Question 1

Auditor vs. Accountant

Accepted Answer

An auditor is a financial professional that verifies the work accountants do, while an accountant is a professional that keeps financial records for an individual or company.

Auditors come after accountants have performed their financial record keeping. They examine documents and other information prepared by accountants to ensure they are giving an accurate picture of a company's financial situation. Auditors verify that these financial statements are assembled in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Question 2

How long does it take to become an Auditor?

Accepted Answer

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become an auditor. That is the time it takes to learn specific auditor skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become an auditor.

Question 3

How many years does it take to become an auditor?

Accepted Answer

It usually takes more than four years to become an auditor due to the requirements for training or schooling and expected work experience to become certified.

Most auditor positions require at least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. Some employers prefer those with a master's degree, either in accounting or business administration, with a concentration in accounting.

Question 4

How to become an accountant without a degree

Accepted Answer

You must seek to become an auditing clerk, accounting assistant, accounting clerk, or bookkeeper in order to become an accountant without a degree. Nearly all other accounting jobs require a bachelor's degree or the passing of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.

Question 5

Is auditing a hard job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, auditing can be a hard job due to its critical responsibility of reviewing financials to make sure it corresponds to regulations and legal standards.

In general, it can be nerve-wracking to ensure everything is lawful when it comes to jobs that handle money. The best auditors typically have excellent analytical and decision-making skills to spot inaccuracies of financial statements and resolve financial issues.

Question 6

Is it hard to be an auditor?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it can be hard to be an auditor due to its critical responsibility of reviewing financials to comply with regulations and legal standards.

In general, it can be nerve-wracking to ensure everything is lawful when it comes to jobs that handle money. The best auditors typically have excellent analytical and decision-making skills to spot inaccuracies of financial statements and resolve financial issues.

Question 7

What are careers in auditing?

Accepted Answer

Auditors, tax accountants, and consultants are careers in auditing. Auditors review the accounts of companies and other organizations to ensure their financial records are correct and in line with the law. They could be inspecting the accounts of their employer or those of another organization.

Question 8

What degree do you need to be an auditor?

Accepted Answer

You need at least an associate's degree in accounting to be an auditor. You must be proficient in the use of databases and spreadsheets. Good communication skills and a deep understanding of economics and finance are important.

Question 9

What is the career path for an auditor?

Accepted Answer

The career path for an auditor includes jobs as a junior auditor, a senior auditor, and an internal audit manager. Before beginning work, auditors need to have completed a bachelor's degree in accounting and hold both a CPA license and a CIA license. Many auditors first work as accountants before transitioning into being auditors.

Question 10

What qualifications do you need to be an auditor?

Accepted Answer

The qualifications you need to be an auditor are typically postsecondary education and certifications.

Most auditor positions require at least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. Some even gain practical experience through summer or part-time internships with public accounting or business firms.

Question 11

What is a good starting salary for an Auditor?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for an auditor is $36,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for an auditor in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for auditors is $59,273, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for an auditor can vary by state.

Question 12

How much do auditors get paid an hour?

Accepted Answer

Auditors get paid about $27 an hour. Overall, they can make $4,682 per month or $56,000 per year.

As most jobs go, factors like location, industry, and experience can determine your exact pay. On the lower end of the salary range, they can make about $37,000, typically for entry-level positions or for low-paying states like Montana. On the higher end, they can earn about $83,000, typically for senior-level positions.

Question 13

Is auditor a good job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, an auditor is a good job considering its career stability and high salary possibilities. It's also a plus if you enjoy dealing with finances.

As most jobs go, factors like location, industry, and experience can determine your exact pay, but on average, auditors make $56,000 yearly ($4,682 monthly or $27 hourly).

Question 14

Can an auditor make 100k?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can make $100,000 per year as an auditor. The chances of earning over $100k for an auditor are actually pretty good because the highest-paid auditor positions typically pay at least $96,000 per year. The average annual salary is $59,273 for auditor jobs. For example, auditors in New Jersey whose salaries are in the 90th percentile earn an average salary of $132,000.

Question 15

Do auditors get paid well?

Accepted Answer

Yes, auditors can get paid well. On average, they make $56,000 yearly ($4,682 monthly or $27 hourly).

As most jobs go, factors like location, industry, and experience can determine your exact pay. On the lower end of the salary range, they can make about $37,000, typically for entry-level positions or for low-paying states like Montana. On the higher end, they can earn about $83,000, typically for senior-level positions.

