CPA Career Paths: Top 5 CPA Career Opportunities

The old stereotype of the boring accountant endlessly crunching numbers in a small office is far from reality. Becoming a CPA can lead to many career options within the accounting industry.

Here’s a quick look at five of the most popular CPA career opportunities:

For a deeper understanding of CPA career paths and jobs, check out our CPA Jobs and Career resource.

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CPA Career Path #1: Public Accounting

CPAs in public accounting firms provide a full range of accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting services for clients of all sizes. From entry-level staff auditors to senior-level partner roles, CPAs can work with large international clients, small local firms, and practically everything. Auditing public and private company financial statements, in particular, is a coveted service. However, public accountants across the field are in high demand and have great opportunities to advance throughout their careers.

According to the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), a few specialized areas CPAs can focus on within public accounting include financial forensics, business valuation, personal financial planning, and IT consulting. Some additional common roles include:

Budget analyst
Tax examiner
Business systems analyst

CPA Career Path #2: Business, Government, and Not-for-Profits

CPAs in this broad field can hold various positions, from staff accountant and financial analyst to CFO. Their responsibilities include recording, analyzing, and reporting financial information for organizations. They can also carry out budgeting and internal auditing functions.

Noted by the AICPA, CPAs in business work for companies ranging from family-owned to Fortune 500. They are considered trusted business partners and can work in various areas. Some potential roles include:

Staff-Financial Accounting & Reporting
Staff-Tax Accounting
Staff-Internal Audit

CPAs who work in government hold roles at the federal, state, and local levels. They have similar responsibilities as those in public accounting. Auditing, financial reporting, and management accounting are all shared duties.

Within nonprofits, a CPA’s main job is to ensure the services an organization provides do not exceed its revenue. Potential nonprofit roles vary based on each organization, but a few include:

Staff financial accounting and reporting
Staff internal audit
Controller

CPA Career Path #3: Specialist

CPAs are now regularly called upon to provide services in specialized areas. Choosing a specialty is a major decision, as it directly affects the sort of roles available, your salary, and the settings in which you work.

It’s best to follow your interests and find a genuinely enjoyable specialty. In the information systems area, for example, specialists aid organizations in managing their information technology, including the massive amounts of data collected, by conducting risk assessments and analyzing and implementing systems improvements and revisions.

Another specialty CPAs fall in love with is internal auditing. An internal auditor is responsible for improving a company’s operations by evaluating the business’s financial and operational sides. It’s safe to say CPAs in this role wear many hats. They assess risks, controls, ethics, quality, economy, and efficiency to ensure the business operates efficiently.

CPA Career Path #4: Forensic Services

Forensic CPAs use their accounting skills to investigate incidents like fraud, bribery, money laundering, and embezzlement. They examine and collect evidence that will later enable the courts to determine if a crime has been committed or resolve a dispute.

Law enforcement agencies like the FBI often seek out forensic accountants to help further investigate money-related crimes. However, forensic accounting roles can be found in public accounting firms, consulting firms, insurance companies, and more.

Those wishing to pursue forensic accounting should possess strong written and verbal communication skills, an ethical mindset, and a natural desire to investigate. Every day in a forensic role is different, so it’s a career path for those who want to stay on their toes.

CPA Career Path #5: Financial Advisor

CPAs serve as financial advisors to individuals, helping them manage their finances and make informed financial decisions about home purchases, college savings, starting a business, and retirement planning.

Financial advising is great for those who love crunching numbers and helping others. By working closely with clients, financial planners can directly positively impact the lives of others.

Top Jobs for A CPA In Summary

While the traditional image of accountants may be limited, CPAs have diverse and dynamic career opportunities across multiple sectors. From public accounting and government roles to specialized paths in forensics and financial advising, CPAs can pursue careers that match their interests and skills while making meaningful impacts in business, investigations, and personal finance.