An accounting major seems pretty cut and dry; the course of study will prepare a person to handle all of the situations that they come across in a career in accounting. What may surprise some people is the fact that a degree in accounting can also prepare you for several other, even higher paying jobs than just preparing someone's taxes.



Public Accountant

This is the job that people most often associate with a degree in accounting. A public accountant is usually self-employed and extraordinarily busy during the months of March and April, preparing the tax returns for individuals, couples, families and small businesses. The downside of public accounting is that it is very seasonal in nature; aside from the first quarter of the year the workload can be very lean so many public accountants have other another type of job to subsidize their income.

Private Accountants

Private accounting is a good gig, you'll most likely have your own office and you'll spend your time working on only the books from only one company. As the private accountant you'll be in charge of organizing the books for the company so you have the opportunity to make your job easier by simply being more organized.

This is a full time type of position that often pays pretty well, but you'll be responsible for more than your public accounting counterparts. The business that you are employed by will be expecting a lot from you – you'll be filing the company returns, assuring that the books are kept up to date and in order, and you'll be responsible for helping the company to avoid many financial pitfalls that can occur without the proper dedication to the position.

With the added pressure of the position will often come with added reward – as a full time employee rather than being self-employed, you'll most likely be entitled to paid sick days, paid holidays, paid vacations and a host of other benefits.

Government Accountant

There are accountants at almost every level of government – township, city, county and federal. Government accountants work to oversee all allocations of funds and financial performance of wherever they happen to be in charge of. Usually the higher up in the chain of government, the more opportunities there are available for accountants. On the federal level accountants are needed for the IRS, the Department of Exchange, as well as in the Treasury.

Government positions often offer a good level of security, very competitive pay and an excellent benefits and retirement package. The level of competition for these positions can be very high because they are among the best jobs available in the accounting field.

Internal Audit

Internal Auditors can be responsible for implementing and conducting a corporation's financial strategy. This could include elements of general accounting, conducting audits and involvement in purchasing and loss prevention. Members of an internal audit team, if they perform well, will often have the opportunity to move up into areas financial planning or even upper management.

Internal Audit may very well have the most room for growth and advancement of any of the different careers that can come from a degree in accounting, which also means that there is one of the highest earning potentials among positions available to those with accounting degrees.

Don't be fooled into thinking that an accounting degree can only lead to filing taxes for people in April; a degree in accounting can lead you to many secure and highly profitable positions in all different types of fields. The preparation you'll receive from the accounting coursework can and will prepare you for types of jobs you may never have thought possible.