Question 16

How to answer the "why auditing" interview question?

Accepted Answer

When answering the "why auditing" question in an interview, it is important to convey your passion for auditing work and how familiar you are with the practices of the work.

This question enables the interviewer to understand what motivates you and gives you the opportunity to communicate your specific reasons for pursuing this particular profession. It also gives the interviewer a good initial baseline of your practical auditing knowledge.

Question 17

Is auditing a stressful job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, auditing can be a stressful job due to its critical responsibility of reviewing financials to make sure it corresponds to regulations and legal standards.

In general, it can be nerve-wracking to ensure everything is lawful when it comes to jobs that handle money. The best auditors typically have excellent analytical and decision-making skills to spot inaccuracies of financial statements and resolve financial issues.

Question 18

What are the qualifications of an auditor?

Accepted Answer

The qualifications of an auditor are education, training and professional experience, and certifications. An auditor is a financial professional that verifies the work accountants do.

Auditors come into play after accountants have performed their financial record keeping. They examine documents and other information prepared by accountants to ensure they are giving an accurate picture of a company's financial situation. Auditors verify that these financial statements are assembled in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Here are more details on the qualifications of an auditor:

Education

Most companies with auditor roles require at least a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or another related area for the position. Some companies also prefer candidates with master's degrees in accounting or business administration (with an accounting concentration) for the position of auditor.

Coursework that should be completed during an aspiring auditor's college career includes financial accounting, accounting technology, taxation, auditing, business communication, and business law.

Certain universities and colleges also offer specific bachelor's and master's degree programs in auditing.

An advanced degree is not a requirement for an auditor, however, some states require advanced degrees or additional college credit hours to be considered eligible for certified public accountant certification. Graduate degrees can also help aspiring auditors get higher-level jobs with more earning potential.

Training and professional experience

The vast majority of newly hired auditors receive on-the-job training for a certain period of time. This is done under the supervision of seasoned auditors and other accounting professionals.

This is helpful for those new to the field because they can shadow a professional auditor and ask them questions that will help them to better understand how to perform their job properly. Depending on the company, the training period can be as long as a few months, a year, or in some cases, even longer.

Internship programs are also a great opportunity for aspiring auditors who are still in college or those that have just graduated. These will also give some hands-on experience with the different tasks an auditor performs. Sometimes these internship programs even result in a full-time paid role after their completion.

At the very least, there are great networking and resume-building opportunities for young auditors. Certain master's degree programs require internships as part of their graduation guidelines.

Certifications

Certifications represent a great qualification for auditors, as they prove they have expertise and ability in the field, as well as in accounting in general. There are several different certifications that are beneficial for auditors to obtain.

Here are some common certifications that help auditors:

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification

A CPA-holding auditor is a tax specialist. CPA certification is offered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). CPAs give invaluable counsel on how to reduce the amount of taxes a company or client will owe each year.

In addition, if a client is worried about a possible IRS audit, a CPA is adept at minimizing the chance of such an audit. And if the audit does occur, a CPA can represent the client. Many companies prefer auditors that have a CPA certification.

Nearly all states require CPA candidates to complete 150 semester hours of higher education coursework, and a couple of states allow several years of public accounting experience to substitute for a bachelor's or master's degree.

Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) offers the CIA certification for aspiring auditors who have graduated from accredited colleges with an associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree.

This certification requires passing a four-part test. Candidates with a master's degree must also possess one year of work experience as an auditor. Two years of professional auditor experience are required for those with a bachelor's degree, and five years of professional auditor experience for candidates with an associate degree.

Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP) certification

The CGAP certification is also offered by the IIA for auditing professionals with at least an associate degree who want to pursue work with a government agency.

After passing an exam, applicants qualify for the certification by meeting the necessary professional work experience requirements. This is one year for an auditor with a master's degree, two years for an auditor with a bachelor's degree, and five years for an auditor with an associate's degree.

Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA) certification

The CFSA is an IIA certification for auditors with at least an associate degree who are pursuing work in the financial services field.

This certification requires the candidate to pass a test while also meeting the professional experience requirements. Same as the CIA and CGAP, it's one year for those with a master's degree, two years for those with a bachelor's degree and five years for those with an associate's degree.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification

The ISACA offers the CISA certification for professional auditors who audit, control, monitor and evaluate a company's, businesses, or agency's information technology and business systems. Candidates must pass an exam and have five years of professional experience auditing information systems to earn this certification.

