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Accounting

4–5 years
You study
Financial accounting, Cost accounting
Jobs
Accountant, Auditor, Cost accountant
Average for the business field · Age 25–29
8,200SAR

Average monthly pay in the business field for Saudi bachelor’s holders, GASTAT Labour Force Survey 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3; many earn less. Pay in a first job is usually lower.

Forecasts published in other countries for the occupation Financial auditors and accountants: roughly stable (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH); Employment and Social Development Canada, June 2025 · Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 – Muharram 1447 AH)1,2. They are not a forecast for the Saudi market, nor by DataPulse.

Where is Accounting taught?

Taught at 47 universities: 27 government and 20 private.

Riyadh

Makkah

Madinah

Qassim

Eastern Province

Asir

Tabuk

Hail

Northern Borders

Jazan

Najran

Al-Baha

Al-Jouf

From university pages, admission guides and the Ministry’s Study in Saudi platform4. Gender is tagged where the university publishes it per programme.

Compare with…

A side-by-side view, not a judgement that one major is better. Figures are for the broad field, so two majors in one field share the same figures. Figures: bachelor’s, both sexes, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)35

AccountingInsurance and risk managementFinance
Field in the survey
Business, administration and lawBusiness, administration and lawBusiness, administration and law
Length of study
4–5 years4–5 years4–5 years
Taught at
47 universities6 universities37 universities
Men
OfferedOfferedOffered
Women
OfferedOfferedOffered
Holders of the field working
91.5%91.5%91.5%
Unemployment in the field
8.5%8.5%8.5%
Average wage in the field (SAR)
11,49111,49111,491
An occupation of its graduates and generative AI
gradient three of fourgradient three of fourgradient four of four

Availability for men and women from university pages and the Ministry’s programmes platform; last checked 24 October 2026 (13 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).

What do Accounting students learn?

Recording and reporting a business's money and transactions, and checking its financial statements.

  • Financial accounting
  • Cost accounting
  • Auditing
  • Zakat and tax

In Arabic: المحاسبة

How many years is Accounting?

4–5 years. The length may differ between universities depending on the foundation year.

What jobs do Accounting graduates do?

Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:

  • Accountant
  • Auditor
  • Cost accountant
  • Zakat and tax specialist

Desk work on fixed hours, busy at year end; checking accounts includes client visits.

  • Some travel

Practising public accounting or auditing needs a licence from the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA).

What do Accounting graduates earn?

GASTAT does not publish pay for each major; this is the average for the “Business, administration and law” field among Saudi bachelor’s holders, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3.

Age 25–298,200 SAR
Age 35–4414,200 SAR

What is unemployment in the business field?

Unemployment among Saudi graduates of the field (bachelor’s, all ages)3:

  • 20211442–1443 AH14.1%
  • 20221443–1444 AH12.4%
  • 20231444–1445 AH9.3%
  • 20241445–1446 AH8.5%

For the whole field, not this major alone. Past measurement, not a forecast.

Official decisions and signals

  • Companies must have a share of Saudi accountants rising in stages from 40% to 70%. in force since October 2025 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Jumada al-Ula 1447 AH) (binds firms, not individuals)6
  • The job “Accountant” is strongly affected by AI (3 of 4). May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH) (occupation, not major)7

Related majors

All majors in Business · Labour-market figures for all fields
Not sure what to choose?Start with what you like · 3 minutes

References

  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Accountants and auditors” (BLS 13-2011), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
  2. Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Financial auditors and accountants” (COPS 11100), 2024–2033 (1445–1455 AH).
  3. General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Labour Force Survey: Saudi bachelor’s holders in “Business, administration and law”, 2024 (1445–1446 AH).
  4. Programme pages on university websites, last checked 26 October 2026 (15 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
  5. International Labour Organization, global index of occupational exposure to generative AI, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
  6. Ministry of Human Resources, 26 January 2025 (26 Rajab 1446 AH).
  7. International Labour Organization · occupation code 2411, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).