For those of you eager to jumpstart your career in accounting and business as soon as possible, obtaining an associate degree is a step in the right direction. Typically, it should take about two years to complete, though some of the best online associate in accounting degrees can be finished faster. By the end of it all, you will gain the core technical and conceptual skills needed to succeed in your chosen career path. The question remains then: What exactly can you do with an associate degree in accounting? Show
Explore This Page: Accounting Assistant | Accounting Receivable Clerk | Auditing/Bookkeeping Clerk | Payroll Clerk What Will an Associate Program in Accounting Teach You?Once you decide to embark on that associate program, you should understand the basic knowledge that will come with this degree. Knowing what you will be taught beforehand is vital as it will help you determine if an associate is appropriate for you rather than a bachelor's. Specific courses will, of course, vary depending on whatever school you attend. It is common, though, to see classes such as the following: Many courses will also be more technical-based, and those will change as current trends and technical programs evolve in the field. An associate in accounting is meant to help you build a sturdy career base, a foundation of sorts, so you can get your foot in the door. From there, you can look at prospective job offerings that will accept individuals with basic accounting knowledge.
Explore programs of your interests with the high-quality standards and flexibility you need to take your career to the next level. I Have an Associate Degree in Accounting: Now What?Many of the available jobs will be entry-level based. You can work for any companies that require care for their financial records and transactions, from government agencies to healthcare offices. Some job examples are followed below: You'll work with either a specific accountant or as part of a larger accounting department. Tasks will depend on who you work for. As an assistant for an individual accountant, you will do typical office duties, from answering phones to interacting with customers, in addition to handling financial statements and such. In larger departments, assistants can work on payroll, bookkeeping, collecting invoices, etc. You will be responsible for keeping tracks of payments organizations receive for either goods sold to or services offered to clients. This will have you preparing invoices to send out to buyers, and you'll also typically be responsible for settling any questions/discrepancies from a client and/or business. Receivable clerks also make deposits into a business's bank account. Auditing/bookkeeping clerkBookkeeping and auditing have been placed together as their jobs usually work in conjunction with one another. Both positions are responsible for managing financial records for either large or small organizations. Duties include producing reports, accuracy checking, entering financial transactions, etc. These positions require a lot of technical knowledge, considering you'll be working with software and spreadsheets. As a bookkeeper, you will be in charge of either some or all of an organization's general ledger. As an auditing clerk, you'll typically be ensuring that documents and figures are coded properly. Payroll clerkYou'll handle a variety of tasks concerning employee compensation. Usually, you will distribute paychecks, calculate wages, and maintain administrative records. Payroll clerks also monitor employee attendance such as reviewing time cards/sheets, vacation days, etc. Other Associate in Accounting Jobs
Although these are entry-level jobs, many, if not all of them, offer plenty of room to grow. With time and continued improvement in your skills, you can see yourself moving up in the accounting world with any of these positions and more. Featured Image: isayildiz / E+ / Getty Images An associate degree in accounting is a strong first step into the accounting field. Getting your associate degree in accounting can help open doors to entry-level positions that help you determine if a career in accounting is right for you. After gaining this foundational experience, you may wonder how far an associate degree can take you. Let’s look at which jobs you can pursue straight out of an associate program, and which roles will require additional education. Then you will find a roadmap that will help you pave the way for a successful long-term career in the accounting industry. What Can You Do with an Associate Degree in Accounting?An associate degree in accounting teaches the fundamental processes of accounting, such as tracking, monitoring and reporting financial information. These principles translate into the skills required for entry-level technical positions. Let’s look at eight jobs for professionals with an associate degree in accounting, as well as the median advertised salaries for these positions according to leading labor analytics firm EMSI.
If you want to move beyond administrative and clerical accounting roles, you will need to advance your education and skills. Ready to make your move in accounting? Gain insights for every career stage in our free Accounting Career Guide.What Careers Could I Pursue If I Level Up My Skills and Education?If your goal is to become a full-fledged accountant, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is required for staff accountant roles. For senior, management and leadership roles, a bachelor’s degree is a must and a master’s degree may be beneficial to set yourself apart. Here are four specialized accounting roles that require a bachelor’s degree:
Four Steps to Advance Your Career After Earning an Associate Degree in AccountingReady to climb the ladder in the accounting field? Let’s map out the next steps you need to take after earning your associate degree in accounting. Step 1: Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree in AccountingGetting your bachelor’s degree is the natural next step for associate degree holders looking for advancement opportunities. Earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting substantially increases your salary expectations. According to EMSI, the median advertised salary for accountants and auditors with a bachelor’s degree is $73.6K. Bachelor’s degree programs build on your baseline technical skills to prepare you to be a well-rounded professional who has the necessary hard and soft skills to succeed. There are two common bachelor's degree pathways for aspiring accountants:
Pro Tip: Look for programs that accelerate your time to graduation by allowing you to transfer credit from your associate degree into a bachelor’s degree program. Transfer-friendly universities, such as Franklin University, allow you to transfer up to 76% of the credits required to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Step 2: Gain Experience in a Staff-Level Accounting RoleAfter completing a bachelor’s degree program, it’s important to gain hands-on experience working as an accountant. Choose from working in public accounting—for firms that work for clients across industries to provide accounting services—or as an industry accountant that works for a single organization on an internal accounting team. Either path you choose will provide valuable experience that can set the trajectory for the rest of your career. Three benefits of gaining experience working in staff-level accounting roles:
Step 3: Consider Getting Your Master’s DegreeA master’s degree in accounting teaches you to think critically about big-picture accounting systems and processes, communicate more effectively, and leverage technology in new and innovative ways. In addition to showcasing your dedication and expertise, a master’s degree will also give you the chance to further specialize your skillset. Master’s degree programs may offer the opportunity to define a specific focus area, such as financial operations or taxation. For example, Franklin University offers two focus area options—taxation and financial operations. Step 4: Gain Advanced Accounting CredentialsIn the accounting field, moving to the management level and beyond may require advanced credentials. If you want to pursue a career in public accounting, a CPA license will be essential. Let’s examine two pathways for accelerating your career growth. Earn your CPA license: A CPA license is the most popular accounting certification among accountants and employers. A master’s degree can also help you achieve the minimum credit requirement to sit for the CPA exam. Before you take the CPA exam, you must earn at least 150 credit hours, which is 30 more than the typical 120 required for a bachelor’s degree. Earn other well-respected accounting credentials: Certifications can help you showcase your specialized skills in areas such as auditing, forensic accounting, management accounting and more. Seven of the most prominent include:
Take the Next Step in Your Accounting CareerMany professionals pursue their associate degree because they want to fast-track entering the workforce or kick start their career in a new industry. Once it’s time to advance, it’s important for working professionals to find a degree program that will support their education goals without requiring them to press pause on their career. Franklin University is dedicated to meeting the needs of working adults looking to advance their education. Franklin offers a 100% online bachelor’s degree in accounting that allows associate degree graduates to transfer up to 3 years worth of credits into a bachelor’s degree program. Franklin employs real-world practitioners with deep industry experience to teach classes that adhere to accounting best practices and use the most prominent industry technologies. Learn more about Franklin’s B.S. in Accounting and how it will help you take your career to the next level. |