What do they do?
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.
Also known as:
Accountant, Accounting Officer, Audit Partner, Auditor, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Cost Accountant, Financial Auditor, General Accountant, Internal Auditor, Revenue Tax Specialist
No Data Available
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3.3%
Change
Ranks #51 in job growth rate4,230Job Openings
Ranks #14 in net job growth
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- Bachelor's degree (59%)
- Master's degree (27%)
- Associate's degree (6%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (4%)
- Some college, no degree (3%)
- High school diploma equivalent (2%)
- Less than high school diploma (<1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Accountants and Auditors
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#1
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Degrees Granted
58,803
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Female Students
31,558
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Male Students
27,245
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Median Starting Salary
$46,700
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#2
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Degrees Granted
2,235
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Female Students
1,281
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Male Students
954
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Median Starting Salary
$52,800
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#3
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Degrees Granted
1,200
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Female Students
679
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Male Students
521
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Median Starting Salary
$45,200
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#4
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Degrees Granted
1,047
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Female Students
540
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Male Students
507
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Median Starting Salary
$48,168
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#5
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Degrees Granted
133
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Female Students
81
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Male Students
52
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Median Starting Salary
$45,200
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
People in this career often do these activities:
- Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.
- Report information to managers or other personnel.
- Advise others on business or operational matters.
- Advise others on financial matters.
- Collect evidence for legal proceedings.
- Investigate legal issues.
- Examine financial records.
- Oversee business processes.
- Discuss business strategies, practices, or policies with managers.
- Examine financial records or processes.
- Verify accuracy of records.
- Analyze business or financial data.
- Analyze financial information.
- Prepare financial documents.
- Conduct financial or regulatory audits.
- Verify accuracy of financial information.
- Calculate tax information.
- Advise others on human resources topics.
- Develop business or financial information systems.
- Assess financial status of clients.
- Coordinate regulatory documentation activities.
- Evaluate effectiveness of personnel policies or practices.
This page includes data from:
Career data: O*NET 30.0 Database
by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
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