Millennials wrote off tax accounting. Now Gen Z has a purpose to provide it a re-examination, as six-figure earnings and a expertise scarcity have resulted in a spike in salaries for tax specialists. 

Tax work has earned two spots on Monster’s seasonal jobs record. The corporate’s 2026 Seasonal Hiring Index names tax associates and tax specialists amongst 13 titles that noticed important seasonal posting exercise in 2025. The first busy season for tax accountants runs from late January by April 15, spurred by particular person and company tax deadlines. 

“Seasonal work is greater than a short-term paycheck; it’s typically the beginning of an extended profession journey,” the Monster report stated. It added that many corporations use seasonal roles as a testing floor for everlasting ones.

In line with ZipRecruiter, the common wage for U.S. tax associates is $33.40 an hour. The identical web site states that tax specialists make $45.67 an hour within the U.S.

Tax jobs face a big expertise scarcity, which is creating a gap for newcomers. The U.S. confronted a scarcity of 340,000 tax accountants in 2024, in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and employers are nonetheless struggling to recruit. 

Corporations surveyed by Personiv, a world finance and accounting outsourcing firm, reported a mean of 17 unfilled accounting and finance positions in 2026, in contrast with 5 a yr earlier.

For job seekers, a seasonal tax position might result in extra alternatives than a brief paycheck. It may very well be the primary transfer towards a full-time profession with six-figure incomes potential, Fortune experiences. 

The catch

The catch with tax accounting is that the seasonal hiring rush might already be passing. 

Anybody ready till the vacations to start out making use of for seasonal tax roles dangers lacking the prime recruiting window. 

Monster’s evaluation discovered that seasonal job postings rose 44% between August and September final yr, and peaked in October. By November, posting exercise fell 24% from October. That signifies that the prime hiring time for these roles might have already handed.

Additionally, the larger paychecks in accounting include the next bar to entry. Tax accountants usually want not less than a bachelor’s diploma. In the meantime, incomes an authorized public accountant (CPA) license can open the door to better-paid roles, however requires an intensive funding of money and time. CPAs present a vary of providers, together with tax preparation and monetary planning.

Investopedia reported whole compensation of as much as $200,000 for CPAs with 4 years of expertise beneath their belt.

For younger individuals on the lookout for work, even a brief place might supply a paycheck and expertise. In line with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, solely 53.8% of younger individuals (ages 16 to 24) had been employed in July. The youth unemployment price was 9.1% that month.

Moreover, the transition from faculty to the workforce has grow to be tougher. A survey from profession providers web site Kickresume discovered that simply 12% of current graduates secured full-time jobs earlier than commencement this yr, in contrast with almost 40% of earlier graduates.

AI is including to that uncertainty. Goodwill CEO Steve Preston stated in an interview with Fortune final yr that automation is decreasing entry-level alternatives, that are the roles the place younger employees historically achieve expertise. 

Tips on how to discover seasonal job postings

Seasonal openings aren’t at all times labeled that manner. 

In 2025, fewer than 3% of seasonal job postings included “seasonal,” “vacation,” or “non permanent” within the title, per Monster. Trying to find a particular position, reminiscent of “tax affiliate,” might uncover alternatives {that a} seek for “vacation jobs” misses.

Monster additionally recommends widening the search throughout roles and industries. 

“A seasonal opening will be hiding amongst jobs that, by title alone, seem like odd year-round positions,” the report indicated. 

Millennials wrote off tax accounting. Now Gen Z has a purpose to provide it a re-examination, as six-figure earnings and a expertise scarcity have resulted in a spike in salaries for tax specialists. 

Tax work has earned two spots on Monster’s seasonal jobs record. The corporate’s 2026 Seasonal Hiring Index names tax associates and tax specialists amongst 13 titles that noticed important seasonal posting exercise in 2025. The first busy season for tax accountants runs from late January by April 15, spurred by particular person and company tax deadlines. 

“Seasonal work is greater than a short-term paycheck; it’s typically the beginning of an extended profession journey,” the Monster report stated. It added that many corporations use seasonal roles as a testing floor for everlasting ones.