What Can You Do With a Degree in Accounting?

A bachelor's degree in accounting can open doors for a multitude of careers. Graduates with an accounting degree can also look forward to higher-than-average field growth rates and salaries, which makes this degree an excellent return on its investment. Brooklyn College alumni with a degree in accounting work in areas such as accounting, administration, business development, education, finance, IT, operations, and sales, among others.

Top 15 Employers for Accounting Students (Internships) and Alumni (Full-Time Positions)

You can get a lot more information by looking at the LinkedIn profiles of almost 10,000 Brooklyn College alumni who graduated with a degree in accounting. Join the Brooklyn College Alumni group and see where alumni are currently working, their skill sets, and their career progression. You can filter further based on employer, class year, etc.

What Is the Average Accountant's Salary?

Many factors can affect the average accountant's salary, including geographic location, education level, type of industry, and level of experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for accountants and auditors was $69,350 in May 2017. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,020, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $122,220. Most accountants and auditors work full time. In 2016, about one in five worked more than 40 hours per week. Longer hours are typical at certain times of the year, such as at the end of the budget year and during tax season.

The best approach to determining possible salaries is to research them on websites like Indeed.com and Salary.com. Also, Glassdoor has a long list of job titles with average salaries noted.

On-Campus Resources

There are a number of resources on campus that will help you learn more about accounting career options. Attend events and keep current on the resources available to you.

Magner Career Center

The Magner Career Center has a wealth of information on everything you need to get started in your career, help with résumés, an internships database, job fairs, etc.

The center hosts frequent career events, including those for accounting majors, the Accounting / Finance Boot Camp, and various workshops hosted by the Big Four.
You can get matched with alumni who majored in accounting at Brooklyn College to learn about their experiences, seek career advice, and develop a professional relationship.
The center's YouTube channel features videos featuring business / accounting alumni, students, employers, and events.
HireBC offers starter, competitive internships, and even jobs postings from Brooklyn College's dedicated Job Board. Access HireBC via Brooklyn College WebCentral, under the Career Tab. Many alumni post positions with hopes of working with Brooklyn College students. Upload your résumé for higher-level positions that require an "approved" résumé.
Sabine Saint-Cyr is the liaison to the School of Business and Paula Cohen is the career adviser. These are the right people you need to meet with for guidance. For more information or to set up appointments, visit the center's website, call 718.951.5696, or visit 1303 James Hall.

Department of Accounting Resources

The Department of Accounting offers a bachelor of science (B.S.) in accounting degree. The program leads to highly successful career paths in public accounting, business, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. You can choose the Certified Public Accountancy (CPA) track or the non-CPA track. Either way, our program will provide you with the assets you'll need in a competitive business world.

Advising Office

The Advising Office for accounting majors can provide guidance in applying to graduate schools. Christina Fung is the senior adviser for the accounting major.

Student Clubs

Accounting Society
Association of Latinos Professional for America
BC Marketing Society
Koppelman Student Leadership Council
Koppelman Toastmasters
National Association of Black Accountants
Smooth Talkers

To find all clubs and the latest events, search for the names of clubs and sign in to RSVP for the events you would like to attend.

Off-Campus Resources

American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)

The American Institute of CPAs provides information on how to become a CPA and career guidance. Under the career guidance tab you can find salary information. The site provides information about the CPA mentor program and practice materials for the CPA exam.

NYS Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA)

The NYS Society of CPAs member benefits include in-person and online networking opportunities, CPE courses and conferences, more than 60 committees with in-depth focuses and specializations, the CPA Journal, our other award-winning publications, and much more. Students memberships are inexpensive.

Vault

Vault provides in-depth intelligence on what it's really like to work within an industry, company, or profession and how to position yourself to launch and build the career you want. Review Vault Guides to learn about careers. There are guides for most major industries, including accounting. Gain free access by:

Vault
HireBC's resources section (free premium access)
Brooklyn Public Library card

Occupational Network (O*NET)

Occupational Network offers occupational statistics such as salaries and growth potential for all occupations. Additionally, you can search occupations by name or by your own interests, skills, abilities, etc.

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Occupational Outlook Handbook gives you information on the training and education needed for the job, earning potential, expected job prospects, what you would be doing on the job, and what the working conditions are like.

Discover Accounting

Discover Accounting is an accounting-specific job board with many positions in the New York area.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) has tons of resources for a budding professional. Expert online tutorials on everything from Excel basic-to-super-user level to time management, business phone etiquette, customer service skills, and much more. Free premium access can be granted to individuals with a valid New York Public Library card or Brooklyn Public Library card.

CUNY Meetups

CUNY Meetups hosts various events throughout the semester open to all CUNY students and alumni, including a CUNY Finance Meetup, the premier hub for CUNY students interested in pursuing careers in the financial services sector.