but only until the next scandal.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
the accounting profession ranks among the top five in americans’ views of 25 major u.s. industries, trailing only farming, computers, restaurants and automobiles, according to a new gallup survey.
the findings show accounting with 41% of adults holding a positive view, reflecting modest but stable standing amid generally weak perceptions of u.s. business sectors.
more: accounting’s reputation hits 14-year high | accounting reputation in recovery | are cpas fretting too much?
the survey also shows the public cares or knows little about the profession, suggesting vulnerability the next time a scandal rocks the industry.
gallup’s separate math matters study highlights an opportunity for the profession: 41% of u.s. managers wish their direct reports had more training in “personal finances, budgeting, accounting.”
gallup’s 2025 readings place accounting as credible, essential and largely uncontroversial. stability has advantages, but neutrality may not be enough in an era of institutional skepticism. the strategic task ahead is to convert quiet competence into explicit trust by linking accounting more visibly to fraud prevention, taxpayer protection and market integrity.
accounting in the rankings
the new survey ranks farming and agriculture first, at 60%, followed by the computer industry at 59%, restaurants at 52%, and the automobile industry at 43%.
accounting follows at 41%, ahead of a cluster that includes the internet industry. within accounting’s total, 14% of americans say their view is “very positive” and 27% “somewhat positive,” while 44% are neutral, 7% somewhat negative, and 3% very negative.
across all 25 industries, the average positive rating is 38% in 2025, essentially unchanged from 37% in 2024 and well below the record-high 49% in 2017. by that benchmark, accounting performs slightly above average and has avoided the sharp swings that hit restaurants (–9 points in 2024) or sports (+11 points in 2024).
gallup notes that accounting suffered one of the steepest one-year sentiment shocks in 2002, when negative ratings surged 23 points after the enron and worldcom scandals.2 since then, ratings have plateaued in the low-to-mid 40s — neither rebounding into the top tier nor falling back into crisis.
the weight of neutrality
what stands out in 2025 is accounting’s unusually large neutral category: 44% of americans say their views are neither positive nor negative — one of the highest neutrality shares among all sectors in the survey. the pattern underscores the profession’s low visibility: most people interact with accountants infrequently and rarely encounter the industry in headline debates.
accounting’s reputation is less about passion and more about indifference. many americans don’t have a positive or negative opinion because it doesn’t touch their daily lives like other sectors do.
the public wants the skills accountants champion, even if the industry’s image remains muted.
one response to “accounting industry buoyed by positive image”
ronald dearman
aicpa should help with this.