Auditing skills

Auditors utilize many different skills in their field of work. Many can be gained through education in accounting and auditing, while some can only be gained from professional experience in the industry.

Here are some of the most common and essential skills for auditors that make them qualified:

Analytical skills. Auditors must have really strong analytical skills. They need them to identify issues in a company's financial documentation, and also to suggest proper and effective solutions to certain problems and issues.

This requires an auditor to examine documentation, information, and data and then analyze their organization's protocol to hone in on issues that might give way to liabilities. They then make suggestions for improvements to mitigate any liabilities.

Organization. Organizational skills are critical for auditors. They often work with a wide variety of financial paperwork for several clients. Keeping financial documents in order is essential in terms of accuracy and efficiency while performing auditing tasks.

Communication. These skills are also crucial for auditors; they often work in large departments at companies with many financial employees, including other auditors, accountants, and senior financial officials. Auditors must be able to communicate clearly, concisely, and confidently with colleagues.

In addition, auditors also need to be able to communicate effectively with their clients. Auditors need very good listening skills because they must carefully listen to clients, financial professionals, and other accountants regarding important information and concerns.

Auditors must also be able to discuss the results of their research and evaluations in both written reports and verbally in important work meetings.

Mathematical skills. Advanced mathematical skills are not required for auditors; however, they must be able to analyze, evaluate, compare, and interpret facts and data. This requires a solid background of knowledge in accounting and statistics.

Attention to detail. Auditors must be accurate and correct in the financial tasks they perform, as well as in documentation tasks. This is to ensure clients or companies avoid potential penalties and clearly comprehend potential problems and liabilities.

All auditors need to be detail-oriented professionals who are careful when researching, accumulating and examining financial documentation and other critical forms of information.

Question 19

What percentage of Auditors are female?

Accepted Answer

55.5% of auditors are female in the United States. This is -0.7 percentage points lower than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female auditors has decreased by -0.6 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 122,939 female auditors in the U.S. and 98,573 male auditors in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 221,512 people with the specific job title of auditor and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 20

What should an auditor put on a resume?

Accepted Answer

An auditor should put the standard sections on their resume, including a professional summary, work experience, and education sections.

The professional, or resume, summary works well for candidates with ample auditing experience. In this short paragraph, the inclusion of all relevant duties is important.

Question 21

What skills does an auditor need?

Accepted Answer

The skills that an auditor needs range from communication to technology. Because auditors work with both data and people, they must possess various developed work skills.

Communication is a critical skill for someone in the auditing profession. The complex data they analyze and extrapolate must be shared with others in a company. Being able to convey these complicated statistics to management in either verbal or written form is very important.

Question 22

What do entry-level auditors do?

Accepted Answer

Entry-level auditors examine financial records to ensure their accuracy and that they are completed in compliance with laws and regulations.

They scrutinize financial statements and accounting ledgers within a company or for individual clients.
They verify all transactions are properly documented and recorded.
Entry-level auditors assess the effectiveness of a company's internal controls.
They prepare reports on their findings, which can be used to improve management practices.
In some cases, they may also perform tax-related duties, such as verifying tax records and ensuring timely tax payments.

Question 23

What do auditors do on a daily basis?

Accepted Answer

An auditor reviews financial records, assesses internal controls, and prepares audit reports on a daily basis. The nature of their work requires attention to detail, analytical skills, and a thorough understanding of financial principles and regulations to ensure the accuracy and integrity of financial information. It's important to note, however, that an auditor's daily activities can vary depending on their specific role, employer, and industry.

Frequently asked questions about auditors

Questions about becoming an auditor

Auditor vs. Accountant

How long does it take to become an Auditor?

How many years does it take to become an auditor?

How to become an accountant without a degree

Is auditing a hard job?

Is it hard to be an auditor?

What are careers in auditing?

What degree do you need to be an auditor?

What is the career path for an auditor?

What qualifications do you need to be an auditor?

Questions about auditor salaries

What is a good starting salary for an Auditor?

How much do auditors get paid an hour?

Is auditor a good job?

Questions about auditor jobs

Can an auditor make 100k?

Do auditors get paid well?

How to answer the "why auditing" interview question?

Is auditing a stressful job?

Questions about auditor certification

What are the qualifications of an auditor?

Questions about auditor demographics

What percentage of Auditors are female?

Questions about auditor resume

What should an auditor put on a resume?

What skills does an auditor need?

Questions about auditor what they do

What do entry-level auditors do?

What do auditors do on a daily basis?