Why No One’s Going into Accounting

Becoming a CPA used to require only a bachelors degree in many states, now you need a master's degree. As a result, becoming a CPA requires an additional year of education, more debt, and more opportunity cost for no reason other than protecting the wages of older people.

Answer: stagnant entry-level pay, requirement of additional years of education for certification, higher-paying alternatives in finance with lower barriers to entry.