2025 Year-End Insights

The Finance, Investing, & Accounting workforce in the United States is characterized by high demand, high compensation, and an accelerating mandate for technological proficiency. Employment projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate that overall employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034, projecting over 942,500 openings annually due to both growth and the necessity to replace departing workers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Business and Financial Occupations"). Specific high-skill roles like Financial Analysts and Personal Financial Advisors are projected to grow by six percent and seventeen percent, respectively, much faster than the average, driven by increasingly complex financial markets and greater personal wealth management needs (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Financial Analysts: Occupational Outlook Handbook"; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Business and Financial Occupations"). The median annual wage for this occupational group remains significantly higher than the median for all U.S. workers.

Economically, the industry's health is robust, though perpetually influenced by Federal Reserve policy and market volatility. Data tracked by St. Louis FRED demonstrates strong growth in key areas like Investment Banking and Securities Dealing, reflecting high levels of corporate financial activity, mergers and acquisitions, and capital raising (FRED via U.S. Census Bureau, "Total Revenue for Investment Banking and Securities Dealing, All Establishments, Employer Firms"). Furthermore, overall economic data, such as interest rate trends and indicators of financial market stress, show that the sector is actively navigating changing monetary policy, which directly dictates activity in lending, bond markets, and consumer finance. This environment requires practitioners to not just understand finance but to master the use of models and data to manage risk and predict market movements .

Sentiment gathered from social media platforms over the last 45 days is split between those who value the high earnings potential and those struggling with intense burnout and high-pressure return-to-office mandates. A major theme is the pervasive integration of Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) into core finance and accounting functions, particularly in areas like internal audit, tax, and analysis. This creates a dual anxiety: fear among junior staff that entry-level analytical work will be automated, and a necessity for senior staff to develop a centralized, top-down strategy for AI implementation, which creates pressure to master new tools (PwC, "2026 AI Business Predictions"). This technological urgency is compounded by the high value placed on workplace flexibility; many professionals report a willingness to leave high-paying roles solely to secure greater remote work options, particularly affecting firms that impose strict return-to-office mandates (Deloitte, "Cultivating employee engagement in financial services").

To explore new opportunities, employees in the finance and accounting industry are successfully adopting strategies centered on specialization and technology integration. The most successful tactic is securing specialized, recognized certifications that signal expertise in high-demand, forward-looking areas. For investment professionals, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is the gold standard for moving into portfolio management and senior research roles, which offer significantly higher compensation and greater authority (Investopedia, "Popular Careers in the Financial Sector").

For accountants, the pivot involves becoming a forensic accountant or an internal auditor with a focus on cybersecurity and compliance, where technical and investigative skills are at a premium. More broadly, the shift involves engineers and analysts leveraging programming skills like Python and SQL to transition into Quantitative Analyst or Data Scientist roles within asset management and risk management, which are among the highest-paid specializations and offer the clearest path away from generalist work (CFA Institute, "Investment Industry Career Paths").

Q4 2025 Insights

The collective sentiment among finance and accounting workers on social media is characterized by a pervasive sense of burnout and a struggle for an acceptable work-life balance, particularly in high-demand roles like public accounting, investment banking, and consulting. Many professionals, especially those in their early and mid-careers, express intense dissatisfaction with long and unpredictable hours, with many reporting routine 60-80 hour work weeks during peak seasons or continuously in high-flying financial roles. This demanding environment often leads to mental exhaustion, with some individuals reaching a breaking point and quitting their jobs with nothing else lined up, prioritizing their mental health over career trajectory. Accountants frequently point to the stressful nature of Public Accounting, citing unrealistic budgets, constant pressure for charge hours, and the compliance-heavy, sometimes uninteresting nature of the work as major contributors to their discontent.

