subject: Wages For Auditors [print this page] The added professional credibility of having a CPA license translates into more money in the paycheck envelope.
According to the website, Payscale.com, a CPA can make more than $25,000 more per year than an accountant with the same education and experience. For purposes of comparison, Chris and Terry both graduated from UCLA and both work in a public accounting firm with 50 employees in Los Angeles.
According to Payscale.com, here is what happens to their salary ranges: 1 yr. Exp.CPAAccountantDifference5 yrs. Exp.CPAAcct. Difference high$63,393 570716322high842685901325255 average51043468214222average663804907817302 low37021315635458low482143613412080
With only one year of work experience and the same degree, Chris the CPA can make as much as $6,322 more per year than Terry the Accountant. When both have five years of work experience, Chris the CPA can make as much as $25,255 more than Terry.
In the business world, Chris the CPA will have many more opportunities to progress into management. As time goes on, Terry's career may stagnate because most firms require a CPA license before one moves into management. If Terry wants to open a private practice, being a CPA is almost required. Since we are exploring the world of salary statistics, here are the average income figures for all the CPAs in the US in 2008: May 2008 BLS Statistics: Median
Income for all CPAs in the US: $59,430 Top 10% of CPAs in the US earn: $102,380+ "According to a salary survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor's degree candidates in accounting received starting offers averaging $48,993 a year in July 2009; master's degree candidates in accounting were offered $49,786 initially"). Interested in a career as a Certified Public Accountant? Read on! Each of the 54 jurisdictions which offers the CPA Exam has its own qualifications for sitting for the exam.
If you would like a free evaluation of your transcript and work experience to see which state(s) you might be eligible to sit for the CPA Exam in, contact Leslie-Anne Rogers at Because each jurisdiction has its own qualifications, you might not qualify in New York but you may qualify to sit for the Colorado exam. In California, the requirements are:
*A bachelor's degree; *24 semester units in accounting-related subjects; *24 semester units in business-related subjects; *150 semester units (or 225 quarter units) of education; *Passing the Uniform CPA Exam; *One year of general accounting experience supervised by a CPA with an active license; and *Passing an ethics course.
