What's Actually Happening in the Dallas Accounting Job Market Right Now

What's Actually Happening in the Dallas Accounting Job Market Right Now

I've been placing accounting professionals in the Dallas-Fort Worth market for over twenty years, and I'm seeing something interesting unfold right now that's worth discussing—particularly if you're hiring or looking to hire soon.

The market feels busy, but busy in specific pockets. Construction and logistics companies are expanding aggressively. Real estate development hasn't slowed down despite interest rate conversations that have been happening for two years. Energy sector accounting roles keep opening up. Manufacturing firms—particularly those in aerospace and industrial equipment—are actively building out their finance teams.

But here's what's more interesting than which industries are hiring: It's who's actually available to hire, and what that means for how you approach recruiting right now.

The candidates I'm talking to fall into a few distinct categories. There are people who've been at the same company for five-plus years and are genuinely ready for a change—usually because they've hit a ceiling or their role has become too narrow. There are professionals coming from companies that grew fast and are now restructuring, which means solid performers are suddenly available through no fault of their own. And there are people who made moves in the last eighteen months that didn't work out the way they expected, and they're being more careful this time about what they say yes to.

What I'm not seeing much of? People jumping ship just because. The panicked job-hopping we saw a few years ago has settled down. Most employed accounting professionals are staying put unless there's a compelling reason to move. That means when someone is actively looking, there's usually a real story behind it—and understanding that story matters more than ever.

For hiring managers, this creates both opportunity and challenge. The opportunity is that candidates are being more thoughtful and deliberate about their next move, which means when they say yes to your offer, they're more likely to stick around. The challenge is that you're competing not just on salary, but on whether the role genuinely makes sense for where they are in their career.

I'm hearing from Controllers right now who have multiple offers on the table—often within five thousand dollars of each other in terms of base salary. What's determining their decisions isn't the highest number. It's role scope and leadership access. The mid-sized manufacturing role with direct CEO reporting and full P&L ownership beats the larger company where they'd report through a CFO with more limited scope. The construction firm with the slightly higher salary loses to the opportunity that offers genuine ownership. When the opportunity difference is obvious, the salary difference stops mattering.

That's the kind of decision-making I'm seeing more often. Technical candidates are evaluating culture fit, leadership access, and career trajectory as seriously as compensation. They're asking harder questions about why the last person left. They want to understand the company's growth plans and whether the finance team is valued or just viewed as a cost center. And they're willing to walk away from higher offers if something feels off.

For CPA firms specifically, the market is segmented. Small boutique firms—particularly those specializing in tax—are finding it harder to compete on compensation alone. They're succeeding when they can offer something the Big Four and mid-tier firms can't: genuine work-life balance during non-busy season, earlier partnership track, or deep specialization in an area the candidate actually cares about. The firms that are just trying to pay slightly less than everyone else and hoping that's enough are struggling to close candidates.

Mid-tier and regional firms are doing well when they have a clear value proposition. "We're like the Big Four but with better hours" doesn't work anymore because candidates have heard that before and it wasn't true. What does work is showing candidates the actual client work they'd be doing, introducing them to the team they'd work alongside, and being honest about what busy season really looks like.

On the corporate side, I'm seeing interesting patterns around remote work expectations. The "return to office" conversation has largely settled into hybrid arrangements—typically two to three days in office—and candidates have adjusted their expectations accordingly. What hasn't worked is companies trying to bait-and-switch: advertising remote roles and then walking it back during the interview process. That kills trust immediately, and candidates are talking to each other about which companies do this.

Salary expectations have stabilized after the wild swings of the last few years. Controllers in mid-market companies are typically landing in the $140K-$180K range depending on company size and complexity. Senior Accountants with 3-5 years experience are coming in around $75K-$95K. Tax Managers at CPA firms are seeing $110K-$140K depending on the firm and their book of business. These aren't hard floors or ceilings—I've seen outliers in both directions—but they're directionally accurate for what's actually closing right now.

What's more important than the specific numbers is understanding that candidates are looking at total compensation differently than they did a few years ago. Health insurance quality matters. 401(k) matching structure matters. PTO policies matter, especially for parents managing school schedules and childcare. The ability to work from home occasionally when life requires it matters. A company offering $10K more but with worse benefits and rigid office policies isn't actually offering more, and candidates can do that math.

If you're hiring in the next few months, here's what I'd suggest based on what's working right now: Be clear about what the role actually is. If it's a staff position that might grow into something senior, say that—but don't oversell it. If you need someone who can hit the ground running with minimal training, acknowledge that too. Candidates appreciate honesty about expectations more than they appreciate optimistic projections about where the role could go someday.

Move decisively when you find someone good. The market isn't as hot as it was two years ago, but quality candidates still have options. If someone's been at their current company for seven years, has solid technical skills, communicates well, and genuinely wants to work for you, don't spend three weeks deliberating whether to extend an offer. They'll accept someone else's offer while you're still deciding.

And pay attention to what happened to your last hire in this role. If the last three people left within eighteen months, that's not a candidate quality problem—that's a role design or management problem. No recruiter can fix that for you, no matter how good they are at sourcing. Fix the underlying issue first, or you'll be hiring again in a year.

The Dallas market is strong right now, but it's not undiscriminating. Companies that know what they need, can articulate why the role matters, and treat the hiring process like the important business decision it is—those are the ones successfully building their teams. Everyone else is wondering why it's taking so long to find someone.