Public accountants can look forward to reasonable pay bumps next year, according to the 2013 Salary Guide for Financial and Accounting from staffing and placement company Robert Half.
The annual guide, which is compiled from Robert Half staff’s knowledge of the finance and accounting markets across the country, didn’t single out any individual positions at accounting firms for particularly strong salary growth, with most job titles expected to see growth somewhere between 3.2 percent and 3.6 percent, and the lowest increase expected to come in around 2.6 percent.
The projected range for positions in corporate accounting is expected to be a little wider, between 2.7 percent and 4.5 percent.
Overall, the guide noted strong and increasing demand for accounting and finance employees. In public accounting, audit and tax professionals, as well as experts in niche areas, such as forensic accounting or IT audits, are highly sought after. Accounting firms will need to do more to retain staff in the future, the guide warned.
Being a CPA remains as valuable as always to job candidates, but other designations and credentials are also in demand throughout the job market, including the Certified Systems Auditor, the Chartered Financial Analyst, the Certified Internal Auditor, the Certified Management Accountant, the Certified Payroll Professional, and the AICPA’s new Chartered Global Management Accountant. Experience with Excel, Access, and frequently used software packages such as QuickBooks and Microsoft Dynamics GP are also valuable.
The guide, which includes a converter to help firms localize national salary expectations to their particular region, is
