Anyone with a bachelor’s degree in accounting can choose from various career options in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Graduates of this degree can also enjoy high salaries, making it an excellent choice. If you’re planning to pursue a degree in accounting, Discover Accounting’s bachelor’s guide is an excellent resource for learning more about this degree.
Where to Start
To start a career in accounting, you can earn a bookkeeping certificate from a program that you can finish in a few months. This option provides basic courses on the fundamentals of accounting and bookkeeping.
Earning a one-year diploma in bookkeeping will get you through most of the basic accounting courses.
A two-year accounting associate degree will include courses on basic accounting, as well as all the general education courses needed for you to obtain a four-year university or college degree.
Lastly, you can obtain a four-year Bachelor of Science in Accounting through any college or university of your choice. Check out these Palomar accounting programs to help you plan the education you need to get a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
Career Options
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve already finished a degree in accounting, here are some career options you might find interesting:
- Public Accounting: Being a public accountant is one of the most coveted career options for those with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Public accountants can either start their own private practice or connect with large accounting firms. They can work with individuals, companies, and businesses in completing their tax returns, compiling monthly statements, maintaining financial records, and completing audits. For larger accounting firms, individual accountants are assigned to one or several external clients depending on the firm’s size.
- Forensic Accounting: A forensic accountant or investigator works for government agencies that investigate criminal activities or financial compliance. This kind of accountant reviews financial statements for complying with regulations and laws. They may also conduct tax audits on companies or individuals. This career option is usually offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). State and local agencies may also enlist similar services.
- Corporate Accounting: A corporate accountant provides various accounting services, including budget preparation, daily bookkeeping, compiling monthly statements, and maintaining financial records in business accounting departments. One of the tasks of an accountant is to help the company or business comply with appropriate accounting principles, laws, and other government regulations. Corporate accountants are also involved in the decision-making and forecasting activities of a company.
- Internal Auditing: An internal auditor works for government organizations or corporations in improving and reviewing their policies, accounting practices, and procedures. Internal auditors also help review groups of accounts or a set of transactions to check their compliance with laws, regulations, and accounting principles. The internal auditor usually works outside the accounting office. They work in creating procedure and policy recommendations for executives. If unscrupulous activity is suspected, the internal auditor may be tasked to investigate the matter by reviewing accounting activities, doing interviews, and completing other investigative activities.
- Tax Auditing: An accounting degree can also lead to a career in the field of taxation. A tax auditor or examiner works for a government agency in helping businesses and citizens pay their taxes. They also review tax returns for omissions and errors, collect supplementary data, talk to the filer to confirm information, and ensure that the correct tax amount is paid. Naturally, this accounting career requires staying updated on changes in the tax law and other regulations to apply them appropriately.
- Environmental Accounting. An accounting graduate can pursue a career in analyzing the impact of company decisions on the environment. An environmental accountant works in making recommendations and reports for businesses and projects or government decisions. They also check the fiscal impacts of a new regulation and make cost-benefit analyses in determining a project’s fiscal strength. This career requires additional background in government, environmental science, and public policy. It is predicted that the demand for environmental accountants will increase as environmental and climate change regulations focus on the cost of environmental effects in various fields. These accounting experts are expected to look at the bigger picture, which includes regulations, businesses, and the environment.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve checked out some of the possible career options with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, you may think you’re ready to pursue this degree. In choosing a career opportunity in accounting, you should consider the security of the job, the skills needed, the number of work hours, and other things that matter to you such as location and incentives. A bachelor’s degree in accounting is indeed a worthwhile career, with numerous opportunities for improvement.
