Accounting salaries

From Wikicpa

A career in accounting provides individuals with a competitive entry-level salary and long-term growth potential--particularly those who have earned CPA certification.

According to the Robert Half 2006 Salary Guide, public accounting salaries ranged from $35,500 - $47,000 (small firm) to $42,750 - $60,000 (large firm) for individuals with one to three years of experience. Individuals with a master's degree and/or CPA certification earned up to ten percent more. Within business and industry those with one to three years experience in accounting positions earned salaries ranging from $34,250 - $43,000 (small company) to $39,000 - $50,250 (large company). Individuals with a master's degree earn 10 percent more on average, those with the CPA certification earned 10 percent more on average.

As for long-term growth potential, starting salaries for partners in public accounting firms averaged around $175,000 and can rise well into the six figure range depending on their experience and the size of the firm Directors can expect salaries of $85,500 - $130,000 (large firms), $76,750 - $111,000 (medium firms), and $71,500 - $90,250 (small firms). Managers can earn salaries of $70,250 - $95,000 (large firms), $66,500 - $83,250 (medium firms), and $60,000 - $72,500 (small firms).

Within business and industry, chief financial officers and treasurers can expect salaries ranging from $85,250 - $113,750 (company with up to $50 million in sales) to $244,500 - $347,250 (company with more than $500 million in sales). At this level, bonuses and incentives reflect an increasingly large part of pay. Salaries for corporate controllers range from $61,250 - $75,500 (company with up to $50 million in sales) to $107,000 - $149,250 (company with more than $500 million in sales). Salaries for corporate managers range from $66,000 - $87,250 (company with up to $50 to $250 million in sales) to $79,750 - $115,250 (company with more than $250 million in sales).

Although Robert Half does not compile salary data for accountants in government, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) ( www.jobweb.org ) publishes a quarterly newsletter that examines starting salaries for a wide range of professions. According to the Fall 2004 NACE Salary Survey, entry-level salaries for accounting positions in government averaged about $35,673* (federal government) and $36,223* (local/state government).

The information is based on a limited sample size.

Accounting educator salaries increase significantly as individuals advance. An annual study conducted by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) reveals the high, low, mean, median and mode salary ranges for accounting faculty based on status. Assistant accounting faculty received a mean salary of $93,500 from accredited colleges during the 2004-2005 academic year. The mean salary of associate accounting faculty was $94,100 at accredited colleges. Full accounting faculty received a mean salary of $114,000 from accredited colleges. Individuals with doctorates received higher salaries than those with other types of degrees.

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