Accounting Job Key Terms

Plan your accounting career with a better understanding of positions available

By Michelle Cramer

Maybe you're great at crunching numbers, but not sure what career path to choose. Your business may need a numbers specialist, but you're not exactly sure what to look for. Accounting is the industry you may want to start with, and there are many different positions within that industry that specialize in different areas.The purpose of this article is to start you off with a better understanding of the various options within accounting, so you can make a more educated decision for your business and your future.

CPA

CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant. CPAs generally have their own businesses and provide a variety of services to the public, such as general accounting and payroll for other businesses and tax filings for businesses and individuals.
Try: Joseph Michaels provides a job description for CPAs.

Auditor

An auditor analyzes accounting reports and statements, whether they're documents or software, to make sure there are no errors in a business' records. If an auditor finds errors, it is his or her job to report it to the hiring company and make recommendations to avoid those errors in the future.
Try: Refer to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics for detailed information on auditors.

Controller

Controllers oversee all aspects of the accounting department for a company. They implement accounting policies, processes and routines, making sure that everything is operating smoothly and correctly. Once all data is compiled in an appropriate manner, controllers are responsible for presenting it to management.
Try: Visit Blue Sky Search for more information on a controller career.

Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers perform general accounting tasks for a company, such as documenting received payments (accounts receivable) and paying bills for the company (accounts payable). They balance company checkbooks and keep track of available company finances.
Try: Visit CareerPlanner for more information on bookkeeping tasks.

Financial analyst

A financial analyst does exactly that-analyzes expenses, income and the like,and reports trends and fluctuations to management. Financial analysts are also responsible for forecasting expectations for internal accounts.
Try: Find a more detailed job description for a financial analyst at Degree Source.

Payroll specialist

Payroll specialists keep track of employees' working hours, vacation time, sick days and overtime. They distribute pay checks after taking out the proper state, federal and local taxes as necessary by law and contributions toward any additional benefits for each employee.
Try: Payscale provides income information and a more detailed job description for payroll specialists. Visit iHireAccounting for brief descriptions of other accounting career paths.