Career Information for a Degree or Certification in Accounting or Bookkeeping
If you have a head for details and numbers and would like a job with regular hours and a comfortable setting, a degree in Accounting or Bookkeeping might be just the thing for you. People who have a degree or certification in Accounting or Bookkeeping might work in a variety of positions related to financial recordkeeping, including accounting, bookkeeping or budget analysis. Read more here!
What is a Degree or Certification in Accounting or Bookkeeping?
A degree or certificate program in Accounting or Bookkeeping prepares students for careers in financial reporting and related fields by introducing them to the basics of such skills as budgeting, auditing and data analysis. A degree program with emphasis in both Accounting and Bookkeeping generally leads to conferral of an associate degree. However, because many accounting careers require a bachelor’s degree or higher, students hoping to become accountants should pursue a 4-year or even master’s degree program to increase their employability. Graduates of a Bookkeeping or Accounting degree program can be found working as accountants, bookkeepers or, with additional training, budget analysts.
Accountant
Accountants keep records of financial activities for individuals, corporations, banks, government agencies and many other types of organizations. They may use receipts, invoices, bank statements, inventory, cashbooks, payroll stubs and investment records in order to collect financial data which is then integrated into reports for management, investors or other parties. Accountants need to be fully familiar with tax law in the state in which they work. Accountants may work for individual companies, accounting firms, for the Internal Revenue Service or with other organizations. Accountants tend to specialize in one area, such as management or forensic accounting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), www.bls.gov, projects strong job growth in this field in coming years due to increased regulations for accounting oversight. The median annual income for accountants in 2004 was $50,770.
Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers gather raw data using a variety of receipts, invoices, orders, consignment documentation, bank statements, pay slips or tax bills. Their job is similar to that of accountants but more clerical in nature and generally involves fewer specialized skills. Bookkeepers tend to work for smaller, independent companies or other small-scale organizations, where they create and maintain records for all varieties of financial data, from accounts receivable and payable to payroll expenditures. The reports and ledgers produced by bookkeepers are often used by accountants to collect financial and tax data. The BLS predicts slower growth in this field than in most others in coming years, mostly because of increased office automation. Bookkeepers earned a median of $28,570 in 2004.
Budget Analyst
Budget analysts examine the use and allocation of financial resources within a company or organization to help management personnel make informed decisions regarding budget creation and forecasting. They advise in the creation of yearly and other budgets, using data and expertise in financial matters to assist planners and managers in directing financial strategies. Many budget analysts work for government agencies, where they help to streamline programs and budgets to increase the efficiency of services. Budget analysts with master’s degrees will enjoy the best job opportunities in coming years, according to the BLS. Most budget analysts earned between $45,000 and $71,000 per year in 2004.
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