If you’re in the process of choosing a major, you know that a LOT goes into the decision. You want to be interested in whatever you study, set yourself up for a career you’ll love, and ultimately weigh the pros and cons to see if you’ll succeed. If you’re considering picking accounting, one of the fundamental questions you may ask in this process is: Is accounting hard?
Understanding the level of difficulty, advantages of having an accounting degree, and your long-term career goals can help you answer this question and decide if accounting is the right path for you.
Accounting Courses
To determine, “Is accounting hard?”, you should have an idea of the coursework that you’ll take throughout the major. If you think accounting is all crazy math and crunching numbers, think again! It’s so much more.
Every program will be different, but general accounting courses that you can expect include:1
- Financial accounting: the basics of accounting principles, accounting lifecycle, and how accounting is used in business
- Taxation: income taxes for individuals and businesses, as well as strategies to optimize tax savings and compliance
- Cost and managerial accounting: reporting and analyzing financial data to inform the best data control and decision-making
- Business law for accountants: the profession’s legal environment and important codes and regulations that dictate how accountants work
- Auditing: strategy, process, and reporting for audit and assurance services
- Accounting information systems: an understanding of the IT and software programs vital for accountants, as well as data management best practices
If any of these areas seems the slightest bit intriguing, accounting might be a great fit for you—especially because you can advance in many different fields of accounting according to your specific interests.
Difficulty of Accounting Coursework
There is no other way to say this…accounting isn’t for slackers! The coursework is challenging, especially as you progress through upper-level classes, but with the right amount of studying, you should be able to pass. Throughout your career, you’ll never stop learning—through new experiences, credentials, and continuing professional education (CPE).
The courses will require your attention and effort, but if you prioritize the goal and maintain good study habits, you’ll not only succeed in the classes, but you’ll also gain all the basics needed to thrive in an accounting career.
Is Accounting Hard? It Is Definitely Worth It
Accounting’s difficulty depends on your perspective and interests. Yes, you have to be dedicated to learning—both during university and consistently throughout your career. But if you’re willing to invest, the benefits of an accounting degree are infinite.
Endless Career Opportunities
There is no one “right path” as an accountant. There are so many job options and career directions that you could explore, depending on your interests, location, salary goals, desired work/life balance, and other factors.
Three major branches available with an accounting degree are:
- Accounting: bookkeeping, forecasting, advising on financial decision-making, streamlining spending efficiency, and reporting accuracy for public firms or private organizations
- Tax: filing and managing clients’ taxes, optimizing tax savings, ensuring compliance, and representing clients during audits
- Audit: analyzing reports, investigating fraud, advising on risk management, and communicating findings internally for an organization, or for a public firm or agency
Within each of these areas, you can advance and specialize even further through professional credentials—like a CPA license, CMA certification, or EA credential—and CPE courses. And, if you decide you don’t like one career path, you can pivot to another area that better fits your goals.
Job Security
Accountants are needed in good and bad economies. As long as there are businesses, government, and trade, accountants will be a vital asset of the labor force. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market is projected to grow 6% over the next 10 years (2% faster than the national average).2
In short, if you graduate with an accounting degree, you should have ample employment options for the long hull.
High Earning Potential
According to Becker's Salary Guide, the average accounting salary is just over $80,000 annually. However, that number increases significantly when you factor in experience, credentials, and location. For example, senior accounting professionals report a salary of over $123,000 annually.
Download Our Free Salary Guide
If you'd like to learn more about what the future holds as an accountant, download our free Salary Guide and get insights into how much accounting professionals earn, how many hours a week they work on average, and where they see the profession going.
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