Will AI replace junior accountants? What trainees should know

AI is not replacing junior accountants, but it is changing what they do and how many graduates firms take on. In ICAEW’s May 2026 survey of mid-tier firms, 83% said AI would not directly mean fewer roles overall, while 68% expected it to cut demand for some early-career accountants. If you are training now, expect less data entry and more reviewing, checking and explaining.

What does the evidence say about junior roles?

The evidence points to a change in junior work, not its end. ICAEW published its mid-tier firms report on 22 May 2026, based on a survey of 35 managing partners and chief executives in February and March 2026.

ICAEW chief executive Alan Vallance described the talent picture as “more one of transition than constraint”. ICAEW expects the accountant’s role to move by 2030 from routine compliance and reporting towards judgement, interpretation and ethical oversight.

Are firms still hiring trainees?

Yes. ICAEW Insights reported on 2 April 2026 that every Big Four firm planned to hire at least 1,000 junior people this year, with EY expecting to take on 1,600. That follows reports in 2025 that all four had cut junior hiring over the previous two years.

The mix is shifting. Mid-tier firms in the ICAEW survey expect graduate recruitment to fall by 40% and school-leaver recruitment to rise by 49%. Firms gave reasons other than AI too: the rise in employer National Insurance, the employment rights legislation and changes to apprenticeship funding.

From 1 January 2026, government funding for Level 7 apprenticeships in England was removed for most new starters aged 22 and over. Apprentices aged 16 to 21 remain funded, as do under-25s who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This makes school-leaver routes cheaper for employers than graduate ones. See accountancy apprenticeships for the Level 3, 4 and 7 routes.

Which junior tasks is AI taking over?

AI is taking over routine processing first. Robert Half’s David Shogelola told ICAEW Insights that early-career staff now spend less time on repetitive data entry and more on reviewing AI outputs, checking data quality and spotting anomalies.

Tasks that are shrinking:

• typing up and coding transactions
• preparing audit confirmation letters
• getting data ready for review
• first-draft reconciliations

Tasks that are growing:

• checking and challenging what an AI tool produces
• investigating exceptions and anomalies
• explaining the financial effect of findings to managers and clients
• documenting judgements for audit files and reviewers

The same pattern applies in bookkeeping; see will AI replace bookkeepers?

How are training programmes changing?

Training is being redesigned so trainees reach judgement work earlier. ICAEW Insights reported on 1 April 2026 that Deloitte’s audit graduate programme in England and Wales changes from September 2026.

1. Year one: trainees sit 12 of their 14 ACA exams and learn both traditional and AI-assisted auditing, such as reviewing an AI-produced cash reconciliation.
2. Year two: longer, uninterrupted stints on audits from start to finish, plus a work placement.
3. Year three: hands-on audit work alongside the final two advanced-level exams.

Deloitte added 22 days of study leave, giving 135 days across the programme. Allee Bonnard, Deloitte UK managing partner for audit and assurance, said the firm needs juniors “to be further up the learning curve”. The ACA exams list sets out all 14 exams.

What skills should trainees build?

Build the skills that let you judge AI output, not just produce work it can produce. In the ICAEW survey, 74% of firms expect to hire more specialists, and every firm that does named data analytics.

• Technical foundations. You cannot challenge an AI reconciliation if you cannot do one by hand.
• Data and technology. 96% of firms hiring specialists want technology skills.
• Professional scepticism. Know when to rely on an automated output and when to question it.
• Communication. Jess Larsen of Thriving Humans told ICAEW Insights that relationship skills remain central, and that employers now coach juniors in them.
• Responsible AI use. Learn your firm’s rules on client data; see is it safe to put client data into ChatGPT?

How worried are young accountants?

Younger professionals are the most worried group. ACCA’s Global Talent Trends 2026, published 26 May 2026, found 51% of respondents worried about AI’s effect on their jobs, and linked younger people’s concern to AI’s effect on junior tasks. Yet 82% felt confident learning and applying AI.

Which applies to you?

• If you are a school leaver, apprenticeship routes are growing; firms expect 49% more school-leaver hires.
• If you are a graduate aged 22 or over, expect more competition for fewer graduate places, and a training contract that is likely to be employer-funded rather than a funded Level 7 apprenticeship.
• If you are already a trainee, ask your firm what AI tools you will use and how your work will be reviewed.
• If you are hiring trainees, plan how juniors will still learn the basics that AI now does for them.

What trainees should do now

1. Learn the manual method behind every automated task you are given.
2. Ask to review AI output, not just receive it.
3. Keep a record of judgements you made and why.
4. Take any AI training your firm or professional body offers.
5. Check pay and progression in accountant salaries UK 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Will AI replace junior accountants?

Not on current evidence. In ICAEW’s May 2026 survey, 83% of mid-tier firms said AI would not directly mean fewer roles overall, though 68% expected less demand for some early-career work.

Are the Big Four still hiring graduates in 2026?

Yes. ICAEW Insights reported in April 2026 that each Big Four firm planned to hire at least 1,000 junior people this year, with EY expecting 1,600.

What tasks will junior accountants do instead?

More reviewing of AI outputs, checking data quality, investigating anomalies and explaining findings, and less data entry, according to Robert Half and Deloitte.

Is it still worth training as an accountant?

ICAEW found demand remains high, and 88% of firms said AI fears would not make the profession less attractive.

Why are firms hiring more school leavers?

Mid-tier firms cited employer National Insurance costs, employment rights changes and the end of Level 7 apprenticeship funding for most starters aged 22 and over from 1 January 2026.