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Accountant recruitment for regional employers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help accounting practices, councils, health services, agribusinesses and regional businesses hire accountants, tax accountants, management accountants and auditors, from graduates to experienced managers. We build the registrations, client work and software your role needs into the search from the first conversation.

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Illustrative image: an accountant going through financial statements with a farming client at a table in a regional accounting office.

Accountant hiring at a glance

Accountant ads are concentrated in the capitals, and professional roles are the hardest to fill.1,2

of accountant job ads are outside the major cities
16.8%
547 of 3,256 ads a month, against 29.2% of all job ads. Three months to September 2026.1
of employers recruiting professionals had difficulty filling the role
50%
National, September quarter 2026.2
of recruiting employers outside the capitals had difficulty filling a vacancy
49%
Against 43% in the capital cities. September quarter 2026.2
accountant occupations is rated in shortage
1 of 3
Taxation Accountant is rated in shortage in 2026; Accountant (General) and Management Accountant are not.3

What does an accountant do, and which qualifications do they hold?

Accountants prepare financial statements and tax returns, examine costs, income and spending, maintain internal controls, and advise on business structures, tax, budgets and financial risk.4 In 2021 about 128,400 people worked as general accountants, 13,600 as taxation accountants and 13,200 as external auditors.5

Most professional accountants hold an accounting degree. The Diploma of Accounting (FNS50222) and Advanced Diploma of Accounting (FNS60222) are the current vocational qualifications.6,7 The CPA Program adds four compulsory subjects, two electives and 36 months of relevant experience.8

Which registration does an accountant need in each state?

Accounting registrations are national, so the same rules apply in every state and territory. They depend on the work: preparing tax returns for clients, BAS work and signing audits have different registration rules, and tax agent registration can also permit BAS work.

Registrations and designations that apply to accounting work, by jurisdiction. Checked 1 November 2026.

JurisdictionRegistration or designationWhen it applies
All states and territoriesRegistered tax agent, Tax Practitioners Board9,10Charging a fee for tax agent services such as preparing returns; one route is an accounting degree, Board-approved tax and commercial law courses, and a year of full-time relevant experience (or part-time equivalent) in the past five years
All states and territoriesRegistered BAS agent, Tax Practitioners Board11,12,13Charging a fee for BAS services only, such as GST and PAYG reporting; a tax agent without conditions on their registration can also provide them
All states and territoriesRegistered company auditor, ASIC14Auditing companies under the Corporations Act; needs at least 3,000 hours of audit work under a registered company auditor in the past five years
All states and territoriesSMSF auditor registration, ASIC14Auditing self-managed superannuation funds
All states and territoriesCPA designation, CPA Australia8A professional designation many employers ask for, earned through study and supervised experience

What does an accountant earn?

No modern award covers accountants working for an accounting firm. They are entitled to the national minimum wage, $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026, and the National Employment Standards.15,16 Accountants employed elsewhere are covered only where the employer's industry award has a classification that matches their duties, such as the banking, black coal, electrical power and rail awards.16

Market pay sits well above that floor. Median full-time earnings for the Accountants group were $2,003 a week in May 2025, and $2,104 for the wider group of auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers, against $1,852 for all occupations.4 These are national figures; no regional pay series exists for accountants.

Where are accountants in demand?

Taxation Accountant and External Auditor are rated in shortage nationally in 2026, counting a national or regional shortage rating; Accountant (General), Management Accountant and Internal Auditor are not.3 Outside the major cities, accountant ads averaged 547 a month in the three months to September 2026, against 540 a year earlier, and 92 were in Northern Australia.1

Nationally, ads eased from 3,435 to 3,303 a month over the year.17

Online job ads a month for accountants (ANZSCO 2211) by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier, rounded to whole ads. State figures include the capital cities.17

State or territoryAccountant adsA year earlierShare of employed accountants
New South Wales1,1261,20335.3%4
Victoria79783128.5%4
Queensland77977416.2%4
Western Australia34533911.5%4
South Australia1591654.6%4
Australian Capital Territory65762%4
Tasmania21261.2%4
Northern Territory11210.7%4
Australia3,3033,435100%

What should you tell us about an accountant role?

