Is Your State Running Low On Accountants?

Why It Matters

The acute shortage limits firm capacity, drives up fees and wages, and forces firms in affected states to prioritize retention and price adjustments, reshaping the tax‑preparation market.

Key Takeaways

• Nevada has 1.75 accountants per 1,000 residents, 139 returns each.
• Nevada’s accountant workforce fell 29.5% between 2019 and 2024.
• Texas lacks ~24,746 accountants to match national baseline.
• Over half of returns in shortage states are filed by paid preparers.
• Washington, D.C. has 13.84 accountants per 1,000, only 16 returns each.

Pulse Analysis

The Sam’s List Accountant Shortage Index, released April 22, 2026, combines BLS employment data with IRS e‑filing figures to rank every jurisdiction by two stress points: accountants per 1,000 residents and practitioner‑returns‑per‑accountant. Nevada tops the list, with just 1.75 accountants for every 1,000 people and each professional processing 139 tax returns—more than double the national average of 59. The state’s accountant headcount shrank 29.5% between 2019 and 2024, turning a modest gap into a structural bottleneck that gives firms pricing leverage but also exposes them to capacity‑driven service failures.

Texas illustrates a different dimension of scarcity. Although its per‑capita ratio (3.45 accountants per 1,000) appears modest, the Lone Star State is short of roughly 24,746 accountants relative to the national baseline, the largest absolute deficit in the country. Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky and South Carolina also sit below 2.75 accountants per 1,000, with professional filing rates exceeding 55%—a sign that taxpayers are increasingly dependent on paid preparers in markets where supply is thin. The combined effect is upward pressure on wages, higher fees, and longer turnaround times during peak filing periods.

Firms operating in shortage states should treat every experienced hire as a retention priority and consider premium compensation packages, flexible work arrangements, and investment in automation to stretch limited bandwidth. Policymakers may need to address the pipeline by expanding accounting curricula, offering loan forgiveness, or incentivizing relocation to underserved regions. Meanwhile, the surge in remote‑service platforms creates an opportunity for accountants in surplus markets, such as Washington, D.C. and New York, to serve clients nationwide, partially alleviating regional imbalances while reshaping the competitive landscape.