What are the best cities for accounting pros?
Are you considering expanding your firm to a new location, or perhaps looking at recruiting outside of your immediate geographic location? Maybe an accountant looking to change jobs? Accounting Today recently highlighted 10 cities that are growing for CPAs and accountants, according to a list from Accounting Principals, a nationwide financial staffing company. Each year, the company touts the best cities for accounting and financial professionals.
The third annual list accounts for position demand in the accounting field, the outlook of the regional job market, average salary and a number of other local factors including quality of life. So, which locales are hot spots in the industry? Check out the full list of top cities for accountants (in alphabetical order):
• Chicago, Illinois
• Houston, Texas
• Los Angeles, California
• Newport Beach, California
• Paramus, New Jersey
• Portland, Oregon
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Richmond, Virginia
• San Francisco, California
• San Mateo, California
While the list includes both big and small cities, the 2014 lineup is largely dominated by the west coast (with four of those five cities in the Golden State). The lone location from the Lone Star State is Houston, a city that was also named by Forbes.com as number 10 on a list for growing cities.
Sageworks’ own home base, Raleigh, North Carolina, also made the top 10 list for 2014. Sageworks is headquartered in The City of Oaks, and since our founding we continue serve many accountants and CPAs in the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill areas. The list calls out Raleigh as a job-seeker driven market professionally, along with the favorable climate (we like that, too!) and nearby universities contributing to the city’s bustle of culture and diversity. Raleigh was also recently named by the same Forbes.com list of America’s fastest growing cities, as number two.
Photo courtesy of GRCVB/visitRaleigh.com
If you’re a sole proprietor in your own accountancy business and are considering relocating to a more profitable area for your business, each of these cities is worth a look. Or perhaps your small or mid-sized firm is looking to expand your client base? A geographic shift could make the difference, and help you win new clients.
Winning new clients may mean staffing up to meet those customer needs. Consider recruiting young talent for your firm from each of these top 10 cities. While we may be partial to some of the campuses like University of North Carolina, Duke, or North Carolina State that are in Raleigh’s backyard, University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business is ranked as a top program for an accounting degree. As is New York University’s Stern School of Business program, which is just across the river from Paramus, New Jersey. No matter your firm’s location, don’t forget to make the most of technology to aid in your recruitment efforts, particularly when targeting recent graduates as potential new hires. LinkedIn can be an invaluable tool for identifying good applications, for both the candidate and the recruiter.
Did your city make the list?
