Best CPA Job Opportunities in India and US: jobs after CPA

Admin 29 Dec, 20239.1k

What comes to your mind when we talk about CPA job opportunities? Needless to say, CPA is a globally recognized credential that provides candidates with numerous job opportunities. There are a variety of jobs after CPA that one can apply to.

CPA offers some of the unique career paths that help one stabilize their career and shower them with different career opportunities. Ranging from senior finance analysts to finance directors, there are numerous career opportunities for a CPA. Now, if you ask us the best career path, then public accounting is the one. Public Accounting is considered one of the best career paths that can help one gain monetary benefit, job security, and much more!

This article covers CPA job opportunities. But before moving any further, let us understand what CPA is.

What is CPA?

Certified Public Accountant or CPA is a globally accredited credential that is equivalent to Chartered Accountant. A person can work as a CPA in more than 50 states. To get into the CPA profession, a candidate must have one year of experience in the accounting field.

CPE or Continuing Professional Education is required to maintain the CPA license that one earns after getting the CPA certificate. Now, a candidate gets the CPA certificate once he/she has passed the CPA exam. CPA is a prestigious designation that indicates that an individual has deep knowledge of accounting practices.

Before moving on with CPA job opportunities, let us get through what is the role of a CPA.

What does a CPA do?

A CPA belongs to the accounting field. Thus, having a credential like a CPA represents that the person has in-depth knowledge of finance and accounting. There are a lot of CPAs who work in the finance sector, government, business, and many other fields.

Every organization, be it small-scale, medium-scale, or large-scale, requires the skills, knowledge, and experience of CPAs. CPAs provide services to various individuals and organizations in accounting or finance fields.

Here are the responsibilities that a CPA has to fulfill in their CPA job opportunities.

Overseeing financial records
Preparing financial statements
Strategic planning
Cash management
Ensuring compliance with various tax requirements like local, state, and federal
Creating, reviewing, and maintaining the budgets of the firm
Book-keeping
Consulting
Auditing

Be it in the private sector or public sector, these are the responsibilities that one has to fulfill in jobs after CPA. Now, here arises a question, i.e., are CPAs and accountants the same.

Well, the answer to this is no. CPAs and accountants are different because of the roles and responsibilities they perform. An accountant cannot perform the roles of a CPA. But a CPA can perform the tasks of an accountant. In CPA job opportunities, the candidates learn to perform various roles like that of an accountant.

Accountants do not have the rights that a CPA has. For instance, an accountant does not have a CPA license, whereas a CPA has the certification as well as the license. CPAs are professionals who adhere to certain principles. But to become a CPA, one must pass the CPA exam.

Now that we are talking so much about the CPA exam, let us discuss it in detail.

What is a US CPA exam?

A CPA exam is conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It is a globally recognized designation that provides candidates with various CPA job opportunities. To give the CPA exam and get jobs after CPA, the candidates have to fulfill certain eligibility criteria.

One must have a graduation degree or any degree equivalent to it.
The candidates must complete 150 hours of college to earn a CPA license.
1-2 years of work experience is required by the candidate in accounting or financial field. One must work under a CPA for these two years.

Having known the eligibility criteria, let us see the four sections of the exam.

Attestation & Auditing
Business Environment and Concepts
Financial Accounting & Reporting
Regulation

Out of these four sections, financial accounting and reporting is the toughest. Thus, one should prepare well in advance for this particular section. The CPA exam consists of MCQs, Task-based simulations, and comprehensive questions. The MCQs and simulations account for the majority of marks. Thus, it is essential for the students to manage their time accordingly while giving the exam.

CPA provides some of the unique career paths that not only provide good pay grades but also help in boosting the career growth of an individual. Let us have a look at those career options.

What are the career options after CPA in US?

Upon becoming a CPA, one can get the CPA job opportunities in many industries, including

Public Accounting
Corporate Accounting
Government
Academy
Non-Profit

Let us discuss these in detail:

1.Public Accounting

Public accounting is one of the top CPA job opportunities that serve many clients. Presently, there are 46,000+ public accountants working in US firms. Here are the public accounting positions.

A Staff Auditor is responsible for performing the detailed work of a financial audit. This work is done under the supervision of a senior.

A Tax staff prepares tax returns and counsels the clients under the supervision of a tax manager.

As a Consulting Senior, CPAs work under a General Manager to perform consulting assignments.

As a tax manager, a CPA performs tax planning and researches unusual tax matters.

At a partner-level of the firm, a CPA can purchase equity and have a share in the profits of the firm. A CPA can be an audit partner, tax partner, or consulting partner.

If a CPA becomes a senior partner, then he/ she can change the firms policies, plan several activities, and work on the everyday management of the firm.

2.Academia

A person after completing CPA can work as a teacher, professor, or school administrator. As CPA, one can work as a faculty member in various colleges, universities, etc. As accounting faculty, CPAs can give students deep insights into auditing, financial statements, taxation, accounting, professional ethics, etc. Academia is one of the best jobs after CPA. CPAs are experts in research that help students in getting a better insight into various accounting and financial topics.

3.Corporate Accounting

Amid various CPA job opportunities, one can also get into corporate accounting. Here are the positions one can work in.

Tax accounting department A CPA working in this department is responsible for doing financial analysis. He/ she also makes special reports including financial data.

Internal audit department A CPA supervises the testing of internal control and conducts document approval by performing special tests.

Financial accounting and reporting In this, the CPA assists the controller and works in areas such as financial accounting, budget planning, internal financial reporting, etc.

Management Accounting A CPA as a management accountant is responsible for modifying the management system. He/ she develops costing techniques, and various control measures, and undertakes special cost studies.

