Do You Need a Degree to Be an Accountant?

Accountants review numbers, create reports, and prepare financial documents for businesses and individuals. It can be a rewarding career, and you can work in various fields and for different types of businesses. Although accountants work in almost every industry, you're most likely to find them in tax preparation and payroll services, finance and insurance, and governments.

As an accountant, you perform an important service for your employers and clients, which is one reason the demand for accountants is growing at a rate of six percent—about as fast as average—according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [1]. The organization expects companies will have more than 130,800 accountant jobs to fill through 2032 [1].

Do you need a degree to be an accountant?

You can call yourself an accountant without an accounting degree, but you will need at least a bachelor's degree before you can work as one. Depending on the accounting work you want, you may need a master's degree or professional credentials that can require additional study. This article will explore what it takes to enter the accounting profession and the fastest way to become an accountant.

What is the fastest way to become an accountant?

The fastest way to become an accountant is to start working for a company that does not require a certification or license. This may mean accepting an entry-level position in which you'll document financial transactions, prepare statements, and reconcile accounts. As you gain experience, you may find opportunities to advance to senior-level accounting and management positions.

If you plan to pursue a certification like Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you need to meet additional requirements, including work experience and additional coursework. Some states require a minimum of 150 credit hours, including 24 in accounting and 24 in business courses. In other states, you can take the CPA exam as long as you have a bachelor's degree. You can prove you took between 24 and 30 credit hours in accounting courses like taxation and auditing and around 24 in general business courses like marketing and business management. Typically, you can meet the licensing requirements in about five years.

Accounting degrees: What should I major in?

Accountants typically have a bachelor's degree in accounting or a similar field like finance or business. When choosing a major, consider the type of accounting work you want and the professional certifications you plan to pursue after graduation. This can help ensure you take the courses needed to qualify for a position or credential.

For example, if you want to be licensed as a CPA, consider a five-year program that combines a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in accounting. The coursework in these programs can help prepare you to take the CPA exam and qualify for licensing. Suppose you plan to work as a financial advisor. In that case, you may prefer finance as a major, and business administration with some additional accounting courses could be a good choice if you want to pursue accounting management positions.

Accounting jobs that don't require a degree

You can start working in accounting before you have a degree. Many of these jobs are entry-level positions, but they give you hands-on experience working with financial documents, accounting processes, and software commonly used in accounting.

Accounting assistant

As an accounting assistant, you may have a specific role, like accounts receivable clerk or payroll specialist—especially if you work in a large company. In a smaller company, you may handle tasks like recording and processing receivables, paying bills, creating invoices, preparing payroll, and keeping track of inventory. The company's accountant may ask for your help preparing end-of-period reports they use to prepare financial and tax reports.

Median salary: $45,659 [2]

Auditing clerk

Auditing clerks have the important task of ensuring a company's financial reports and documents are error-free. These documents must comply with corporate policy and federal and local laws governing financial recordkeeping. As an auditing clerk, you typically review these documents to verify the calculations, check postings, and make minor corrections before passing them on to the accountant.

Median Salary: $45,662 [2]

Bookkeeper

A bookkeeper oversees a company's financial records, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and bank statements. In this role, you will likely be responsible for tracking expenses, counting money received from customers, preparing invoices, and reconciling accounts. At a large company, you may have a specific role similar to an accounting assistant. At a smaller company, you may work as a full-charge bookkeeper, handling all of the accounting tasks.

Median Salary: $45,659.46 [2]

Loan officer

A loan officer matches clients with loans they need to purchase property like houses and vehicles. In this role, you'll meet with clients to review their financial history, discuss their loan options, and make sure their loans follow regulations. Although many loan officers have at least a bachelor's degree, you may be able to find work in the field if you have related experience. For example, an auto financing company may hire you as a loan officer (and provide some on-the-job training) if you have worked as a salesperson at a dealership.

Median Salary: $65,715 [3]

Payroll specialist

Payroll specialists are members of the human resources department responsible for ensuring employees receive the correct salary and wages. You may process timesheets, enter information like pay rates and deductions, and generate reports. Other duties can include processing and sending tax information to employees, tracking payments, and adjusting paychecks as needed. In this role, you may interact with management and employees and spend time answering questions about compensation.

Median Salary: $49,375 [4]

Tax preparer

As a tax preparer, you assist individuals with completing their tax returns — typically as a part-time or seasonal worker. To prepare for this role, you can enroll in a tax preparation training course offered by a tax preparation company. These courses cover important topics like who qualifies as a dependent, what counts as income, tax credits, and more. In addition to completing one of these programs, you'll need to get a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) from the IRS.

Median Salary: $49,616 [5]

Get started in accounting with Coursera

Start building your accounting skills through a course like the Introduction to Financial Accounting: The Accounting Cycle Specialization from the University of California, Irvine. This beginner-level program covers topics like accounting record-keeping and preparing financial documents. If you already have a bachelor's degree, you can pursue a graduate degree like a Master's of Accounting from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. Discover these courses and more on Coursera.