen Z students watching this unfold, they’re seeing fewer candidates, more job security, and higher salaries waiting on the other side.
The Training Ground Nobody Saw Coming
One of the biggest recruiting engines is the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. It started over 50 years ago and partners with universities to provide free tax prep for low-income Americans.
At California State University, Northridge, over 280 students helped more than 9,000 people in 2024 alone, securing $11 million in refunds and $3.6 million in tax credits, while saving families another $2 million in fees.
Students are handling real tax situations, sometimes complex ones, before their first full-time job. At Oregon State University, nearly every accounting graduate lands work right after graduation, with some starting close to $200,000 as certified public accountants. Faculty say it’s because students who’ve worked with actual clients walk into interviews with skills beyond textbooks.
The Image Makeover
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Part of the draw for Gen Z is realizing that the stereotypes don’t hold up anymore. No one’s hunched over ledgers doing manual calculations all day. Modern accountants use AI-powered software and focus on strategy, forecasting, and advising. The field is more about guiding decisions than punching numbers into a calculator.
This matters to a generation that values stability but doesn’t want to waste time on outdated processes. Surveys show that young workers care more about security than flexibility, and accounting delivers on that. The salaries average $93,000, and CPAs are nearly double that.
Boomers built the system, millennials drifted away, and now Gen Z is stepping in to keep the books balanced.