Do I need a visa to do an accounting internship in New York?

Yes. Most participants require a J-1 Intern or Trainee visa to complete an accounting internship in New York. See full visa requirements >

What kind of companies host accounting interns in New York?

Accounting interns are placed with a mix of major global accounting firms, boutique advisory practices, financial services firms and in-house corporate accounting teams, depending on your interests and experience. Discover example host organizations >

How long are accounting internships in New York?

Programs typically run from 4 to 24 weeks, with start dates available year-round.

What qualifications do I need for an accounting internship in New York?

You don't necessarily need an accounting degree or previous professional experience to apply for an accounting internship in New York. The right qualifications will depend on the internship placement, but relevant studies in accounting, finance, economics or a related subject can be useful. Transferable skills such as numeracy, attention to detail, analytical thinking and clear communication can also help you succeed in an accounting role. Your placement is matched to your experience, interests and career goals.

How can I get an accounting internship in New York?

To get an accounting internship in New York, start by identifying which side of accounting interests you most, whether that's audit, tax, forensic investigation or transaction support, and consider how your education, skills and experience line up with it. You can then apply for an internship program and discuss your career goals, interests and placement preferences during the application process. At The Intern Group, you'll complete an online application and interview before working with the team to secure an accounting internship that matches your profile and goals.

Sightseeing during an accounting internship in New York

Accounting Internships in New York

New York doesn't just host the accounting profession's biggest firms, it created much of the regulatory infrastructure the rest of the country still builds its accounting standards around.

All four of the world's largest accounting firms run major operations from New York, alongside investment banks with substantial in-house accounting functions and a stock exchange whose listing requirements set the bar for financial disclosure nationwide. For interns, that concentration offers a genuine look at the profession practiced under some of the most demanding scrutiny anywhere.

Whether you're a university student, recent graduate, gap year student or career changer, an accounting internship program in New York can help you build real technical understanding while working alongside a profession that helped write the rulebook it now follows.

Guaranteed Internship
Vetted roles in leading New York accounting and audit firms.

Complete Overseas Support
Visa assistance, New York housing, social & cultural events and 24/7 staff support included.

Global Career Network
Join 15,000+ alumni with dynamic workshops, networking events, and employer references.

Example accounting host organizations in New York

We've previously placed interns with organizations across New York's audit, tax, advisory and corporate accounting sectors. The organizations featured represent examples of the types of professional environments where participants have gained experience.

Why do an accounting internship in New York?

Publicly traded companies listed on New York's exchanges face disclosure and reporting requirements that rank among the strictest in the world, a legacy of accounting scandals from decades past that reshaped how the entire profession operates. Interning near that world means seeing firsthand how much scrutiny goes into numbers that millions of investors ultimately rely on.

New York's accounting firms have also built genuinely deep specialisms around the industries clustered in the city, financial services accounting shaped by the presence of Wall Street itself, media and entertainment accounting tuned to licensing and royalty structures most other markets never encounter, and a forensic accounting practice regularly called on for high-profile investigations. That breadth means the day-to-day of an internship can look meaningfully different depending on which corner of the industry your host organization serves.

The city is particularly strong in areas such as audit, tax advisory, transaction services and forensic accounting, giving you exposure to nearly every corner of the modern accounting profession within a single, demanding market.

Experience accounting under the world's strictest scrutiny

Regulatory legacy
See how New York's disclosure standards, shaped by decades of financial history, set the bar for the profession nationwide.

Deep specialization
Explore accounting across audit, tax, transaction services and forensic work.

Industry-specific expertise
Build understanding of how accounting adapts to serve finance, media and other industries clustered in the city.

High-stakes precision
Learn how New York's accounting firms operate when the numbers genuinely move markets.

Meeting other interns during an accounting internship in New York

Explore accounting internships in New York

New York's accounting landscape spans the world's largest firms, specialist boutique practices, in-house corporate accounting teams and forensic investigation units. Your internship could give you the opportunity to see how organizations in the city manage financial reporting, compliance and advisory work under genuinely close scrutiny.

External Audit

Auditing a company listed on a New York exchange means working to standards shaped by some of the most consequential financial reporting failures in modern history. Your internship could involve supporting fieldwork, testing procedures or documentation.

You could work on: Audit fieldwork · Testing procedures · Documentation · Client liaison support

Tax Advisory

Federal, state and local tax obligations layer on top of each other in New York in ways that don't apply nearly as often elsewhere, making tax advisory work here genuinely intricate. You could support tax return preparation, research or client documentation.

You could work on: Tax return preparation · Regulatory research · Client documentation · Compliance support

Financial Services Accounting

With Wall Street just downtown, New York's accountants have built real specialism serving banks, hedge funds and asset managers whose accounting needs look nothing like a typical corporate client's. You could support fund accounting support, regulatory reporting or reconciliation.

You could work on: Fund accounting support · Regulatory reporting · Reconciliation · Documentation

Management Accounting

In-house finance teams across New York's many industries rely on management accountants to turn raw numbers into insight that actually shapes business decisions. You could support budgeting, variance analysis or management reporting.