Assistant Controller As an assistant controller, a person controls and assists accounting data. A person in this department prepares journal entries and analyses the accounts.

4.Government

CPA job opportunities in the Government sector are one of the secure and best roles to serve. A CPA can improve the efficiency of government departments. He/ she can work in departments like:

Federal Government At the federal level, a CPA takes care of the department of treasury, revenue services, accounting office, etc.

Local & State Government The CPA in this department is responsible for conducting financial and compliance audits. They keep a track record of the workers compensation system as well.

Auditing CPA conducts performance auditing that determines if the management is fulfilling the promises made to taxpayers or not. The department intends to provide services to taxpayers, thereby meeting the goals and objectives.

Financial Audits Financial audits include financial statements and reviews. The primary focus of this department is to verify the information given in financial statements.

Compliance Audits These audits determine if the company is following the laws, loan agreements, and regulations or not. Compliance audits include compliance with specific laws and regulations with other regulatory or legal requirements.

5.Non-Profit Organizations

CPA job opportunities in a non-profit organization determine the benefits and services provided by them.

Here are the positions in non-profit jobs after CPA. Have a look!

Financial Accounting & Reporting A CPA here works under the seniors and provides details regarding payroll, property, ledger, financial statements, etc.

Internal Auditing A CPA works under the supervision of the senior and conducts audits for information systems and internal controls.

Controller A controller is responsible for directing and controlling the work of accounting in various departments. As a member of the team, he/ she is responsible for operating plans, interpreting results, developing forecasts, etc.

So, these are the CPA job opportunities not only in the US but in India as well. See, as a CPA, one can work globally in any part of the world, be it India, Canada, the US, etc.

What is the salary after CPA in India and US?

There are numerous jobs after CPA in India as well. One can apply for any of these posts and get a salary according to them.

As far as the salary after CPA in India is concerned, an average CPA earns up to Rs. 7 Lakhs. Being a globally recognized course, the CPA career salary is different in different countries. In India, it begins at Rs. 7 Lakhs and can reach up to Rs. 14 Lakhs.

Similarly, in the US, a CPA earns around $85,000. In Canada, the figure is $95,000.

If the candidates wish to widen their expertise in several fields after completing CPA, then there are some courses they can opt for. Let us have a look at them!

What to study after CPA?

If you are planning to make a career in accounting, then there are several courses to opt for after completing the CPA. You can do CMA USA, CA, CFP, etc. Let us discuss some of them.

1.CMA USA

Certified Management Accountant (CMA USA) is one of the highly regarded and recognized courses after the CA in India. It is accredited by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) in the field of financial management, making it one of the best career paths after US CPA.

2.ACCA

The ACCA certification administered by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is globally recognized and focuses on topics like financial management, taxation, reporting, etc. Unlike the CPA, ACCA is more recognized internationally. One can get enrolled in and study the ACCA course and acquire this certification after completing CPA to get better jobs after CPA.

3.Certified Financial Planner (CFP)

It is a great option to study CFP if you wish to learn investment or money management. The CFP exam happens in two levels. Thus, it is a great certification to have after CPA.

4.Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

A CFA is a well-organized and sought-after course to be done after CPA. It is highly regarded as the course opens wide doors of career opportunities for candidates. In this course, the candidates learn investment and management. The course is for four years and can be completed easily.

5.Financial Risk Manager (FRM)

FRM is designed for financial professionals who wish to get into various careers like risk analysts, risk officers, etc. The FRM exam has two parts and the pass rate is around 75%.

So, these are some top career options after completing CPA. One can apply for any of these courses in order to get good CPA job opportunities.

FAQs

1.Are CPAs in high demand?

Yes, CPAs are high in demand because every organization be it small or large requires CPAs for auditing, taxation, and many other roles. As the industrial sector is increasing, so is the demand for CPAs is also increasing.

2.What are job opportunities after CPA?

There are numerous CPA job opportunities in India and abroad. The jobs are provided in five industries which are listed in the article under the section Career Options after CPA in the US.

3.Is CPA a good career option?

Yes, CPA is a good career option as it provides candidates with various job opportunities. It is a globally accredited course that enables a candidate to work in any part of the world.

4.What is the highest paying job for a CPA?

When it comes to the high-paid CPA job opportunities, becoming a finance controller, CA, or CMA will provide CPAs with good salary packages.

5.What is the salary as a CPA?

Different countries have different salaries for CPAs. In India, a CPA earns Rs, 6 lakhs to Rs. 14 lakhs. Similarly, in the US, a CPA earns $85,000 and in Canada, the salary figure is $95,000.

6.Who hires CPAs in India?

A US CPA can be hired by various US-based companies or other MNCs in India. CPAs get jobs in sectors like accounting, taxation, assurance, investment, etc.

Conclusion

There are many CPA job opportunities that help individuals in boosting their careers. Now, if you are wondering how you can pass the CPA exam in one go, then you should join the best institute which can provide the one-stop solution to passing the US CPA exam, such as NorthStar Academy (NSA).

NorthStar Academy provides in-depth knowledge and training to the candidates so that they can prepare well for the exam. The top mentors, like M Irfat Sir, lay emphasis on strengthening the basics and then moving on to the advanced concepts. The academy provides students with exclusive study material which includes the important topics that help in the preparation of the students.

With section-wise study material, books, and case studies, one can definitely be able to prepare well and crack the CPA exam, so that one can crack in one go and get the best jobs after CPA.By applying to NorthStar Academy, the students will also get bundle discounts on entrance fees, exam fees, etc. So, what are you waiting for? Apply to Northstar Academy and start your career as a CPA in India as well as abroad.