Whether the role sits in a practice or in-house, and the mix of tax, compliance, audit, management reporting and advisory work. For a practice, tell us the client base and how many entities the person looks after; for an in-house role, the reporting cycle and who the person reports to.

Also the software (Xero, MYOB, your ERP), whether tax agent registration or CA or CPA membership is essential, and the supervision and study support a graduate would get.

How we help you hire accountants

You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.

  1. Step 1

    Understand the role

    We talk with you about the client or reporting work, the registrations the role needs, the software and the experience you expect.

  2. Step 2

    Source and screen

    We talk with candidates about their tax, audit or reporting experience, their registrations and memberships, the software they use and whether a move to your town suits them.

  3. Step 3

    Introduce suitable people

    We introduce the candidates who best match your brief, so you decide who to interview.

  4. Step 4

    Coordinate the hire

    We coordinate the next steps and keep both sides informed through interviews and the offer. You employ the person directly.

Can you find accountants willing to move to a regional town?

Yes. Accounting roles are town-based, so the search often reaches people who want to move to a regional centre, or who grew up there and want to return. Tell us the hours, any hybrid days, the relocation support and the path to manager or partner, and we raise them at the start. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Looking for accounting work in the regions?

If you are an accountant, tax accountant or auditor, register with Hire Australia. Tell us your registrations, the clients or entities you have worked on and where you would like to live, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.

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Talk to us about your next accountant hire

Tell us the role, the client or reporting work, the location and when you need the person to start.

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.

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A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

Good to know.

Which accountants does Hire Australia recruit?

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We recruit general, taxation and management accountants, auditors and finance managers for regional accounting practices, councils, health services and businesses. We search for graduates through to experienced managers, and build the registrations, client work and software the role needs into the search from the first conversation.

Do accountants need to be registered in Australia?

Only for some work. Charging a fee for tax agent services requires registration as a tax agent with the Tax Practitioners Board, and auditing companies requires registration with ASIC.9,14 Both registrations attach to the work, not the job title. Hire Australia asks which registrations your role needs when we take the brief.

What does an accountant earn in Australia?

Median full-time earnings for the Accountants group were $2,003 a week in May 2025.4 No award covers accountants working for an accounting firm, so the legal floor there is the national minimum wage of $1,004.90 a week.15,16 Hire Australia discusses your pay range with candidates early in the search.

Are accountants in shortage in Australia?

Some are. In 2026, Taxation Accountant and External Auditor are rated in shortage nationally, while Accountant (General) and Management Accountant are not.3 Outside the major cities, accountant ads averaged 547 a month in the three months to September 2026.1 Hire Australia searches beyond local applicants, including accountants ready to move.

Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?

No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.

What does it cost to use Hire Australia?

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The same terms apply whether Hire Australia recruits a graduate accountant or a senior tax manager.

Sources (17)

  1. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 4-digit occupations by JSA remoteness and Northern Australia classification, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: three months to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  2. Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, September 2026 data file. Table 3.2, Sept quarter 2026: employers with difficulty filling their latest vacancy. About 1,000 employers a month, 5+ staff, many government bodies excluded, weighted. Accessed 1 Nov 2026. Back to text ↑
  3. Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  4. Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation data - February 2026: Table 2 descriptions, Table 3 tasks, Table 4 earnings (ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  5. Jobs and Skills Australia, OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census. Released July 2026. Data: 2021 Census. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  6. training.gov.au, FNS50222 Diploma of Accounting. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  7. training.gov.au, FNS60222 Advanced Diploma of Accounting. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  8. CPA Australia, CPA Program. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  9. Tax Practitioners Board, Tax agent services. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  10. Tax Practitioners Board, Qualifications and experience for tax agents. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  11. Tax Practitioners Board, Qualifications and experience for BAS agents. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  12. Tax Practitioners Board, BAS services. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  13. Tax Practitioners Board, Know your obligations: frequently asked questions. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  14. Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Company auditors. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  15. Fair Work Ombudsman, Minimum wages: the National Minimum Wage. Data: from 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  16. Fair Work Ombudsman, Award coverage for accounts employees. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  17. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: three months to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