Chartered Accountancy (CA) is among the in-demand fields globally. Private and government institutions need chartered accountants. Chartered accountants can work in almost all fields of business and finance, including auditing, general management, finance, and taxation. In the government and private sectors are many job openings that chartered accountants can perform. However, each job requires a different skill set and competencies.
Qualified accountants earn attractive salaries with many benefits and allowances. A chartered accountant must therefore meet most qualifications to land a job that will pay high and offer job satisfaction. This article provides you with the top 20 best private and government jobs a chartered accountant can seek employment opportunities. It highlights the roles of different professions and the requirement for the job. Review them to know the right combination of skills and experience you need to land your dream job. Let’s get started!
1. Account Officer
An account officer earns an attractive salary package with many benefits and allowances. They work in private and government institutions. An entry-level account officer pockets $46,991 per year while the most experienced officer takes home 82,500. This salary varies based on experience, skills, and education level. A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or economics is not enough to make you a top-notch account officer. You must understand the general accounting principles and how to use accounting software. You may also need to be a CPA (certified public accountant)
Account officers keep the company’s records of both incoming and outgoing payments. This includes making payments for services, examining financial account activities, and verifying payable/ receivable accounts, among other roles.
2. Risk Manager
A chartered accountant with strong analytical, communication, organizational, and planning skills can take this career path. He/ she must be able to apply these skills across a wide range of business processes. Risk managers reap good fortune both in the government and private sectors. An average risk manager earns approximately $113,339 per year while an entry-level position pockets $87,629.
Risk managers focus on developing risk policies and procedures for an organization. They perform duties such as analyzing market trends, reviewing existing risk management policies, examining internal operations, and determining risk levels and their implications. To become more effective in this role, a chartered accountant can learn extra courses such as risk management, law, and management studies.
3. Finance Manager
Finance managers work in many governments and private industries, such as insurance manufacturing, hedge fund, and banking. Finance managers supervise the company’s financial operations. Their focus is to advise organizations about the best investment plans and track the finances of the assigned company. Finance managers liaise with the organization executives to create strategies that will help them achieve their long-term objectives.
A chartered accountant with in-depth know-how of tax regulations, industry legislation, and financial reporting standards can make a good fortune out of this occupation. An entry-level finance manager gets a salary of $74,269 annually while the most experienced position takes home $146,115.
4. Assistant Account Officer
An accounting assistant assists the accountant in completing basic bookkeeping, accounting tasks, and clerical duties for an organization. They also perform other duties, such as managing a company’s payroll process, developing and examining financial reports, and preparing company budgets.
This occupation is worthwhile for chartered accountants with excellent mathematics skills and who can spot numerical errors. They must have earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a relevant field.
An entry-level position in this occupation takes home $31,399 per year, while an average position earns $36, 019. This salary varies depending on the candidate’s experience, education, and skills. The most experienced assistant accountant earns up to $48’178 per year.
5. Director Of Finance
This is another best job for chartered accountants. To become a director of finance, chartered accountants should have a bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting. They must also be proficient in mathematics, accounting software, and computer. This occupation attracts high remunerations. An average director of finance pockets $110,055 per year while an entry level-position earns up to $85,000.
The Director of Finance oversees all the company’s financial activities, trains accounting staff, and revenue reports manages risk, put in place policies, improves the financial process, and disburses funds to other departments. They perform duties such as managing tax and functions, managing internal controls, reviewing departmental budgets, and directing financial planning.
6. Accounting Lecturer
This is a good career path for chartered accountants who do not want to take up a desk job but want to remain in touch with academia. The chartered accountant can take up a teaching job in either private or government educational institutions. He/ she can teach commerce classes, chartered accountants’ classes, ICAI, or certain post-graduate institutes.
Academics can be a good option for the many benefits attached to the occupation. You can work as a part-time lecturer and still do other stuff. You can start up your coaching institute, you can become a consultant, or even find a job in an academic institution, etc. The remuneration for this occupation is very rewarding. An average accounting lecturer earns approximately $77,500 annually, while the most skilled position takes home $135,000.
