Career Resources
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Available Internships in Tennessee
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Guide to Accounting Firms in Tennessee
Access the digital guide HERE>
This guide serves as a tool for your internship and job search. You will find information about firms across the state including their specialties, size, exam support and more. The guide also provides CPA exam and license information, along with other resources to support you on your journey to becoming a CPA.
Robert Half Salary Guide
Download your free copy of the Robert Half Salary Guide HERE>
A CPA salary is pretty hard to beat. New industries, more sophisticated technologies and expanding opportunities for the business add up to better opportunities for CPAs. High demand for CPAs means career stability, better salaries and steady upward growth. Just take a look at the average salaries for college graduates in public and private accounting. To see what you can get with CPA certification, add around 10 to 15 percent extra to the average starting salaries.
| Employer | Jr. Level (0-3 years) | Sr. Level (4-6 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Accounting - Tax Services | $46,500 - $83,250 | $63,750 - $198,000 |
| Public Accounting - Audit/Assurance Services | $45,750 - $82,000 | $62,500 - $191,750 |
| Public Accounting - Management Services | $46,750 - $82,500 | $62,500 - $195,250 |
| Corporate Accounting - General Accountant |
$40,500 - $69,500 | $57,500 - $118,000 |
| Corporate Accounting - Financial Analyst |
$43,250 - $78,750 | $60,000 - $129,750 |
| Corporate Accounting - Compliance | $54,750 - $89,000 | $82,500 - $240,750 |
Serious earning potential over time gives CPAs great job security. Here are some examples of upper-level salaries for managers in corporate accounting:
| Position | Large Company | Small to Medium Company |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $207,000 - $465,750 | $105,250 - $208,750 |
| Corporate Controller | $140,000 - $224,750 | $92,000 - $161,250 |
| Director of Finance | $97,250 - $1143,500 | $117,500- $236,500 |
(Source: 2020 Robert Half Salary Guide. Geographic region, experience, education, CPA certification and company size each play a role in determining salary.)
Resume Bank and Job Board
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Job Profiles
The broad base of CPA skills can be applied to so many career paths (financial and non-financial), you'll wish there were five of you to try a hand at all of them - but look for one calling that turns all your heads.
Whatever career path you want to take or headline you want to make, a CPA certification can help you make your big break in just about any field, including: government, business, academics, not-for-profit and public accounting.
Public Accounting
As a public accountant, you could be tasked with protecting the interest of anyone and everyone from small, family-owned businesses to large, publicly owned companies. That's why so many CPAs start their career here. You'll hone an extensive list of skills, including: auditing and attest functions, tax consulting, financial planning, environmental accounting and other specialized assurance services. With that kind of resume, CPAs tend to move up the ranks at an accounting firm, start their own consulting company or use their invaluable know-how to take the business and industry world by storm.
Business and Industry
CPAs are constantly climbing the ranks of companies public and private, start-up small to Fortune 500 huge - and in every industry, from information and technology to retail and entertainment. They're controllers, financial analysts, CFOs and even CEOs. At any level, the strategic advice and insight CPAs supply help to determine a company's profitability, growth and overall future.
Education
Many CPAs have the opportunity to hand down everything they know to undergraduate and graduate students in business and accounting programs. A CPA's teaching options are just as vast as the career choices - subjects include: accounting, audit, taxation, ethics and business applications of information technology. CPA educators also publish books and academic articles and use their expertise in information analysis to consult companies or act as an expert witness in litigation situations.
Government
As a CPA, local government or even top officials in Washington, D.C., may need you to give advice on budgets, spending priorities and tax programs - along with assessments on the efficiency of government agencies. You could even be investigating white-collar crimes or assessing hazardous waste programs with the FBI. Working with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Treasury and the White House are also possible job opportunities.
Not-for-Profit
Many CPAs make a rewarding career out of working for a cause or group that's meaningful to them. Not-for-profit groups don't generate large budgets, so they need to maintain a strict financial balance. Whether a CPA works from within the organization or as an outside consultant, gratification comes with every successful fundraising campaign and new budget resource created.
Source: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants