What is the Average Salary of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)?

For accountants and especially Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), there is an endless supply of employment opportunity in both the public and private sector. As in most industries, the level of experience one has can dramatically affect compensation such as salary and benefits.

This remains true for accounting and finance professionals as credentialing can have an immediate and substantial affect on career scope. In the field of accounting and finance, credentialing is one of the fastest tracks to immediate validation, recognition, exposure, compensation, and opportunity.

The question though is which credential would most likely have the greatest affect on your career and personal financial status if earned?

Takeaways from this infographic byCPAReview:

• Graduates of 2011 earned an average salary of $50,000 while those who went on to obtain the CPA credential earned an average salary of $73,800. That's a substantial difference of $23,800.
• The growth rate for accountants and auditors is projected to be 16% between 2010 and 2020. That would equate to an extra 194,700 job openings in the U.S. alone.
• The average CPA salary is still higher than a Forensic Accountant salary ($71,637) and Financial Advisor salary ($66,580).

RELATED:How Much Can You Expect to Earn from a Career in Accounting & Audit? [STATS]

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