Business
What you can do with Accounting
Master the language of business: financial records, taxes, and auditing.
- Careers
- 8
- Early career
- $68,000
- Mid-career
- $97,000
- Growing fast
- 5 of 8
How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 8 careers an Accounting degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.
5 of 8 careers this degree leads to are projected to grow faster than average from 2024 to 2034. Of those, Accountant has the most openings, about 124,200 a year.
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8 careers this degree leads to
Financial Manager
$166,570Own the financial health of an organization: direct accounting, investments, reporting, and the strategy behind them.
- Middle half of workers
- $125,490 to $219,980
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 74,600
Work-life59Remote41- Financial Strategy
- Reporting
- Leadership
- Critical Thinking
Personal Financial Advisor
$105,070Help individuals plan investments, retirement, taxes, and insurance so their money supports the life they want.
- Middle half of workers
- $72,440 to $176,790
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 24,100
Work-life61Remote64- Financial Planning
- Investment Strategy
- Client Relationships
- Active Listening
Financial Analyst
$102,740Assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other investments to guide business decisions.
- Middle half of workers
- $79,290 to $133,340
- Growth
- Faster than average
- Openings a year
- 25,100
Work-life62Remote72Satisfaction73- Financial Modeling
- Data Analysis
- Investment Analysis
- Excel
Financial Examiner
$94,160Audit banks and financial institutions for solvency and legal compliance on behalf of regulators.
- Middle half of workers
- $70,660 to $129,600
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 5,700
Work-life62Remote73- Regulatory Examination
- Financial Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Budget Analyst
$91,640Build and police the budgets that keep organizations solvent, checking estimates for accuracy and compliance.
- Middle half of workers
- $75,320 to $114,220
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 3,100
Work-life64Remote66- Budgeting
- Forecasting
- Mathematics
- Attention to Detail
Accountant
$83,680Examine and prepare financial records, ensure accuracy, and ensure taxes are paid properly.
- Middle half of workers
- $67,020 to $109,810
- Growth
- Faster than average
- Openings a year
- 124,200
Work-life68Remote70Satisfaction65- Financial Analysis
- Tax Preparation
- Auditing
- Attention to Detail
Credit Analyst
$83,510Read financial statements to judge who can safely borrow, protecting lenders from bad risk.
- Middle half of workers
- $65,210 to $122,460
- Growth
- Declining
- Openings a year
- 3,700
Work-life59Remote73- Financial Statement Analysis
- Risk Modeling
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Cost Estimator
$78,740Price the work before it happens: estimate what construction projects and products will cost to build.
- Middle half of workers
- $61,150 to $101,850
- Growth
- Declining
- Openings a year
- 16,900
Work-life52Remote62- Cost Analysis
- Blueprint Reading
- Mathematics
- Bid Preparation
Related majors
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Where these pay figures come from
Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.