7. Head Of Finance And Administration
The head of finance and administration plays a vital role in managing all finances and the administration of an organization. They provide strategic business guidance to help an organization improve its financial operations. They perform specific duties in business planning and budgeting, information technology, human resources, and administration.
This occupation provides a chartered accountant with an opportunity to strengthen the internal capacity of an organization and earn a huge salary. The most qualified director of finance and administration takes home a salary of $135,00 per year. The average head of finance and administration earns $97,500. This translates that an average director of finance and administration can pocket $50 per hour.
8. Treasury Manager
A chartered accountant with a bachelor’s degree in business or finance can seek employment as a treasury manager. This occupation is a good match for someone with several years of accounting experience and excellent leadership and management skills. Those with MBA and CPA licenses are at an added advantage in the job market. A lot of treasury managers begin as analysts and then move to management positions before working as treasury managers.
A treasury manager manages the revenue and cash flow of a business. Treasury managers are in charge of the company’s overall finances. They perform duties such as monitoring the company’s daily financial operations, maintaining banking relationships, and planning for investments and financing. An average treasury earns around $58.97 per hour.
9. Internal Auditor
This is another worth considering occupation for chartered accountants. Internal auditors’ major role is to offer companies guidance concerning internal controls, regulatory compliance, and financial accuracy. They evaluate and improve operating policies, risk management, and financial management of the organization.
With a bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting, a chartered accountant must also have proven knowledge of auditing laws, standards, procedures, rules, and regulations. Other important skills are computer, accounting software, and database knowledge. An entry internal auditor makes $80,000 annually while the most experienced position takes home $145,066.
10. Bookkeeper
A trained, chartered accountant can also work as a bookkeeper. A bookkeeper keeps the financial track of an organization. They oversee an organization’s financial information and compliance. Bookkeepers perform specific duties, such as maintaining accurate accounts, managing receivable/payable accounts, managing bank reconciliations, and facilitating payrolls.
To become land a bookkeeper job, a chartered accountant must have a bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or related. He/ she should also know the financial statements, accounting systems, and accounting principles. A bookkeeper earns approximately $20.51 per hour. This means that an average bookkeeper can make up to $40,00 per year.
11. Tax Accountant
Both government and private organizations require tax accountants to help them file their taxes properly. Every organization wants to follow legal guidelines to ensure that it has achieved the maximum tax return. That is why tax accountants are in high demand today. A tax accountant’s principal duties are preparing tax payments, estimating tax returns, updating the organization’s tax database, and identifying potential credits.
Chartered accountants who can collectively recommend tax strategies that agree with the company’s goals are a big match for this occupation. The tax accountant role attracts good salaries to those who qualify for it. An average tax accountant makes a salary of $70,753 per year.
12. Investment Banker
An investment banker work in a bank or other financial-related institutions. They liaise between the investment bank and its clients. Their major role is to assist a client to profit from financial services such as debt and equity financing, initial public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions. They perform other duties, such as identifying potential investors, helping the company to close deals, conducting research, and advising on complex financial transactions. An entry-level investment banker makes up to $112,500 per year, while the most qualified position earns up to $222,200.
To become an investment banker, you should have a bachelor’s degree in economics, accounting, finance, or a related field. Some employers prefer a candidate with a CFA designation and experience in investment banking and financial analysis.
13. Budget Analyst
Budget analysts advise a wide range of institutions, including universities, governments, and businesses, on different ways of organizing finances. They perform duties such as preparing annual financial reports, determining the costs and benefits of different programs, and recommending funding levels, depending on their findings. Government officials and private companies usually decide on a budget based on the report a budget analyst gives.
Many employers require a budget analyst with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, economics, or statistics. Budget analysts must have strong analytical and numerical skills. Courses in sociology and political science equip a budget analyst with management and communication skills.
While at an entry-level position, a budget analyst takes home $56,079 per year while an average-level position earns $68,160.
14. Business Development Officer
This is another suitable occupation for the chartered accountant. The employer asks for a degree such as that required for a chartered account role. To qualify for this role, you must have a bachelor’s degree in finance, marketing, accounting, business management, or a related field.
