2 answers
Sydney
Student
Escondido, California
1
Question
Asked
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What are the best jobs for someone with an Accounting degree?
I am a senior in high school and I'm interested in being an accountant. However, I am unsure of what careers are long term. I have never taken an accounting course either, so I would love to hear those who have learned about this subject.
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2 answers
Anthony Hitchcock (US)
Auditor
11
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Anthony’s Answer
Hi Sydney,
I am an accountant, so I'm definitely qualified to answer this question. I'll explain my answer as a timeline, and also from the perspective of someone who is in Auditing (vs tax or bookkeeping or the other areas of accounting). First, get good grades and be involved in college to be able to get a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm (the biggest and most prestigious accounting firms in the world). Then, get your Certified Public Accountant license (CPA) and work in a Big Four accounting firm for 10 years. It will be a lot of work and lots of long hours (this depends on your client but during January and February, expect to work 70+ hours a week), but it will be worth it because after 10 years, you can get a job as a Director in controllership or financial reporting for a corporation, which might even have been one of your former clients as a Big Four auditor. You'll make $200-300K a year, depending on where you're at. From there, you can grow within the corporation - there is a well-trodden path from Big Four auditor to roles like CFO (Chief Financial Officer). If you decide to stay at the Big Four firm your whole life, you can become a "partner" in the firm and make around $1M+ per year, but that isn't without a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get there and a lot of work once you finally make it. To me, those are the best jobs in accounting. But it depends on what you're interested in. Smaller firms don't have as long of hours, but the pay is also less. Either way, there is a lot of opportunity in accounting.
As far as what accounting is - I think the answer depends on which area of accounting you are in. In auditing (this is a simplified example) we make sure that when companies say "we made $5 billion dollars this year," that the statement is accurate so investors can rely on that statement when making investing decisions. And we do this by making sure their accounting is correct. As far as what accounting is, I'd describe it as "making sure numbers are accurate." And this might surprise you, but you don't necessarily have to be good at math. Accounting is more about being good at basic math and being really good at logic to solve problems involving basic math. In my opinion, complex accounting is difficult more because one has to keep track of various rules or apply judgment to gray areas; it is not necessarily the difficulty of the math.
I hope at least some of this made sense. There is just so much to accounting that I could go all day on this. But overall, it is a good career that is in high demand and it is one that will allow you to be financially successful if you put in the work. It is also a lot more collaborative than you would expect - it is a team sport that requires effective communication and interpersonal skills.
Good luck with your journey!
-Anthony
I am an accountant, so I'm definitely qualified to answer this question. I'll explain my answer as a timeline, and also from the perspective of someone who is in Auditing (vs tax or bookkeeping or the other areas of accounting). First, get good grades and be involved in college to be able to get a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm (the biggest and most prestigious accounting firms in the world). Then, get your Certified Public Accountant license (CPA) and work in a Big Four accounting firm for 10 years. It will be a lot of work and lots of long hours (this depends on your client but during January and February, expect to work 70+ hours a week), but it will be worth it because after 10 years, you can get a job as a Director in controllership or financial reporting for a corporation, which might even have been one of your former clients as a Big Four auditor. You'll make $200-300K a year, depending on where you're at. From there, you can grow within the corporation - there is a well-trodden path from Big Four auditor to roles like CFO (Chief Financial Officer). If you decide to stay at the Big Four firm your whole life, you can become a "partner" in the firm and make around $1M+ per year, but that isn't without a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get there and a lot of work once you finally make it. To me, those are the best jobs in accounting. But it depends on what you're interested in. Smaller firms don't have as long of hours, but the pay is also less. Either way, there is a lot of opportunity in accounting.
As far as what accounting is - I think the answer depends on which area of accounting you are in. In auditing (this is a simplified example) we make sure that when companies say "we made $5 billion dollars this year," that the statement is accurate so investors can rely on that statement when making investing decisions. And we do this by making sure their accounting is correct. As far as what accounting is, I'd describe it as "making sure numbers are accurate." And this might surprise you, but you don't necessarily have to be good at math. Accounting is more about being good at basic math and being really good at logic to solve problems involving basic math. In my opinion, complex accounting is difficult more because one has to keep track of various rules or apply judgment to gray areas; it is not necessarily the difficulty of the math.
I hope at least some of this made sense. There is just so much to accounting that I could go all day on this. But overall, it is a good career that is in high demand and it is one that will allow you to be financially successful if you put in the work. It is also a lot more collaborative than you would expect - it is a team sport that requires effective communication and interpersonal skills.
Good luck with your journey!
-Anthony
Gana Kwon
Sr. Accounting Manager (CPA)
3
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Gana’s Answer
Accounting is a solid major with lots of long-term career options. Common paths include public accounting (audit/tax), corporate accounting, government roles, and financial analyst positions. You can start with zero experience — intro classes in college will teach you the basics. If you like numbers and understanding how businesses work, it’s a great foundation that can lead in many directions.