Accounting as a second career: Does it make sense for my situation?

College Majors
1

Im 32 and have a family. Been working in healthcare as a medical assistant for 9 years. Im contemplating finishing my undergraduate with a bs in accounting as a second career.

I love numbers, balancing my checkbook, very organized. Love that sorta stuff. My plan is to get my BS, hopefully get a job in my hospitals payroll dept and then only stick to private accounting there on out (i have no desire for public).

But i have some concerns if i do this…

  1. Age. Im 32 and if i do this i will have my BS by 35 or 36. Is that too late to start in this field?
  2. Salary. I make about $45k right now. Being that i have no accounting experience, would i be starting around this amount? If its like 35k or around there it may not be worth it, being that i have a family to feed and so forth.

Honestly what do you guys think? Should i just stay in my field and try for nursing?

2

No, 35-36 is not too late. Plenty of people start a second career in their mid-30s and even later :slight_smile:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accountants make an average of $68,000 a year. Obviously, that’s the average for all accountants - new and experienced, CPAs and non-CPAs - so you’d start at lower than that. the 10th percentile for accountants is $42,000, so you’d likely make more than $35,000 - your starting salary may be somewhere in the $40-45K range. It could be higher depending on where you live and what sector you work in.

Whether you should do nursing or accounting, I think, depends on your interests. Do you want to be a nurse? Or do you want to be an accountant? What would you prefer? They’re very different work styles and environments.