Report: Demand grows for AI skills in accounting roles
March 31, 2026
The largest year-over-year rise in job mentions that require artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities is the role of accountant, according to a new report from AI-native financial platform Datarails.
In January 2026, 30% of accountant job roles mentioned AI compared to 18% in January 2025 — a 67% increase.
Datarails analyzed more than 5,000 U.S. job postings across four core finance roles (CFO, financial planning and analysis, controller, and accountant) between January 2025 and January 2026.
The biggest requirement for AI skills emerges in the financial planning and analysis role, 43% of job listings, up from 33% of listings. Mentions of AI for the controller role also rose 4%, and the need for AI skills is now found in 24% of controller job ads.
One-third (31%) of all jobs explicitly mention AI or machine learning across CFO job listings, compared to one-quarter (25%) in January 2025. See more findings.