You could work on: Budgeting support · Variance analysis · Management reporting · Cost analysis

Financial Reporting & Compliance

Companies listed on New York's exchanges face genuinely rigorous disclosure requirements, giving interns exposure to financial reporting standards applied at the highest level. You could support statutory accounts preparation, disclosure checklists or reporting projects.

You could work on: Statutory accounts support · Disclosure documentation · Reporting projects · Reconciliation

Bookkeeping & Financial Operations

Away from the major firms, New York's dense start-up and small business scene still relies on solid, everyday bookkeeping to keep operations running. You could support transaction recording, reconciliation or basic reporting.

You could work on: Transaction recording · Reconciliation · Basic reporting · Ledger maintenance

Example accounting internship roles in New York

Depending on your skills and interests, you could take on a role such as:

Investment Research Intern
Creative Industries Accounting Intern
Strategic Finance Intern
Venture Capital Operations Intern
Financial Analyst Intern
Business Development and Finance Intern
Entrepreneurial Finance Intern
Global Accounting Intern

Your exact role will depend on your host organization and placement.

Explore more example Finance roles >

At Coney Island during an accounting internship in New York

What can you gain from an accounting internship in New York?

An accounting internship in New York offers more than a line on your CV/resume. It's a chance to see how the profession operates under some of the most demanding scrutiny in the world, developing practical, technical skills grounded in genuinely high stakes.

Build New York accounting experience

Add international accounting experience to your CV/resume and show future employers that you've worked within one of the most rigorous accounting markets in the world.
Work on real accounting projects

Put your knowledge into practice through projects that could involve audit, tax, forensic investigation or transaction support, depending on your placement.
Grow your international accounting network

Connect with professionals across New York's audit, tax and advisory sectors while building relationships with fellow interns from around the world.
Understand high-stakes financial scrutiny

See how disclosure standards shaped by decades of financial history influence the way New York's accountants approach every engagement.
Experience New York's accounting culture

Gain insight into how precision, industry specialization and genuine consequence combine within one of the profession's most demanding markets.

Students doing an accounting internship in New York

What's included in the New York internship program?

Your program includes support designed to help you get the most from your international internship, from placement and accommodation to visa support, career coaching and 24/7 in-country support.

Explore the full New York internship program >

Hear from accounting interns in New York

“I picked New York because I wanted to have a real experience in the Big Apple. I see it as one of the most international cities in the world, where you can experience a corporate, dynamic environment and meet people from so many different cultures.” - Edoardo Soldati, finance intern in New York

“The Intern Group has been really supportive from the beginning, from refining my résumé and helping with the job-matching process to supporting me with my visa application. Whenever I had a question, I could email them and they would respond really quickly. At one point, I was feeling anxious about finding an internship, so my TIG staff member offered to have a video call with me and happily explained the process. It made me feel like everyone was genuinely there to help and support me throughout the experience.” - Sonia Chen, New York finance intern

New York's famous skyline during an accounting internship

Is a New York accounting internship right for you?

A New York accounting internship could be a great fit if you want hands-on exposure to the profession under some of the highest scrutiny anywhere in the world.

Whether you're a university student, recent graduate, gap year student or career changer, you can build practical accounting skills while experiencing how organizations in New York manage financial reporting, compliance and investigative work. It's an opportunity to build your CV/resume, expand your professional network and discover where a career in accounting could take you.

What is it like to live as an accounting intern in New York?

Living as an accounting intern in New York means learning to make the most of small windows of free time, a quick coffee catch-up before a 7am call, a fast dinner squeezed in between deadlines, but the city rewards that discipline with more to do after hours than you could ever fully use.

A single subway ride can take you from a rooftop bar to a jazz club to a 24-hour diner, and weekends open up an entire city's worth of neighbourhoods still left to explore. Fellow interns tend to become the people you text at 9pm asking what's actually worth doing that night, and there's rarely a bad answer.

At the Guggenheim museum during an accounting internship in New York

FAQs

: Yes. Most participants require a J-1 Intern or Trainee visa to complete an accounting internship in New York.

See full visa requirements >
: Accounting interns are placed with a mix of major global accounting firms, boutique advisory practices, financial services firms and in-house corporate accounting teams, depending on your interests and experience.

Discover example host organizations >
: Programs typically run from 4 to 24 weeks, with start dates available year-round.
: You don't necessarily need an accounting degree or previous professional experience to apply for an accounting internship in New York. The right qualifications will depend on the internship placement, but relevant studies in accounting, finance, economics or a related subject can be useful.

Transferable skills such as numeracy, attention to detail, analytical thinking and clear communication can also help you succeed in an accounting role. Your placement is matched to your experience, interests and career goals.
: To get an accounting internship in New York, start by identifying which side of accounting interests you most, whether that's audit, tax, forensic investigation or transaction support, and consider how your education, skills and experience line up with it.

You can then apply for an internship program and discuss your career goals, interests and placement preferences during the application process. At The Intern Group, you'll complete an online application and interview before working with the team to secure an accounting internship that matches your profile and goals.

Realize your potential with an international internship

1

Apply online

Complete our simple application form and tell us about your passions, qualifications, and experiential requirements.
2

Interview

If your interview is successful, confirm your enrollment with a tuition deposit.
3

Secure your internship

Collaborate in the internship placement process & accelerate your career.