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Accounting Careers

Bookkeeping, accounting, auditing, and payroll clerks are most often found in entry level positions, working their way into more advanced careers.  Due to increased technology, professionals in the accounting field are becoming more efficient and often times are able to take on more than one assignment.  Payroll is an accounting position often combined with other fields.  Payroll clerks are responsible for figuring pay, and subtracting any taxes, contributions to retirement or insurance, and savings plans from employees’ gross incomes.  These clerks monitor timecards for calculation or coding errors, and issue adjustments to correct any mistakes previously made.  They often advise with tax withholdings as well as other mandatory deductions.  Bookkeepers are responsible for posting financial transactions, including debits and credits, keeping track of all cash, payments, and receivables, making purchases, and/or occasionally handling payroll or preparing invoices.  Auditing clerks confirm records that have been posted by others.  If an error is found in these records, they either correct the errors or note them for others to fix. 

Accountants and auditors handle the more difficult parts of financial tasks.  Public accountants may specialize in and/or manage accounting, auditing, taxing, or consulting.  Due to their flexibility, those with knowledge in multiple areas will most likely have more opportunities than those specializing in just one.  Forensic accountants work together with law enforcement and lawyers to investigate and interpret embezzlement, bankruptcies, contract disputes, and money laundering.  Government accountants and auditors are responsible for maintaining and examining government agency records, and auditing private businesses that must follow government regulations.  Those employed by Federal, State, or local governments must ensure that revenues and expenditures are prepared following regulations. 

For an entry level clerk position, a minimum of a high school diploma is necessary, while some companies request an Associate’s degree.  It is rare that a degree is required therefore numerous candidates enter these positions in order to obtain on the job experience and work themselves into a higher level position.  Most training is received informally, or in classes offered by the company or organization.  To become an accountant or auditor, a Bachelor’s degree is usually the only prerequisite.  The traditional four years of college education may be decreased with an equal combination of work experience and schooling.  Certification is often an advantage in either venue.  To become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), 150 hours of college course work must be completed (it may be more or less depending on each state) before attempting a two day, four part examination.  Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) must complete very similar steps.  Those pursuing a CIA career must receive a Bachelor’s Degree, have two years of internal auditing experience, and pass the two day, four part examination.  As with CPA testing, they are not required to pass all four parts at once.  At least two parts must be passed in order to achieve partial credit, and the accounting candidates are able to retake the other parts within an assigned period of time.  It is projected that accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing clerk positions will grow slower than average through 2014, while payroll clerks will grow with the average and accountants and auditors will grow faster than average.  Although each position is closely related to the others, the changes in availability will be based upon technological advances and the growing industry.  Technology tends to make clerks more efficient, so finding jobs may become more difficult due to increased automation.  As the government continues to increase laws and regulations in accounting practices, there will continue to be a need for accountants and auditors knowledgeable in these laws and regulations. 

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