Millennials wrote off accounting as the most boring job in America—now it’s one of the hottest seasonal jobs and Gen Z’s back door to six figures

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Accounting was written off as too boring for millennials and easy for AI to kill—but now it could be a career path for millions of Gen Z NEETs.

It’s been called one of the dullest jobs in America. Boomers are leaving it in droves, millennials decided they’d rather do almost anything else, and AI was supposed to kill it off. Yet accounting has made it onto the holiday hiring list again for a second year in a row.

According to Monster’s Seasonal Hiring Index 2026, tax associates and tax experts were among the 13 job titles with the most seasonal activity across its platform—and it’s so hot, it appears twice on their list.

The industry faces a huge talent shortage. In 2024, the U.S. was short of 340,000 accountants—and the problem is only getting worse. The average company now has 17 open accounting and finance roles they’re trying to fill, up from just five last year.

And so seasonal accounting cover could be a foot in the door to a six-figure career beyond the holidays.

“Seasonal work is more than a short-term paycheck; it’s often the start of a longer career journey,” last year’s report said, while adding that many companies use seasonal roles to test the waters for permanent ones.

To get in, tax accountants typically need at least a bachelor’s degree. Those with a CPA (certified public accountant) qualification can unlock higher wages of around $200,000.

Plenty of young people could use the work. Millions of Gen Zers are NEETs, meaning not in employment, education, or training. And with entry-level roles disappearing thanks to AI, young job hunters are three times less likely than previous generations to have a job lined up when they leave school. For many, even a temporary paycheck over the holidays would be a welcome start.

But Gen Zers who have just started thinking about nabbing a job over the festive period may already be too late.

In fact, Monster found that seasonal hiring jumped 44% from August to September last year and peaked in October. Then it fell by about 24% by November—and that drop showed up in both years Monster analyzed.

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