Accounting Career Info
Becoming a successful accountant requires more than just great math skills—it also involves professional training in bookkeeping, tax preparation, reports and adjustments. While a certified public accountant (CPA) oversees the budgeting and financial management of a company, a general accountant maintains and audits financial records for organizations or individuals. A wide variety of accounting careers exist, including:
- Cost accounting -- works out the unit costs for products
- Government accounting -- analyzes government agency information for the public sector
- Managerial accounting – prepares budgets and financial reports for upper management
- Tax accounting – calculates tax liability for individuals and enterprises
Education & Training in Accounting
An accredited accounting degree program helps evolve your analytical and statistical skills while preparing you for state licensing requirements. You can expect to find a mix of business, finance and communication classes on your schedule whether you pursue a bachelor's degree in accounting or MBA that emphasizes finance. Gaining early job experience in bookkeeping, auditing and managing financial records could prove beneficial to this career path.
Accountant Salaries
Median annual wages and salaries for general accountants were $59,430 in May 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). At the high end, 10% earned more than $102,380. The BLS also notes that accounting jobs are expected to increase faster than average through 2014.
Related Accounting Careers
If you love working with numbers but becoming an accountant doesn't feel like an exact match, other options exist. Check out related accounting careers that could spark your interest, including: actuary, auditor, budget analyst, cost estimator, financial analyst, loan officer, personal financial adviser, risk manager, tax examiner and underwriter.
