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Accounting

Types of Degrees Accounting Majors Are Earning

Those studying Accounting have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3,885
Associate’s Degree	10,324
Bachelor’s Degree	40,816
Master’s Degree	26,233
Doctor’s Degree	43

What Accounting Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Accounting build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Accounting graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Accounting emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Economics and Accounting — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Accounting program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Accounting careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Accounting graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Accounting professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Yardi software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Accounting graduates include:

• Revenue Audit Clerk
• Accounting Associate
• Chart Changer
• Wheelage Clerk
• Chart Clerk
• Chart Calculator
• Securities Clerk
• Margin Clerk
• Account Administrator
• Cost Accountant
• Tax Specialist
• Tax Professional
• Tax Associate
• Credit Risk Analyst
• Securities Consultant

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Accounting graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	42.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	14.2%
Master’s degree	9.8%
Some college courses	9.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.6%
Doctoral degree	4.7%
Postsecondary certificate	3.7%
First professional degree	3.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Accounting?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58% women and 42% men among Accounting graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	47,442	58.0%
Men	34,393	42.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Accounting graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	44,372	54.2%
Asian	7,098	8.7%
Hispanic or Latino	14,666	17.9%
Black or African American	6,688	8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	469	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	244	0.3%
Two or More Races	2,475	3.0%
Race Unknown	2,973	3.6%
International Students	2,850	3.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Accounting Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Accounting graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$57,191
4 years	$61,213
5 years	$69,643

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,643 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Accounting Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Accounting. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	293	130
Bachelor’s	192	154
Master’s	178	93
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Accounting Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Accounting graduates earn a median of $61,213 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Business Management Marketing Sales	52
Business Administration, Management and Operations	52.02
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	52.04
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other	52.99
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES	52.00
Business/Commerce, General	52.01
Business/Corporate Communications	52.05
Business/Managerial Economics	52.06
Construction Management	52.20
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	52.07
Finance and Financial Management Services	52.08
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations	52.18

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.