Career Options as a CPA

The CPA credential opens doors in every kind of business and there are many fields available for CPAs from which to choose. And, one of the best parts about being a CPA is that you can to combine your interests and talents with accounting to find your ideal career path!

The following are the four major areas of accounting in which a CPA can choose to work:

• Public Accounting
  In public accounting, CPAs work for a firm servicing various clients.  Business consulting, tax work, financial planning, accounting, and auditing all fall under public accounting. You can choose to work in a large or small firm, or even start your own firm and be your own boss!
• Education
  Be an integral force in inspiring students to pursue the many career opportunities of a CPA – you can make a difference!  Some career possibilities include becoming a teacher, professor, dean, or researcher.
• Industry
  CPAs in industry work for specific companies or corporations. Careers in industry offer a wide range of potential – be the controller for your favorite sports team, work as an internal auditor of a national corporation, or be part of a team of CPAs charting the financial future of a well-known fashion magazine.
• Government
  CPAs are needed in all levels of government – federal, state and local. You can be the financial expert in a governmental agency, or even work for the FBI!

New areas or niches in accounting open up all the time.  Some exciting emerging fields in accounting include:  

• Forensic Accounting
  Forensic accountants focus on providing the detective work needed to investigate and examine evidence of white-collar financial crimes such as embezzlement and fraud. Often they act as expert witnesses in legal proceedings and prepare evidence to be presented in court.
• Information Technology Services
  Businesses often seek individuals who can design and implement advanced software systems for custom needs. CPAs who possess strong IT skills can work with e-commerce ventures and consult with others to determine what decisions are the most financially and technologically sound for a company. 
  
• Environmental Accounting
  CPAs involved in environmental accounting look into how companies can be both profitable and environmentally responsible. They can work on everything from environmental compliance audits to setting up preventative systems to ensure compliance and avoid future claims or disputes. 
• International Accounting
  International accountants help businesses function in a new world economy.  They have expertise in the areas of international trade rules and regulations, international mergers, government regulations and tax laws, and overseas transactions. CPAs who work in this area very often travel abroad and have multilingual fluency. 
• Assurance Services
  CPAs working in assurance services provide information that is designed to improve the quality of information used in making business decisions.  CPAs provide assurance to clients about economic issues in areas such as the integrity of the Internet and online purchasing (WebTrust) or advise clients on long-term financial plans for themselves and aging relatives (ElderCare). 
• Entertainment
  In the fast-paced world of entertainment, accounting knowledge is crucial to financial success. CPAs are valuable resources to the music industry serving as personal consultants to musicians, working with music publishers, promoters, venues, and manufacturers. They can also serve a wide variety of functions in other entertainment outlets such as television and movies, theater, media, fashion, and in professional sports. 
• Personal and Financial Planning
  Of the variety of services CPAs provide, a key role is that of business advisor.  More and more, people are relying on the advice and knowledge of a CPA to manage their finances most effectively and to keep them from making bad financial decisions. CPAs involved in financial planning provide tax and investment advice, retirement advice, help people start and run businesses, buy homes and plan for college expenses. 
• Not-For-Profit
  Many CPAs make a rewarding career out of working for a cause or group that's meaningful to them. Non-for-profit groups don't generate large budgets, so they need to maintain a strict financial balance. A CPA can work from within the organization or as an outside consultant, on anything from assisting in a fund raising campaign to creating a new budget resource.
• Consulting Services
  Consultants may provide any number of specialty services for a company, including performance management (using broad business knowledge to consult on improving a company's operations, both financial and strategic), corporate financial planning, and creating strategy and operations plans for new e-businesses.  Often CPA consultants have their own firms and businesses.  

Find more information on CPA career paths.