Accounting Career: One of the Best Jobs in America

By Jessica Santina
Learning & Life Columnist
May 23, 2006

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The results are in: Money magazine has made their list of the Best Jobs in America, based on salary and job prospects. Included in that list? Accounting.

The U.S. is experiencing the most job growth it's seen since the dot-com era, and according to a CareerBuilder.com second quarter job forecast, accounting will be among the top careers that hiring managers will be looking to fill.

Repeated corporate fraud, embezzlement, and non-reporting have led to strict financial regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and those in accounting careers must keep all businesses, in all industries, compliant. In addition, identity theft and fraud have created many career opportunities in newer fields, such as forensic accounting. As businesses continue to open each year, and an aging Baby Boomer population begins retiring and leaving accounting vacancies, career prospects for accountants will only continue to grow.

Accounting Career Options

As companies work toward the required January 2007 Sarbanes-Oxley compliance deadline, they're scrambling to hire trained auditing and accounting professionals. Such demand has greatly increased these professionals' salaries, in some cases by as much as 15%. Deloitte Financial Advisory Services in New York report that they've increased their forensic accounting staffs by 15-20% along with their beginning salaries.

For those interested in part-time or contract accounting work, Sarbanes-Oxley deadline extensions have placed huge demand on contract help. Deborah DeCamp, regional director for Manpower professionals, likens this situation to the Y2K demand for IT workers. "Contractors can pretty much set their own price. It the legislation may also create audit and other positions to ensure that companies' policies stay in place."

The Career Fast-Track

Most jobs available in accounting require a four-year degree, and in fact, a master's degree is often preferred. Professional licensure as a CPA gives candidates a distinct advantage.

That investment in education will definitely pay off; the average starting offer for bachelor's degree graduates is around $43,000 per year, and for master's degree graduates, that goes up to about $46,000. Median annual salaries come in at $50,770 for accountants and auditors.

An accounting degree makes for a promising, lucrative future with excellent prospects, so you do the math!

Sources

About the Author
Jessica Santina is a freelance writer with a background in media and marketing. She also teaches first-year writing courses at the University of Nevada, Reno.

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