How Much Do Entry-Level Accountants Make an Hour?
Most people only come across accountants during the tax season, but these financial experts are busy preparing and examining financial records all year round. On the job, they're the people responsible for making sure the books are accurate and taxes are paid properly and on time. Many graduates are motivated to pursue a career in accounting by the prospect of earning a decent living. With typical starting salaries of $26.92 per hour rising to $44.71 with experience, there is plenty of scope for making a well above-average wage.
Accountants look after a company's books and examine financial records. Day-to-day duties include preparing financial ledgers, billing clients, creating budgets and income forecasts, keeping inventory and preparing tax returns. As a trusted financial adviser, an accountant might also suggest ways to increase revenues, reduce costs and improve a company's profitability. Newcomers to the profession typically will start out recording the financial transactions of a firm, overseeing accounts payable and receivable, managing payroll and preparing financial reports or balance sheets. Attention to detail is a must.
You will need at least a bachelor's degree for this position, preferably in accounting or a related field. In some cases, a bookkeeper or account clerk with an associate's degree and experience may advance to a junior accounting position. A certified public accountant or CPA credential – requiring 150 semester hours of college coursework – is often requested by employers. Certification proves your professional competence and can massively boost your job prospects.
The median hourly accounting salary is $32.76 per hour, which equates to $68,150 per year as of May 2016. The median represents the midpoint, so half of all accountants earn more than this per hour and a half earn less. The top 10 percent of accountants make more than $120,910 per year. However, this salary is typically reserved for those in senior positions, not entry-level accountants.
Accountants work in every sector for corporations, governments, nonprofits and individuals. Since the scope is so broad, many choose to specialize on a work type such as tax accounting, forensic investigation, a client type (wealthy private individuals, nonprofits) or an industry type (oil and gas, construction). Newcomers have a dizzying array of options both when they enter the field and as their career progresses. Many regard an entry-level job in public accounting, working towards the CPA credential, to be a solid resume-builder that bestows instant credibility.
Years of Experience
Entry-level accountants earn a reasonable income, but like most professionals, their earning power rises with time and experience. A typical projection for a CPA salary looks like this:
- Less than 5 years: $56,000 or $26.92 per hour assuming two weeks paid vacation
- 5-10 years: $70,000 or $33.65 per hour
- 10-20 years: $81,000 or $38.94 per hour
- 20+ years: $93,000 or $44.71 per hour.
Job Growth Trend
Accountancy is a stable and growing field that's projected to grow by 10 percent from 2016 to 2026. This above-average growth rate may lead to good prospects for entry-level positions. The demand for accountants is largely driven by globalization and the increasingly complex regulatory environment in which we all now live. Technology is the one threat on the horizon. As routine tasks become automated, accountants will be expected to move away from simple bookkeeping and instead take on a more strategic and advisory role for their clients.
Jayne Thompson earned an LLB in Law and Business Administration from the University of Birmingham and an LLM in International Law from the University of East London. She practiced in various “big law” firms before launching a career as a business writer. Her articles have appeared on numerous business sites including Typefinder, Women in Business, Startwire and Indeed.com. Find her at www.whiterosecopywriting.com.