How To Become An Auditor/Consultant: What It Is and Career Path

What is an auditor/consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

As an auditor, your will perform operational and financial audits, internal control reviews, and consulting projects for your clients. You may either work independently or assist senior auditors with portions of more complex audits. You will have a vast knowledge of various aspects of the industry in which you specialize to address significant business risks - professional standards, industry best practices, and other audit tools and techniques.

As an auditor you will evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the accounting structures and business systems of companies. You will perform internal control and risk assessments, prepare paperwork that outlines this performance, and draft formal reports that recommend improvements for more efficiency and profitability in the current company structure. Essential skills required to complete these tasks successfully are attention to detail, statistical, analytical, communication, and leadership.

To qualify to work as an auditor, you will need a bachelor's degree in accounting, although a master's degree will be given preference. Moreover, work experience of two or more years is required, along with certifications you will gain with experience, which will give you an advantage over other candidates. The average hourly pay for this position is $36.81, which amounts to more than $76,000 annually. Auditing is expected to grow in the near future and create new opportunities.

ScoreAuditor/ConsultantUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,335

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%

Asian 12.15%

Black or African American 8.79%

Hispanic or Latino 11.13%

Unknown 3.97%

White 63.51%

Gender

female 42.13%

male 57.87%

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

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an auditor/consultant

Explore auditor/consultant education requirements

Most common auditor/consultant degrees

Bachelor's

71.8 %

Master's

16.8 %

Associate

7.1 %

Start to develop specific auditor/consultant skills

Skills	Percentages
Internal Audit	11.90%
CPA	10.35%
Sarbanes-Oxley	6.53%
Healthcare	6.40%
Project Management	4.76%

Complete relevant auditor/consultant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New auditor/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 auditor/consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real auditor/consultant resumes.

Research auditor/consultant duties and responsibilities

Manage team of external audit consultants who are assign to the team to perform SOX and other regulatory relate test work.
Demonstrate work assessment and supervise the Midwest ISO in implementing a process driven model to achieve compliance against current energy tariff.
Gain experience working with Japanese SOX (JSOX) clients by interviewing senior management and identifying key controls and control gaps.
Conduct Sarbanes-Oxley reviews in the entertainment industry.

Prepare your auditor/consultant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your auditor/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 auditor/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 auditor/consultant resume templates

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