<p>Yeah, I’m pretty sure the average Joe will value an engineer more than an accountant. Accountants are seen as paper pushers by the uninformed. Engineers, however, create and add value…tangible value. I don’t see how coming to a consensus on this question will help us agree on the larger question though.</p>
<p>On a side note, accounting and engineering require entirely different skill sets. Intelligence comparisons between the two are pointless.</p>
<p>The thing about accountants is that the smart ones often aspire to move up the ranks and transition out of accounting. Being a partner at an accounting firm might be an example of the most obvious job accounting grads can go to that will pay extremely well, but a lot more accounting grads will be business leaders outside of the big 4. Quite a few will be CEOs, CFOs, transition into financial jobs or start their own businesses.</p>
<p>Thousands of current accountants will transition out of accounting into managerial and financial roles where they will be making more than most engineers. It’s a different pool entirely in that there are a few who actually want to be accountants, but there are also a lot who simply see it as a means to a job much better than an average engineering gig. Yes, accounting grads have lower starting salaries, but that’s because a first job in business is a learning experience more than a means to wealth. Yes, people with accountant titles will often be making above-average, but not exceptional salaries, but a good portion of those will be people right out of college with higher aspirations.</p>
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I don’t see how that is different, in any way, from engineering.</p>
<p>At my company, the large capital budgets are all managed by managers who were initially engineers. We are talking about 50MM+ capital budgets. Someone like that does no technical work on a day-to-day basis and would not be considered an engineer. They do, however, make 250K/year.</p>
<p>i think the background of top people varies from company to company. at my firm, publicly traded, most director-level and up executives have the CPA distinction. and yes, that includes the ceo and cfo. keep in mind, i am talking about positions at least one level higher than managers. from my experience, engineers tend to plateau when they become managers, unless they go for an MBA.</p>
<p>by the way, foolovsky, “the average Joe” goes to a CPA for tax/financial advise just like he goes to the doctor when he’s sick and lawyer when he’s in legal trouble. he knows that he can be screwed or even in trouble with the IRS if his CPA doesn’t do a good job. </p>
<p>“Accountants are seen as paper pushers by the uninformed. Engineers, however, create and add value…tangible value.”</p>
<p>that’s how you see things, which is different from what “the average Joe” thinks. remember, “the average joe” is only AVERAGE.</p>
<p>Not every accountant is a CPA.
Does anyone has a figure the percentage of accountants that are CPA certified?</p>
<p>It’s interesting to see both sides debating over accounting vs. engineering. Are we comparing “all accountants vs. all engineers” or “CPA vs. engineers”?</p>
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This is a very excellent point.
How many accountants have a CPA and how many engineers have a PE?
Comparing a CPA w/ an engineer is apple-orange comparison… Should try comparing a CPA w/ a PE.</p>
<p>How about stop comparing altogether?</p>
<p>If I want to work in finance or accounting, I’m going to study finance or accounting. If an engineer can work in finance, that’s fine, but doesn’t change my mind. In fact, it makes me think the engineer should have just studied finance if that’s what he/she really wanted to do.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about the PE license. Regardless, comparing CPA’s to others is a reasonable exercise, because people reading this board can reasonably expect to get their CPA if they take the right steps. Get their 150 hours and required accounting credit, get a job at a CPA firm(maybe not a prestigious one of course), pass the exam. Just a few years of work after graduation and that’s it. </p>
<p>Nobody is guaranteed a Big Four job, a CFO spot, a great transition from engineer to executive, etc etc. But most of us can guarantee ourselves a CPA license if we actually try to get it.</p>
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<p>It looks like I’m arriving to this thread extremely late! 3 years late! lol. </p>
<p>But, actually, I am still very curious about this topic in relation to today’s market (2013). </p>
<p>Would a new grad in accounting be able to find work OK? If it would be a struggle, I’m curious how much of a struggle it would be? </p>
<p>I’m considering adding a second major in accounting, so this is a serious question for me. It would take up a significant amount of extra coursework. I do appreciate any who can offer help/advice. Thanks very much in advance! And good luck in everyone’s job searching as well.</p>
<p>I’m also curious. I’m a first year accounting student and just learning the basics. Will the job market be good 3-4 years from now? I</p>
<p>"That said - If you’re grades are good enough, you go to a good enough school, and you have enough EC’s and work experience, job outlook doesn’t matter. There will always be nice positions available to exceptional individuals. "</p>
<p>The problem is merely getting good enough grades, going to a good enough school, and having a decent amount of EC’s and work experience, does not make you exceptional!</p>
<p>"Would a new grad in accounting be able to find work OK? If it would be a struggle, I’m curious how much of a struggle it would be? "</p>
<p>Everything is relative. In my experience, it is best to assume it will be a struggle (regardless of your major). Those who get jobs will say its OK and not a big struggle. Those who don’t will say the opposite. Just be aware that majoring in accounting is not a golden ticket (some seem to think so), it is not like companies are hurting for qualified candidates. With that said, I would recommend accounting over most other business majors, because RELATIVELY there are more opportunities. </p>
