2026 High Growth Study: Accounting & Financial Services Edition
The accounting and financial services landscape is shifting once again. After a brief post-pandemic boom, the industry's median growth rate has fallen from an all-time high of 13% to just 10%—the lowest point in five years. In this cooling market, how do you keep your firm from backsliding?
Master the New Era of Strategic Efficiency.
The accounting and financial services landscape is shifting once again. After a brief post-pandemic boom, the industry’s median growth rate has fallen from an all-time high of 13% to just 10%—the lowest point in five years. In this cooling market, how do you keep your firm from backsliding?
An elite group of High Growth firms is successfully defying these trends, growing 3.5x faster than average firms while maintaining a significant lead in efficiency.
Why High Growth A&FS Firms Are Winning
The 2026 study reveals that top performers maintain an edge in both growth and profitability, achieving a median annual growth rate of 33.4% and a mean profitability of 37.7%. Our research identified four critical areas where these firms outmaneuver the competition:
- Aggressive Marketing Investment: High Growth firms invest 9.0% of their revenue into marketing—nearly double the 5% budget seen at No Growth firms.
- Reduced Referral Reliance: While referrals remain a top lead source, High Growth firms rely on them 34% less than their peers, instead focusing on proactive direct outreach and social media.
- Near-Universal AI Adoption: Over 90% of High Growth firms use AI tools to accelerate content creation and automate workflows, with many now exploring advanced AI for powerful new efficiencies.
- Activated Subject Matter Experts: High Growth firms are far more likely to have “highly active” thought leaders and provide them with the financial and tactical support needed to build visibility.
What’s Inside the Report?
Representing 133 firms with a combined $13.8 billion in revenue, this report provides an in-depth look at the strategies shaping the future of the industry:
- Major Trend Analysis: Understand why incorporating AI/automation and a shortage of talent have become the industry’s primary challenges.
- Impactful Marketing Benchmarks: Discover why networking at events and public speaking deliver the greatest impact for High Growth firms.
- The Digital Maturity Gap: A breakdown of the five levels of digital maturity and why over two-thirds of the industry is still mired in the lowest tiers.
- Strategic M&A & Private Equity: Insights into the recent cooling of the PE market and why acquisitions remain a massive revenue driver for industry leaders.
Put the Data to Work
Don’t wait for the phone to ring in an increasingly unpredictable marketplace. Use the benchmarks in this study to fund your growth engine, activate your experts, and turn technological disruption into your firm’s greatest competitive edge.