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An accountant is a professional whose job is to maintain and interpret financial records. Although not all accountants are certified public accountants (CPAs), obtaining a CPA license is required for many accounting roles. In this article, we'll cover what an accountant does and some common accounting roles.
An accountant is a professional who interprets and maintains financial records. Some accountants work for individual clients, while others work directly for a business or organization. Some common responsibilities of an accountant include the following:
Broadly speaking, public accountants provide services for individual clients, ranging from individuals to major corporations. A public accountant may be employed by an accounting firm, like the "Big Four," or a smaller consultancy.
A private accountant is an accountant who works in the finance department of a single organization. Sometimes, public accounting is referred to as industry accounting or corporate accounting.
The duties of an accountant are extremely broad and vary widely depending on the accountant's specialty. Here are a few common areas of specialization for accountants.
Most accountants have at least a bachelor's degree in accounting. A certified public accountant (CPA) is someone who has met state licensing requirements and passed a rigorous four-part examination. Work experience requirements vary by state, but many states require one year of professional accounting experience.
Some accounting responsibilities can only be performed by a CPA. For example, only a CPA can file audited reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (a requirement for publicly traded companies) or represent taxpayers before the IRS.
