How to Become a Corporate Accountant

Jobs in corporate accounting are expected to grow much faster than most other industries between now and 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Overview & Salaries

The accounting field is lucrative with the median annual wage of corporate accountants coming in at $61,690, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 10% earn more than $106,880.

Corporate Accounting $61,690
Corporate Tax Accountant $46,000
Senior Corporate Accountant $71,000
Financial Accounting $62,450
Management Accounting $53,800
Fiduciary Accounting $79,800

Places to Work

When it comes to business careers you can practically chalk in the same top locations for careers every time. In accounting, as in much of life, it’s happening where the money is.

According to a study from Monster.com, the top 5 places to work in accounting work are:

  • New York, NY
  • Houston, TX
  • Boston, MA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Washington, DC

Employment and Information Data for Corporate Accounting

Why Corporate Accounting

While across the accounting industry professional careers can range from wide in scope to narrowly focused, the overriding theme in all accounting segments is each professional is trained and skilled in the ability to record and report financial information.

When it comes corporate accounting, these abilities are paramount in order to help sometimes vast organizations make sense of their overall financial view.

Recommended Corporate Accounting Courses

  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
  • Introduction to Accounting
  • Auditing
  • Financial Statement Analysis
  • Financial Modeling
  • U.S. Taxation Introduction
  • Securities Analysis
  • Mergers and Acquisitions

Degrees for Corporate Accounting Careers

There are many career levels available for the corporate accountant and educational opportunities often determine the initial level of positioning for these professionals. It makes sense that certified public accountants, or certified management accountant licensees and MBA’s with an accounting focus, will have more long-term opportunities than those with a few courses or accounting certificate on their resume.

Certificate
The certificate program is designed to introduce students to basic corporate accounting and auditing principles. Often these programs are a first step toward more advanced studies.

Associate’s Degree
The associate’s degree is typically a two-year program that provides a core foundation of corporate accounting and auditing principles. Many associate’s degree programs are offered in corporate accounting, a specialty area for those accountants looking to work in the corporate world.

Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree in accounting prepares students for successful careers in most major fields of accounting, including tax accounting, cost accounting, auditing and corporate accounting.

Graduate Certificate
For students and professionals already familiar with basic corporate accounting concepts, this graduate accounting certificate prepares individuals for professional level examinations at national and international professional bodies.

MBA
An MBA is practically the Golden Ticket toward a successful career in accounting. These wide-ranging programs offer students in-depth study of accounting principles with a well-rounded curriculum in all areas of business. A master’s focused on accountancy will also detail how the accounting professional role fits into an organizations overall financial picture.

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