Accounting
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Types of Degrees Accounting Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many accounting graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 51,042 |
Master’s Degree | 18,187 |
Basic Certificate | 13,126 |
Associate Degree | 11,525 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 4,263 |
Graduate Certificate | 1,091 |
Doctor’s Degree | 31 |
What Accounting Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to accounting and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Accounting Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in accounting should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Skills for Accounting Majors
When studying accounting, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:
- 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.
- 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.
Abilities for Accounting Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a accounting student include the following:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a Accounting Major?
People with a accounting degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Accountants | 10.0% | $70,500 |
Auditors | 10.0% | $70,500 |
Bioinformatics Technicians | 9.3% | $48,330 |
Brokerage Clerks | 5.0% | $51,400 |
Budget Analysts | 6.5% | $76,220 |
Business Professors | 18.0% | $83,960 |
Credit Analysts | 8.3% | $71,520 |
Financial Analysts | 10.8% | $85,660 |
Financial Examiners | 9.7% | $80,180 |
Financial Managers, Branch or Department | 18.7% | $127,990 |
Statistical Assistants | 9.3% | $48,330 |
Tax Preparers | 10.7% | $39,390 |
Treasurers and Controllers | 18.7% | $127,990 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of accounting majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 4,301 |
Black or African American | 3,505 |
Hispanic or Latino | 7,201 |
White | 29,842 |
International Students | 2,917 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 3,276 |
Geographic Diversity
Accounting appeals to people across the globe. About 5.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- South Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Vietnam
- Taiwan
How Much Do Accounting Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting was $46,292 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $42,381 (25th percentile) and $51,705 (75th percentile).
Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a accounting degree.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $50,110 to $90,310 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to accounting. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Accounting
Some careers associated with accounting require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for accounting careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 0.5% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 14.4% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 3.9% |
Some College Courses | 9.6% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 8.4% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 40.0% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 3.2% |
Master’s Degree | 13.8% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.3% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 0.6% |
Doctoral Degree | 5.7% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 0.1% |
Online Accounting Programs
In 2020-2021, 2,151 schools offered a accounting program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 645 | 184 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 18 | 5 |
Associate’s Degree | 1,022 | 278 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 185 | 65 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 634 | 146 |
Post-Master’s | 22 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 24 | 1 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Accounting Worth It?
The median salary for a accounting grad is $78,820 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 98% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $778,400 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Accounting
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Majors Related to Accounting
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to accounting.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Business Administration & Management | 416,590 |
Finance & Financial Management | 57,778 |
General Business/Commerce | 56,042 |
Marketing | 52,916 |
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods | 43,382 |
Human Resource Management | 28,787 |
Business Support & Assistant Services | 19,119 |
Hospitality Management | 17,689 |
Management Information Systems | 13,680 |
Entrepreneurial Studies | 11,319 |
International Business | 9,101 |
Real Estate | 6,547 |
General Sales & Marketing | 5,923 |
Business/Managerial Economics | 5,667 |
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing | 5,191 |
Other Business, Management & Marketing | 4,822 |
Construction Management | 3,846 |
Insurance | 1,809 |
Taxation | 1,547 |
Business/Corporate Communications | 1,029 |
Telecommunications Management | 55 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Pixabay under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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