Business development officers get employed to work in different corporations across industries to handle various development initiatives. They identify potential investors, recruit and train sales professionals, review financial statements, and monitor market trends. They focus on determining areas that can enable a company to expand operations or save money.
Business development officers reap good fortune both from government and private institutions. They receive an average salary of $125,069 per year. However, the remunerations can vary depending on the candidate’s industry, size, and experience.
15. Company Secretary
A company secretary performs roles similar to those of chartered accountants. They perform corporate governance and administrative tasks in adherence to the company’s activities, such as business structure, taxation, statutory, economic, and shareholder rights. They perform specific duties, including administering pension schemes, financial administration, identifying risks, managing supplies, etc.
To qualify as a company secretary, you need to have a high school diploma. Many employers ask for an undergraduate degree in finance, law, or business. An entry-level company secretary earns a salary of $75,000 every year. The most skilled- position makes up to $138,300.
16. Technical Account Manager
Many technical account managers work closely with sales managers. They offer advice on product features to be highlighted during pitches. Their role is to keep track of sales performance to identify the product that might add value to new marketing.
To become a technical account manager, a chartered accountant should have a bachelor’s degree in business, economics, marketing, or public relations. Taking courses in communication is a big plus. An average technical earns approximately $97,365 annually, while the most experienced position earns up to $138,300.
17. Administration Officer
Administration officers are in demand across different private and government institutions. They work across industries to maintain excellent administrative practices, thus helping to improve internal processes. They also perform specific duties, including maintaining and updating the company database, managing office supplies, and preparing office budgets and reports.
They also review policies and laws that apply to their industry to ensure that the organization implements them daily. This occupation attracts an average salary of $32.49 per hour.
Many employers require an administrative officer to have a bachelor’s degree in business, economics, or public administration. Employers also prefer chartered accountants with experience in basic bookkeeping, spreadsheets, and word-processing software. They must also have organizational skills and excellent knowledge of office management software.
18. Actuary
Like chartered accountants, an actuary uses analytical skills and financial theory to measure risks and financial implications. Most actuaries seek employment at insurance companies as retirement benefits actuaries, health insurance actuaries, enterprise risk actuaries, etc. They perform specific duties, such as applying actuarial techniques across all roles, reconciling actuarial inputs and outputs, auditing firms for annual data, and collaborating with other key holders to enhance the satisfaction of their clients.
Top-notch actuaries possess good business sense and excellent analytical skills. They also have excellent knowledge of accepted accounting principles. An actuary can earn between $116,996 and $180,053 annually, depending on the experience and skills of the candidate.
19. Sales Manager
Chartered accountants with a bachelor’s degree in business or a related field can seek employment in sales management. With the ability to lead a sales team and dedication to offering excellent service, this can be a pleasant career path. The most experienced sales manager makes up to $130,000 per year. An entry position earns $47,504. This salary can rise depending on the experience and education level of the candidate.
The sales manager manages company sales by creating a business plan that considers revenue, expense control, and sales. They also perform specific roles, such as setting sales quotas, overseeing the sales team, and identifying emerging markets to get new sales opportunities. Ultimately, they define and execute territory sales plans.
20. Personal Financial Advisor
This profession is another best match for chartered accountants. Personal financial advisors should have a degree in accountancy, finance, or business management. Moreover, they should have an excellent understanding of accounting, economics, and many other financial concepts. They reap a substantial fortune from this role. An average financial advisor makes up to $75,571 annually, while the most skilled position takes home $125,366.
Financial advisors guide clients on how they can benefit from investment strategies, pension plans, real estate, insurance, and securities. They perform specific duties, such as researching financial economic trends, supporting investment professionals, and negotiating better financial deals on behalf of their clients. Thus, they must have excellent knowledge of numerals to create sound financial strategies.
Conclusion
Chartered accounts have different careers to choose from. However, each profession requires distinct skill sets. Chartered accountants must know how to maximize their potential to continue being relevant in the field. They must be aware of the course with multiple career choices before deciding which one to study. The salary attached to every role varies depending on the skills, experience, and education level of the candidate. Good luck with your job search.