Saturday, March 10, 2012

How to Become an Accountant

If you like working with numbers, money, and anything in between, you should learn how to become an accountant. This is not a time consuming process at all, and it could lead you to a highly successful career. That all depends on where you work and who you work for, but everything starts with a good education. If you can apply your learning correctly, you can make a ton of money working with money as an accountant. In this article, we will look at the different kinds of courses you can take in an accounting degree, and what that degree could lead to in the future. Read on to find out how you could get started in this career.

Getting an Accounting Degree

If you want to become a reputable accountant, you will need at least a bachelor's degree in accounting. That will take four years to complete, but it will give you a foundation of knowledge you need to work in this profession. You could choose to get a two year associate's degree, but that will only allow you to work in the entry level of the field. I'll assume you want something more than that. Here is a look at some of the different courses you may take in your accounting degree:
  • Accounting Ethics and Professional Relations
  • Accounting for Decision Making
  • Accounting Information Systems
  • Auditing
  • Business Statistics
  • Corporate Taxation
  • Cost Accounting
  • Financial Accounting Transaction Analysis
  • Government and Non-Profit Accounting
  • Individual/Estate Taxation
  • Principles of Accounting
You may also take some more specialized courses at the graduate level, if you decide to go that high with your education. This would be beneficial if you plan on working for the government, but it is not necessary as a whole. You can get a degree overview from a school you plan to attend if you want to know more about the specific classes you may be taking. Then you can make a plan from there. Working as an Accountant Once you have your degree out of the way, you will need to go through an examination process to become a certified public accountant. This will give you the authority you need to actually work with other people's money. With all of this in place, you can then work with clients or a firm to make a living. Possible pay rates for CPAs include… Salary by Years of Experience
  • Less than 1 year: $30,536 - $60,366 per year
  • 1-4 years: $37,796 - $64,856 per year
  • 5-9 years: $43,963 - $83,135 per year
  • 10-19 years: $48,215 - $110,229 per year
  • 20 years or more: $48,613 - $148,131 per year
Salary by Certification
  • Accredited in Business Valuation: $40,772 - $119,195 per year
  • Business Certificate: $39,112 - $96,651 per year
  • Certified Financial Planner: $44,385 - $193,692 per year
  • Certified Fraud Examiner: $43,276 - $100,800 per year
  • Certified Information Technology Professional: $48,679 - $72,208 per year
  • Certified Internal Auditor: $6,800 - $99,329 per year
  • Certified Management Accountant: $43,500 - $95,000 per year
  • Certified Public Accountant: $40,105 - $90,052 per year
  • Certified Valuation Analyst: $53,352 - $124,376 per year
  • Enrolled Agent: $41,124 - $85,067 per year

You may make more or less money in the industry, depending on the type of people you work for. As long as you apply your education in the right places, you are guaranteed to have a good job well into the future. Accounting is not for everyone, but it may be perfect for you. You just have to get out there and find out.

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