A career in accounting is all about numbers. It is an in-demand occupation vital in businesses as an accountant maintains financial records and reports transactions to various agencies.
When you think about an accountant’s job, do you picture them sitting behind a desk in the far corner of the office, staring at a screen all day? While they do use a computer for many of their day-to-day activities, there is so much more to an accountant in their professional role.
Here are the nine different types of accounting jobs:
Type #1: Staff accountant jobs
This general accounting position is considered a mid-level position between a junior accountant and a senior accountant. In this role, you will perform account analysis and reconciliation on bank statements and review general ledger accounts.
Maintaining payroll records, cash management and preparing financial statements also fall into the duties of a staff accountant. Some staff accountants begin their roles in a contractual position. They begin by taking on contract accounting jobs before settling into a more permanent role.
Type #2: CPA jobs
Certified public accountants are experts and do so much more than the books. They assist business owners in their financial matters and are trusted advisors.
They also help companies meet their financial goals and organize accounting records, taxes and financial strength. This is an upper-level accountant with a high level of experience and skill.
Type #3: Auditor jobs
This accounting professional is brought into companies to conduct annual audits and ensure all financial records are up to date and accurate. This type of accounting job involves appraising, confirming, and compiling documents to ensure they stay within legal frameworks.
In addition, an auditor inspects account books and systems. They also provide recommendations for improvement. Auditors can specialize in different industries and use their skill set to offer advice on improving systems due to their evaluation.
Type #4: Forensic accountant jobs
A forensic accounting career is in law enforcement, and your role is to investigate fraud. Forensic accountants use their analytical and accounting skills to audit a company’s financial records, adhere to various government regulations and look for commission, omission, or fraud errors.
You will act as a witness in a court of law for misappropriation and deception cases, giving your expert legal options. You must be very detail-oriented as your reports are examined and scrutinized by judges, lawyers and jurors.
Type #5: Project accountant jobs
In this role, you focus your work on a project-by-project basis, overseeing all project areas from cost, expense approval, invoices, approving billable hours and maintaining budgets.
You will work with project managers, so teamwork and interpersonal skills are assets. Projects span from product development and launch to business expansion and facility construction.
Type #6: Controller jobs
This is an accountant supervisory position where you are in charge of the accounting department. You oversee day-to-day accounting functions to ensure all systems run efficiently, with correctly completed work tasks. Other duties include:
- Tax compliance
- Payroll
- Budget preparation
- General ledger
- Maintaining financial records
You are integral to a company’s financial health and will guide upper management on the firm’s financial decisions.
Type #7: CFO jobs
Becoming a chief financial officer is a high-level management position. Duties will vary depending on the company and industry, but you will be responsible for managing a company’s financial operations.
This type of accounting job is a senior position. The role has you tracking cash flow, implementing revenue strategies, accessing risk and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the company’s finances. Ultimately, you oversee all aspects of a company’s financial success. Your training and education may include becoming a CPA and an MBA.
Type #8: Consultant jobs
Consultants help businesses grow by evaluating a company’s profitability, executing reliable practices, and making crucial tax decisions. You will work closely with your clients to help them understand the implications of how they do their accounting and guide them inside the law so they don’t get into trouble.
A company benefits greatly from an outside accounting professional who approaches the firm without bias. Their sole goal is to offer their knowledge, so their clients keep their records and reporting accurate.
Type #9: Tax accountant jobs
A tax accountant specializes in taxation. This involves inspecting a company’s books, establishing payable taxes to the government, completing tax returns and making sure tax payments are made promptly.
Government tax laws change all the time, so they must update their knowledge constantly to help their clients understand these changes. They are tax specialists and can work for a company, holding and in-house position, work for payroll service providers, accounting firms, or be self-employed and put their shingle out to gain clients.
General responsibilities include:
- Examining financial statements
- Organizing financial records
- Creating budget plans
- Inspecting accounting systems
- Communicating with clients
- Computing taxes
Becoming an accountant gives you a wide field of opportunities to pursue. Beyond specific accounting positions, your skillset transfers to many other careers. Accounting is a strategic path to a rewarding life in finance.
