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What is an accountant/consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.
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If you have a knack for numbers and figures, a career as an accounting/consultant can be both lucrative and rewarding. An accountant/consultant can work independently or for an organization and conduct financial forecasting, analyze financial statements, and determine the profitability of a company.

Most accounting/consultants have a bachelor's or an associate's degree in accounting, finance, or business and should have a comprehensive knowledge of finances, tax laws, and accounting software.

Although an advanced degree is not needed to become an accountant/consultant, competency in math is essential, as well as excellent computational, analytical, and communication skills. An accountant/consultant can make up to $60,000 annually, and the career field is expected to grow 6% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to an Accountant/Consultant?

Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.Stephen Moehrle Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Professor and Chairman of Accounting, University of Missouri - St. Louis

It was a great time to be entering the accounting industry, before the pandemic. Our students were serving in internships in huge numbers and our graduates were enjoying 100% placement, usually with multiple offers. The entry-level professionals were entering a profession marked by emerging and evolving technologies that made even the entry-level duties especially interesting. Further, our tech-comfortable young professionals were experiencing quick advancement because of their ability to employ the new technologies.

Most of the above remains true so the only open question is job availability. It would be unrealistic to say things are great. However, it seems that job prospects for accounting majors will be better than for those of virtually every other entry-level profession during difficult times. I have been speaking with firm leaders across the spectrum of firms and most do intend to be on campus in the fall recruiting season. Of course, they have a lot of time to learn more about the economy over the next few months, but we are cautiously optimistic. Again, I am confident that whatever the state of job availability for young CPAs-to-be, prospects will be better for accounting graduates than virtually any other profession.

They will be entering the profession at a fascinating moment in time. Of course, the technological advances assure this regardless of economic conditions. However, there are business disruption-related issues that will provide rich opportunities for making a difference. For example, audit staff will be working with clients to see them through these troubling times. Lamentably, I fear that these young professionals will learn more about the going concern determination than they desire to know. Tax staff will help clients to optimally use the tax loss carrybacks and carryforwards that are arising by the day. Entry level professionals in corporate accounting will get a day-to-day front row seat in business management through crisis. While lamentable times, these are times when young professionals can make a difference that saves jobs.
ScoreAccountant/ConsultantUS Average
Salary
5.0

Avg. Salary $64,298

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.4

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%

Asian 12.18%

Black or African American 8.61%

Hispanic or Latino 10.95%

Unknown 3.96%

White 63.84%

Gender

female 52.89%

male 47.11%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress Level
5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.7

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Accountant/Consultant career paths

Key steps to become an accountant/consultant

  1. Explore accountant/consultant education requirements

    Most common accountant/consultant degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.2 %

    Associate

    11.3 %

    Master's

    10.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific accountant/consultant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Account Management17.00%
    Product Knowledge13.54%
    Strong Analytical12.89%
    Leveraged8.88%
    Customer Service8.17%
  3. Complete relevant accountant/consultant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New accountant/consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an accountant/consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real accountant/consultant resumes.
  4. Research accountant/consultant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage a staff of five to ensure their compliance with GAAP as well as best practices.
    • Manage company responsibilities for budgets, forecasting, payroll and accounts receivable.
    • Manage personnel financial matters including salaries, taxation procedures and other relate issues.
    • Select and run weekly check run, ACH payments, and foreign payments.
  5. Prepare your accountant/consultant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your accountant/consultant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an accountant/consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Accountant/Consultant Resume templates

    Build a professional Accountant/Consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Accountant/Consultant resume.
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  6. Apply for accountant/consultant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an accountant/consultant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Accountant/Consultant Job

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Average accountant/consultant salary

The average Accountant/Consultant salary in the United States is $64,298 per year or $31 per hour. Accountant/consultant salaries range between $47,000 and $86,000 per year.

Average Accountant/Consultant Salary
$64,298 Yearly
$30.91 hourly

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How do accountant/consultants rate their job?

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Accountant/Consultant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

all finance transactions preparing finance reporting and presenting the yearly report to the managers


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Cons

Business owners that do not know or understand compliance and GAAP, or the patience to follow the rules... generally common in small companies.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

It's an office job.

Cons

Everything else. Too much anxiety, debts, low sallary (€700/month).


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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