While the core of a career in accounting will always be an understanding of math, business and the systems involved in governing the flow of money, technology is changing how accountants work and what businesses expect of them.

Some experts see the evolution of cloud computing and other remotely-hosted accounting applications as the next step in a long march of technology that has benefited accountants.

"This is the time where accountants are starting to see the promise of cloud computing," Dr Chandra Bhansali, chief executive of AccountantsWorld, one of the earliest providers of web-based accountant-oriented applications, told WebCPA. "The most important benefit the internet brings is collaboration. There is no other profession where the client works so closely with the service provider."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted in 2006 that the number of accountants employed in the U.S. would grow from a little less than 1.3 million to 1.5 million by 2016. The economic downturn may have lowered that prediction, but the growth was also based on changing financial laws and corporate governance regulations, an even more relevant concern now than it was in 2006.