<p>Although I’d imagine that healthcare, IT, and engineering offer more opportunities and at better entry-level pay - but I am just speculating.</p>
<p>Do you still not have a job Whatdidyou? I have read and discussed with your complaining about the job market for almost two years now.</p>
<p>Getting a job in accounting is quite easy if you do the right things to prepare yourself (internships, grades, and CPA being the most important).</p>
<p>Oh! Are you annoyed? lol. I’ll stop complaining when people stop saying that getting a good job is “easy.” </p>
<p>And it’s not so much that I am complaining, I’m more trying to warn students that it is not so “easy” as many people on this board indicate it to be. Even if the job market wasn’t horrible (which it is) and we did not face an uncertain next few years (we do), I’d encourage students to prepare for the worst.</p>
<p>I have been working in Aviation for over 9 years and before aviation I worked in the automotive industry. I have been around engineers my working life and there is a big difference working in an engineering firm and working for someone. Everyone on here is bashing accounting because they don’t get paid as much, well I can tell you once you factor in the layoffs that occur with engineers because they are usually one of the first department to get cut from because of the high level of pay they command. I dreamed of being an engineer as a kid, but as I worked in the military, the private sector (in different companies and industries-mainly aviation) I realized that engineers get treated as more of a different level of technicians. Meaning the engineering managers usually are okay, but the “working engineers” are just another level of mechanic or technician in the company or organization. I am saying all this because I know from experience and I myself chose accounting mainly because of auditing and I like the fact that are a lot of opportunities out there, and you don’t have to shoe horn yourself into an industry or niche. I am an ISO internal auditor for an aviation overhaul facility in FL. I work hand in hand with the engineers everyday. They are constantly complaining just like the mechanics do, just on another level. The accountants in my company love their jobs, and they pretty much do their thing and go home. Regardless, I think both careers are a great choice, but either field you choose, it is very important to get your PE or CPA. The reason is, trust me, because the way the economy is going at a certain level, the company will lay you off and find a young graduate. I know because it happened to our QA engineer. He was the director and was walked right out the door after 35 years of service. About 5 years short of retirement age. I am saying get licensed because this is going to happen a lot in the future. Once you have your professional license, at that point you can go into consulting or start a business in your field. The one turn off I don’t like about engineering is that employers look for specialization in one specific tiny niche or they won’t hire you. For example, who has over 20 years experience in underwater stainless steel props and impellers. It is just crazy things like that. It took me about a year of trying to decide what major between accounting and engineering. I chose accounting and have fun with the stuff in the garage on the weekends.</p>
<p>I was considering engineering and accounting as well. My dad is an electrician, so I always felt it was a natural progression that I would become an electrical engineer. I decided fairly quickly that I despised it. I like working on things in the way an electrician does, but doing diagrams of circuits etc. drove me nuts. I have heard similar stories about engineering though. They can be the first to get cut, everyone expects them to fix everything, etc. </p>
<p>Accounting falls under the Controller/CFO, who have a lot of power…generally they are protected from too much harm. I was an intern at a company where the Controller had a lot of pull, and she did NOT allow anyone to mess with her department. I overheard some very interesting phone conversations…</p>
<p>The job market does seem to vary quite a bit, even within a state. I know of a city where the firms (not big 4 but pretty good size) are only hiring a couple a year, and I know they have higher turnover than that. On the other hand I know of another city in the same state where the firms are hiring more people than they have in years. I was able to secure a very good position, and I am grateful for it. I don’t have any specific advice other than to be prepared for when you interview. I’ve found that when I leave an interview and it occurs to me how laid back it was and how I enjoyed it, I usually get an offer.</p>
<p>10.char…</p>
<p>Accounting grad with 150 - May; job market is hard right now for accounting. With my credit hours and eligibility (CPA eligible currently, finishing the req. hours), I can get at least a low-paying private accounting job (25-35 range). My peers with public offers have Masters. With the economy as is, hard to call if sitting for CPA without work experience is the way to go. I could jump in the April or May testing period but I hesitate because no offers yet, still going to Beta- networking, applying school database & locally. I get nervous because friends who got internships, some did not get FT after. I have all ready been accepted for 2nd BBA/BS in math for summer. They are pickier this season, IMHO, last Spring I had a pile of business cards for the career fair and this one networked but fall is heavy recruiting time anyway not Spring. Most of my friends with just bachelors &/ 150 are taking CPA &/ in private accounting. I need to see if I can get medium size firms because large likely will not happen.</p>