Rethinking the CPA Talent Crisis: A Demographic Challenge with Strategic Solutions

By Zach Donah, CAE

The accounting workforce shortage is more than a hiring challenge. It’s a demographic shift that threatens the long-term strength of the profession. As more CPAs retire than enter the field and student interest in accounting continues to decline, we’re facing a shrinking pipeline at a time when the demand for skilled professionals is rising.

At MassCPAs, we’re taking bold, proactive steps to address this challenge and build a stronger, more inclusive future for the profession. 

Understanding the Demographic Reality

The accounting pipeline has been under pressure for years. Fewer students are choosing accounting degrees, outdated perceptions persist and structural barriers, such as the 150-hour licensure requirement, continue to deter entry, especially among underrepresented populations.

At the same time, the profession is evolving. Today’s firms need professionals who bring technical skills and digital fluency. The traditional CPA pipeline model is no longer enough to meet these changing expectations. 

Expanding Access Through Policy Change

One of the most promising solutions is legislative. This session, MassCPAs advanced a proposal to create an additional pathway to CPA licensure. The goal is to maintain the high standards of the profession while opening access to more qualified candidates, particularly those who may not be able to pursue 150-credit hours due to financial or logistical barriers. This proposal preserves the current 150-credit pathway while offering an additional pathway that prioritizes both education and hands-on experience. It also maintains essential standards for education, experience and Exam requirements to ensure license mobility. It is a smart, necessary step toward solving our workforce shortage and broadening access to the profession.

This is part of a national effort, and as states across the country pass laws to add an additional pathway to licensure, we’re confident Massachusetts will follow suit.  

Changing the Narrative: Accounting is STEM 

We’re also focused on changing how students view the profession. Many still see accounting as routine or outdated, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Modern accounting is powered by data, strategy and technology. MassCPAs supports federal legislation, the Accounting STEM Pursuit Act and the STEM Education in Accounting Act, that would officially recognize accounting as a STEM field. These bills would allow K–12 institutions to use STEM funding to introduce students to accounting early, especially in underserved communities where awareness is low.

Recognizing accounting as STEM not only reflects what the profession has become, it also helps expand access and opportunity to a more diverse range of students. 

Results in Action: Student Engagement and Pipeline Growth

We know that one of the primary reasons one joins a profession is whether they have a first-degree relationship with someone in the field. For those without that connection, our 11,500 members are helping us build them and change the perception of the field. These student engagement strategies are already making an impact. Over the past year:

• Student membership increased by nearly 40%, giving us a stronger base for early career engagement.
• The MassCPAs mentor match program doubled in size, helping students build relationships and career confidence.
• Through our Accounting Opportunities Experience, 36 members reached more than 600 high school students in 24 schools across Massachusetts.
• We launched our first residential Accounting Careers Exploratory (ACE) program, giving students hands-on experience in advisory, ethics and technology, guided by practicing CPAs.

These programs give students real exposure to the skills the profession demands, which helps close the gap between awareness and readiness. 

Supporting Firms with a Future-Focused Strategy

The 2025 Workforce Transformation Report revealed what firms already know: the roles, expectations and skills needed in the profession are changing. Entry-level staff now need more than technical knowledge. They need skills in data analysis, client service, strategic thinking and technology.  

MassCPAs is helping professionals build those skills through:

• Curated CPE and training in emerging areas like data tools, advisory services and client engagement
• Leadership development programs focused on communication, collaboration and problem-solving
• Demo Days that help firms assess and implement new technologies, and Resource Centers that highlight programs designed to help firms upskill their staff and solve challenges

We’re also addressing mid-level development gaps with programs that build leadership, management and technical proficiency, especially where firms face barriers like limited time or training resources. 

Building the Future of the Profession

The traditional pyramid-shaped firm model is giving way to a more people-focused approach. To succeed in this new environment, firms must prioritize retention and rethink how they develop and support their teams. Our Workforce Transformation Report outlines six areas (the “6 Ps” of Business Model Transformation) that are essential to long-term growth: precision hiring, proactive retention, practical technology use, pricing strategy, practice expansion and people development. MassCPAs is helping firms take action in each of these areas to stay competitive and future-ready.

Whether it’s through new licensure pathways, early student engagement or firm-level support, our efforts are about creating real, measurable outcomes that prepare the profession (and the people in it) for the future.

As we celebrate 125 years of MassCPAs, we’re focused on what’s next. The skills are changing. The roles are evolving. And the next generation is ready. MassCPAs is here to help firms, students and professionals thrive, today and tomorrow.

Zach Donah, CAE, is president and CEO of MassCPAs. Contact him at zdonah@masscpas.org.