Accountant Jobs in Houston, TX
Accountants in the Houston area earn a median of $85,090 a year, according to federal wage data, and the steadiest hiring runs from Texas Medical Center finance offices to downtown audit teams and energy-sector clients. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how the Texas CPA works.
Current accountant Openings in Houston, TX
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Accountant Work in Houston
Houston's accounting jobs follow its job centers rather than one downtown. The big hospital systems run their own finance departments in and around the Texas Medical Center: Houston Methodist posts senior accountant roles for its corporate finance team on Greenbriar St south of the Med Center, and MD Anderson hires entry-level Accountant I staff for its clinical departments. In public accounting, PwC's Houston audit and assurance practice posts internal audit and business controls roles, and Sysco hires accounting associates at its Buckhead Meat of Houston operation.
Energy still shapes the work. Staffing listings in Houston this month include staff accountant roles with energy and natural resources clients and project accountant roles with energy services firms, and openings reach out to Katy, The Woodlands and Conroe. Federal wage data puts the Houston median for accountants and auditors at $85,090 a year, above the Texas median of $80,920.
Top Houston Employers Hiring Accountants
These employers have posted accountant roles in the Houston area on their own careers sites:
- Houston Methodist - the eight-hospital system hires senior accountants for corporate finance, with CPA preferred and hybrid schedules.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center - the Texas Medical Center cancer hospital hires Accountant I and II staff, with posted ranges of about $50,000 to $79,000.
- PwC - the Big Four firm's Houston audit and assurance practice posts internal audit and business controls associate roles.
- Sysco - the food distributor hires accounting associates for receivables work at Buckhead Meat of Houston.
- Robert Half - the staffing firm fills staff, senior, cost and project accountant roles for Houston clients, many of them in energy.
Accountant Salaries in Houston
- Entry level: about $55,000 to $70,000 a year for staff accountants and Accountant I roles.
- Experienced: roughly $75,000 to $95,000 a year for senior and corporate accountants.
- Senior: about $100,000 to $145,000 a year for cost, project and lead accountants.
These are estimates built from federal wage data for the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro (10th percentile $58,780, 90th percentile $144,190) and pay ranges posted by Houston employers. A CPA, oil and gas or joint interest billing experience, and ERP skills such as SAP or Oracle move pay up, and Robert Half's energy-client listings run $80,000 to $110,000.
How to Become an Accountant in Houston
Most accountant jobs require a bachelor's degree in accounting. Locally, the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston offers a BBA in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accountancy, and Texas Southern University's Jesse H. Jones School of Business in the Third Ward offers a BBA in Accounting. For a lower-cost start, Houston City College (formerly Houston Community College) teaches an Accounting AAS and certificate at Central, Katy, West Loop and other campuses, Lone Star College offers an Accounting AAS at CyFair, Kingwood, Tomball and University Park, and San Jacinto College offers an Accounting certificate.
You do not need a state license to work as an accountant on staff. The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy licenses certified public accountants only, and a CPA is required to practice public accountancy. Since August 1, 2026, Texas offers two routes to the CPA: 150 semester hours with one year of CPA-supervised experience, or a bachelor's degree with 120 hours and two years of experience. Both require the CPA Exam and the board's ethics exam.
What the Job Involves
Accountants record and reconcile transactions, close the books each month, prepare financial statements, and support audits and tax filings. Daily work includes journal entries, account reconciliations, variance analysis, accruals, and answering questions from managers and auditors. In public accounting the work runs through client audits and tax returns with a busy season, while corporate roles follow the monthly and quarterly close.
Skills Employers Look For
- Knowledge of GAAP and the month-end close
- Account reconciliation and journal entries
- Advanced Excel, including pivot tables and lookups
- ERP experience such as SAP, Oracle or NetSuite
- Oil and gas or joint interest billing experience
- Progress toward the CPA
- Clear communication with auditors and managers
Career Path and Advancement
In Houston the ladder usually runs from staff accountant or Accountant I to senior accountant, then accounting manager, controller and director of finance. Many start in audit at a public accounting firm and move after two or three years into corporate roles at a hospital system, distributor or energy company. Earning the CPA and learning energy accounting are the fastest ways up.
Related Careers in Houston
If accounting interests you, these related Houston guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a CPA to work as an accountant in Houston?
No. Many staff, senior and corporate accountant roles in Houston list the CPA as preferred rather than required. You need the CPA from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy only to practice public accountancy or to call yourself a CPA, though it does raise pay and open manager roles.
How much do accountants make in Houston?
Federal wage data puts the median for accountants and auditors in the Houston metro at $85,090 a year. Entry roles generally start around $55,000 to $70,000, and senior accountants with energy experience can earn $100,000 or more.
What changed about becoming a CPA in Texas in 2026?
Starting August 1, 2026, Texas added a second route to certification. You can qualify with 150 semester hours and one year of experience, or with a bachelor's degree, 120 hours and two years of experience supervised by a CPA.
Where can I study accounting in Houston?
The University of Houston's Bauer College of Business and Texas Southern University offer accounting bachelor's degrees, and Bauer offers a Master of Science in Accountancy. Houston City College, Lone Star College and San Jacinto College offer accounting associate degrees or certificates.
Is oil and gas experience important for Houston accountants?
It helps. Houston staffing listings regularly seek accountants for energy and natural resources clients, and project accountant roles with energy services firms post some of the higher pay ranges in the metro.
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