In an effort to survive and find contentment, a significant trend among workers is actively exploring new jobs or pivoting to different career paths that promise a better quality of life. For accountants, this often means making an "exit" from public accounting into industry roles (e.g., financial planning & analysis or corporate tax) or even the government sector, where the pay, while potentially lower than top-tier finance, is often deemed acceptable in exchange for a reliable 40-hour week and better stability. Finance professionals, similarly, look for shifts within the broader finance sector, such as moving to the buy side or corporate banking, or roles where the pace is less frantic than front-office investment banking. However, finding these 'unicorn' jobs with excellent work-life balance and high pay is an ongoing quest, with many realizing that an improvement in one often necessitates a compromise in the other. There is also a movement towards self-employment, with some successfully starting their own remote bookkeeping or consulting firms, valuing the autonomy and schedule control over the predictable structure of a traditional firm.

The current job market itself is a source of anxiety and frustration, especially for entry-level workers and those seeking a change. Despite some older industry narratives of an "accounting shortage," many recent graduates and even experienced professionals report finding it difficult to secure positions, pointing to a "white collar recession" in certain sectors. A significant fear is the impact of offshoring and AI/automation on job stability and compensation, leading to a perception that some traditional accounting roles are being degraded in value. Experienced workers who do seek to move are seeing job postings that demand an enormous scope of responsibilities (revamping entire processes, using new technology) for compensation that is not deemed commensurate with the high workload and required experience. This tough environment means some are "staying put" despite dissatisfaction, fearing the uncertainty of switching jobs in a market where they could be the first to be laid off at a new company. Overall, the general sentiment is one of caution and a collective struggle to reconcile high career ambition and financial goals with the desire for a sustainable, healthy life, leading many to search for a career path that provides enough financial security to ultimately retire early, even if the daily work isn't fully enjoyable.

August 2025

Employee attitudes in investment banking is a mix of high-stress and high reward. Junior professionals often describe a work culture defined by an 80-100+ hour work week. This is no different than the 1980s, 90s, 00s, or 10s but, unlike the days of “Monkey Business,” the pay wasn’t always adjusted for inflation. This relentless pace is a major source of stress and mental health challenges. However, the prestige and career progression opportunities that come with an investment banking background are seen as highly valuable. The sentiment is that while the hours are brutal, the job provides an unparalleled learning experience and opens doors to a wide range of future career paths. What is not known to these junior employees is that burnout, demoralization, working weekends, not having work/life balance, and often finding nepotism as the only accepted currency for meaningful promotions is the reality within this field. Hedge fund workers find similar conditions and will find similar obstacles, but the compensation as well as the anxiety levels are adjusted higher, accordingly.

Younger folks in financial services report feeling mentally drained and undervalued. Common complaints include being micromanaged to meet sales quotas, dealing with complex customer issues, and a lack of respect from both management and clients. Many feel their low pay does not justify the high stress, with a sentiment that the job is a "revolving door." Just like some of the board members of this organization felt early in their careers in finance, many in this sector feel compelled to and eventually do migrate to other industries where there transferable skills and higher-than-usual tolerance to stress can be major assets that employees of other business services jobs (especially advertising and marketing) may not possess.

Public accounting is a key source of dissatisfaction, with many on social media describing a model of "pure exploitation." The sentiment is that employees at accounting and auditing firms are poorly paid for the long hours they work, and the firm's partners are often "clueless" about the actual grunt work. However, many see it as a necessary stepping stone for long-term career satisfaction and greater earning potential in corporate finance or industry. In contrast, those in financial planning and analysis (FP&A) roles, especially in Fortune 500 companies, report a much better work-life balance, with many working 40-50 hours a week and earning good salaries in a lower cost of living area. The sentiment in these roles is generally much happier.

The finance and accounting sector is in a period of change. The overall job market is showing signs of a slowdown, with job openings decreasing in finance and insurance by 142,000 in June, but this trend masks a critical talent shortage in specific areas like accounting, cybersecurity, and data analysis. This is creating a challenging hiring environment for employers and giving qualified candidates significant leverage.

For the most part, the finance and accounting industry is focused on retaining loyal and skilled employees, but has been and always is investing in AI solutions to sales and operational roles and processes to automate and eliminate as many non-essential employees as possible. Jack Welch’s practice of “rank and yank” is once again proliferating pari passu to AI integration.