Career Overview
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.
Also Known As
- Accountant
- Auditor
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Financial Auditor
Alternate Job Titles
- Account Auditor
- Accountant
- Accounting Associate
- Accounting Auditor
- Accounting Consultant
- Accounting Methods Analyst
- Accounting Officer
- Accounting Systems Analyst
- Asset Analyst
- Audit Associate
- Audit Partner
- Auditor
- Auditor-In-Charge
- Bank Accountant
- Budget Accountant
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
- Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
- Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
- Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
- Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
- Confer with company officials about financial and regulatory matters.
- Examine and evaluate financial and information systems, recommending controls to ensure system reliability and data integrity.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Economics and Accounting
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Mathematical Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Independence
- Recognition
- Relationships
- Support
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Alteryx software
- Epic Systems
- Google Docs
- Google Sheets
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Intuit QuickBooks
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
Tools & Equipment
- 10-key calculators
- Computer data input scanners
- Desktop computers
- Laptop computers
- Laser facsimile machines
- Notebook computers
- Personal computers
- Personal digital assistants PDA
- Photocopying equipment
- Scanners
- Tablet computers
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $52,780 |
| Median | $81,680 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $141,420 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 1,448,290
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
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Financial Examiners
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Treasurers and Controllers
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Tax Preparers
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Financial Managers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $161,700
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.