Job Outlook through 2028

Employment Current: 57,540
Employment Projected: 61,020
Percentage Change: 6.0%

Education/Training

• Most accountant and auditor positions require at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field. Some employers prefer to hire applicants who have a master’s degree, either in accounting or in business administration with a concentration in accounting.

Sample Job Titles

• Accountant
• Accounting Manager
• Accounting Officer
• Accounting Supervisor
• Business Analyst
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Cost Accountant
• General Accountant
• Project Accountant
• Staff Accountant

Duties

• Develop, maintain, and analyze budgets, preparing periodic reports that compare budgeted costs to actual costs.
• Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
• Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
• Prepare adjusting journal entries.
• Establish tables of accounts and assign entries to proper accounts.

Skills

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Average Wages in PA

Entry Level: $45,170
Average: $70,420
Experienced: $120,200

Learn More at O*NET Online: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2011.01