What You Need to Know About Accountant
Occupation Description Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain record of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within an organization.
What Do Accountants Do On a Daily Basis?
- Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
- Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
- Develop, maintain, and analyze budgets, preparing periodic reports that compare budgeted costs to actual costs.
- Advise management about issues such as resource utilization, tax strategies, and the assumptions underlying budget forecasts.
- Advise clients in areas such as compensation, employee health care benefits, the design of accounting or data processing systems, or long-range tax or estate plans.
- Analyze business operations, trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations to project future revenues and expenses or to provide advice.
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What Every Accountant Should Know
These are the skills Accountants say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Other Accountant Job Titles
- Accountant Manager
- Accounting Systems Analyst
- Asset Analyst
- Medical Accountant
- Bursar
Job Outlook for Accountants
There were about 1,397,700 jobs for Accountant in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 139,900 new jobs for Accountant by 2026. There will be an estimated 141,800 positions for Accountant per year.
The states with the most job growth for Accountant are Utah, Colorado, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Alaska, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Accountants Salary
The average yearly salary of an Accountant ranges between $43,650 and $122,840.
Accountants who work in District of Columbia, New York, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
How much do Accountants make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $70,310 |
Alaska | $82,920 |
Arizona | $69,190 |
Arkansas | $67,700 |
California | $84,430 |
Colorado | $82,320 |
Connecticut | $84,890 |
Delaware | $78,120 |
District of Columbia | $98,130 |
Florida | $71,790 |
Georgia | $75,930 |
Hawaii | $65,580 |
Idaho | $66,110 |
Illinois | $81,060 |
Indiana | $70,780 |
Iowa | $67,030 |
Kansas | $66,530 |
Kentucky | $67,080 |
Louisiana | $66,860 |
Maine | $70,810 |
Maryland | $82,610 |
Massachusetts | $81,460 |
Michigan | $74,370 |
Minnesota | $72,480 |
Mississippi | $62,850 |
Missouri | $70,240 |
Montana | $66,410 |
Nebraska | $67,920 |
Nevada | $66,600 |
New Hampshire | $72,690 |
New Jersey | $90,400 |
New Mexico | $66,370 |
New York | $96,300 |
North Carolina | $76,880 |
North Dakota | $61,870 |
Ohio | $72,370 |
Oklahoma | $73,040 |
Oregon | $71,450 |
Pennsylvania | $75,250 |
Rhode Island | $81,090 |
South Carolina | $64,750 |
South Dakota | $65,800 |
Tennessee | $69,690 |
Texas | $80,200 |
Utah | $70,980 |
Vermont | $75,360 |
Virginia | $85,640 |
Washington | $78,970 |
West Virginia | $68,160 |
Wisconsin | $68,410 |
Wyoming | $66,180 |
What Tools & Technology do Accountants Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Accountants:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Structured query language SQL
- Microsoft Dynamics
- IBM Notes
- Microsoft Publisher
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- Google Docs
- FileMaker Pro
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Intuit QuickBooks
Becoming an Accountant
Are there Accountants education requirements?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Accountants Work?
Below are examples of industries where Accountants work:
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those who work as an Accountant sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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