Public Accounting Areas
Public Accounting Information
Job areas common to public accountants include the following:
- Auditing/assurance Services
- Tax
- Environmental Accounting
- Forensic/Investigative Accounting
- International Accounting
- Personal Financial Planning
Common employers for public accountants include the following:
- Public Accounting Firms, including large, multinational firms; regional firms; and local firms
- Sole practitioners
Common strategies and general information for public accounting includes the following points:
- Public accounting firms hire candidates who meet the educational requirements for sitting for the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam: 150 hours of education including 24 hours of accounting, i.e. the equivalent of an undergraguate degree in accounting.
- State laws govern the practice of accountancy and specify the requirements to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam. In most states, the State Board of Accountancy has a website that outlines those requirements.