Aufgaben und Anforderungen im Rechnungswesen – eine Analyse von Online-Stellenanzeigen

Abstract

The labor market remains in a state of transformation, shaped by a persistent shortage of qualified professionals and the rising demands from companies. Compared to 2023, the demand for employees in the finance sector has slightly declined but remains at a high level. The current observation reveals that the need for well-educated and skilled finance professionals has intensified. As a result, additional benefits offered by companies play an essential role in attracting and retaining skilled staff. This thesis systematically analyzes the requirements and tasks in accounting based on job advertisements. The study continues the research series initiated in 2011 and enables a well-founded comparison with previous studies. The primary objective is to identify emerging trends and changes at an early stage to support the adaptation of the curriculum in the degree program Controlling, Accounting, and Financial Management at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Campus Steyr. During the data collection period from February 1 to February 28, 2025, a total of 3,148 job advertisements were downloaded from the platforms karriere.at, stepstone.at, and willhaben.at. After systematically eliminating duplicates, part-time and internship positions, as well as temporary employment offers, 1,626 job advertisements were included in the analysis. These were categorized into the fields of accounting, balance sheet accounting, payroll accounting, leadership positions in accounting and payroll, as well as the external finance sector, covering tax consulting and auditing. The current analysis shows that the number of job advertisements has declined across all fields, except for management positions in payroll accounting. In the field of tax consultancy and auditing, a higher proportion of leadership positions was observed despite a slight decrease in the overall number of job advertisements. With regard to the areas of responsibility within the analyzed job categories, tasks related to digitalization, project work, and process accountability are gaining importance across all fields of accounting. Furthermore, communicative and social competencies are being required more frequently, both in operational roles and in management positions. In the overall evaluation of annual gross salaries, an increase in advertised salary levels was identified compared to the previous study.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Albert Mayr (Supervisor)