Accountant

An accountant refers to a professional who performs accounting functions such as account analysis, auditing, or financial statement analysis. Accountants work with accounting firms or internal account departments with large companies. They may also set up their own, individual practices. After meeting state-specific educational and testing requirements, these professionals are certified by national professional associations.

How to become an Accountant

• Earn a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s Degrees in Accounting

Looking to dive into the world of Accountant? Uncover endless possibilities and explore this dynamic industry at https://www.focusquest.com/start-your-quest

Most Common Majors

• Business
• Accounting
• Finance
• Economics

Licenses

Every accountant filing a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is required by law to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). CPAs are licensed by their state’s Board of Accountancy. Almost all states require CPA candidates to complete 150 semester hours of college coursework to be certified, which is 30 hours more than the usual 4-year bachelor’s degree. Many schools offer a 5-year combined bachelor’s and master’s degree to meet the 150-hour requirement, but a master’s degree is not required.

All states use the four-part Uniform CPA Examination from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Candidates do not have to pass all four parts at once, but most states require that they pass all four parts within 18 months of passing their first part.

All states require CPAs to take continuing education classes to keep their license.

Top 5 Best Certifications

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) issued by AICPA
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA) issued by IMA
• Certified Resume Specialist: Accounting and Finance (CRS+AF) issued by CDI
• International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA) issued by ACAT
• Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) issued by ACCA

Salary

Low: $40,000

Median: $52,000

High: $69,000

Certified Public Accountant

A certified public accountant, or CPA for short, offers his/her or her services to companies or individuals in preparing forms for tax returns and financial statement documents. CPAs oversee audits, keep track of clients’ financial records, and contribute to budgeting processes.

Knowing how to develop and implement bookkeeping policies and being familiar with local and federal laws and regulations of taxing procedures is a must, as this is what poses the challenge for people hiring CPAs. CPAs generally have basic computer skills and use accounting software to make the most of their time and resources.

In order to become a CPA, you need to have a BA in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. As implied in the name, you need to obtain a certification to fill the role, and this is usually preceded by years of experience in the field as a public accountant.

How to become a Certified Public Accountant

• Earn a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s Degrees in Accounting
• Experience as a Staff Accountant

Looking to dive into the world of Certified Public Accountant? Uncover endless possibilities and explore this dynamic industry at https://www.focusquest.com/start-your-quest

Most Common Majors

• Accounting
• Business
• Finance
• Economics

Top 5 Best Certifications

• Certified Public Accountants (CPA) issued by AICPA
• Certified Management Account (CMA) issued by IMA
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
• Certified Resume Specialist: Accounting and Finance (CRS+AF) issued by CGMA
• International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA) issued by ACAT

Top Employers

• Deloitte
• Price Waterhouse Cooper
• Ernst & Young
• Grant Thornton
• KPMG LLP

Salary

Low: $49,000

Median: $70,000

High: $100,000

Reference Zippia

Chief Financial Officer

A CFO is a senior executive responsible for managing the financial actions of a company. The CFO's duties include tracking cash flow and financial planning as well as analyzing the company's financial strengths and weaknesses and proposing corrective actions. The role of a CFO is like a treasurer or controller because they are responsible for managing the finance and accounting divisions and for ensuring that the company’s financial reports are accurate and completed in a timely manner.

How to become a Chief Financial Officer

• Earn a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s Degree

Looking to dive into the world of Financial? Uncover endless possibilities and explore this dynamic industry at https://www.focusquest.com/start-your-quest

Most Common Majors

• Accounting
• Business
• Finance
• Economics

Top 5 Best Certifications

• Certified Management Accountant (CMA) issued by IMA
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) issued by CGMA
• Certified Resume Specialist: Accounting and Finance (CRS+AF) issued by CDI
• Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) issued by ACA
• Certified in Financial Management issued by IMA

Top Employers

• Deloitte
• Price Waterhouse Cooper
• Ernst & Young
• Grant Thornton
• KPMG LLP

Salary

Low: $84,000

Median: $144,000

High: $245,000

Finance Analyst

A financial analyst provides informed guidance to companies or individuals on business investment decisions by analyzing economic trends, current business news, and the company’s overall business strategy.

A financial analyst helps make business or investment decisions for companies based on their knowledge of the industry and assessments of market trends, business news, and the company’s financial position.

Financial analysts can work for financial companies like banks or investment companies, or within businesses. Financial analysts commonly have academic backgrounds in finance, economics, accounting, or statistics.

A financial analyst is often expected to perform the following tasks:

• Build financial models to perform financial forecasts, predict business scenarios, and provide other data analysis to help make business decisions
• Study economic and business trends to provide context around business decisions
• Support budgeting efforts at organizations
• Compile written reports on financial statuses and recommendations

How to become a Finance Analyst

• Earn a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s Degrees in Accounting

Looking to dive into the world of Finance Analyst? Uncover endless possibilities and explore this dynamic industry at https://www.focusquest.com/start-your-quest

Most Common Majors

• Business
• Accounting
• Finance
• Economics

Licenses

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is the main licensing organization for the securities industry. It requires licenses for many financial analyst positions. Most of the licenses require sponsorship by an employer, so companies do not expect individuals to have these licenses before starting a job.

Certification is often recommended by employers and can improve the chances for advancement. An example is the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification from the CFA Institute. Financial analysts can become CFA certified if they have a bachelor’s degree, 4 years of qualified work experience, and pass three exams. Financial analysts can also become certified in their field of specialty.

Top 5 Best Certifications

• Certified Management Account (CMA) issued by IMA
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) issued by CFA
• Certified Resume Specialist: Accounting and Finance (CRS+AF) issued by CDI
• Project Management Professional (PMP) issued by PMI
• Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) issued by ACCA

Salary

Low: $53,000

Median: $78,000

High: $114,000

Forensic Accountant

Forensic accountants assess financial data to determine where missing money has gone and how it can be recovered. As the forensic accountant, you are expected to draw up a report based on your analysis, which will serve as evidence, and present your findings, in court, as an expert witness. Your responsibility as a forensic accountant is to use your investigative skills and accounting knowledge to prevent, detect, and prosecute financial felonies. Your role may also be extended to providing consultation services to companies that handle large amounts of money.

How to become a Forensic Accountant

• Earn a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s Degrees in Accounting

Looking to dive into the world of Forensic Accountant? Uncover endless possibilities and explore this dynamic industry at https://www.focusquest.com/start-your-quest

Most Common Majors

• Accounting
• Business
• Finance
• Economics

Licenses

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Top 5 Best Certifications

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Salary

Low: $45,000

Median: $70,000

High: $110,000