What is the prospect of certified public accountants? Is it worth taking the exam?

Before many people take the CPA exam, one of the most tangled questions is, if you start taking the CPA exam now, will it be useful in three years? After all, the number of business entities in China is there, and a certified public accountant can sign numerous reports. If everyone takes the CPA exam, will the career prospects be as good as before?

I. Analysis on the Development of Certified Public Accountants

By the end of March, 2065438+2007, the number of certified public accountants and non-certified public accountants in China had reached 220,000. According to the number of certified public accountants this year, it is estimated that the number of registered accountants will increase this year compared with previous years, and the number of certified public accountants may increase to about 240,000.

However, in terms of regional distribution, there are obvious differences between the east and the west. CPAs in East China account for 30. 16% of the national total, and the proportion of non-practicing members is even higher, accounting for 42. 17% of the national total. Beijing has the largest number of certified public accountants and Shanghai has the largest number of non-practicing members.

Compared with East China, the economic development of the central and western regions lacks the support of high-end accountants, which will hinder the economic development to some extent. Therefore, in recent years, many governments, including Wuhan, Chengdu and Xi, have regarded the certificate of certified public accountant as an important talent standard to attract high-end talents. At the same time, Beishangguang and other regions are still seeking the presence of high-end accounting talents.

This also fully shows that the existing certified public accountants can not meet the needs of China's economic construction and development. There is still a big gap in certified public accountants in China, and this situation will not change easily for a long time to come.

With the beginning of the reform of accounting industry, the accounting certificate system has changed, and the application of AI technology has become more mature. Financial people have to face the coming competitive pressure and challenges, and becoming a high-end financial person has become the best choice at present.

Therefore, in the next few years, the number of registered accountants will continue to rise, which is also the trend that the accounting industry must face now. According to the integration of industry development and the development speed of emerging industries, the functions and work of certified public accountants in the future may be further broadened.

Second, career prospects and trend analysis

As "the first accounting test in China", certified public accountants have a high degree of recognition in China, and have the only right to sign and audit, which is the goal pursued by many accountants. Practicing in an accounting firm, CPA is a professional and high-level performance. Working in the accounting field, you have the right to speak with CPA. Therefore, for those who want to engage in the accounting industry, getting CPA means getting a good development prospect.

Certified public accountants are divided into practicing and non-practicing, and their employment prospects will also be emphasized. A certified public accountant is usually what we call a certified public accountant in the strict sense, and generally works in an accounting firm. Domestic accounting firms are divided into international and local choice directions.

Four major accounting firms: The four major accounting firms have always been in the first echelon of international accounting firms, and they are also the preferred employment direction for many accounting students, and they have higher requirements for candidates. However, in recent years, with the development of local accounting firms, the competitive advantages of the four major companies are gradually narrowing. When recruiting fresh graduates, the Big Four will not impose great restrictions on majors, but will require employees to take CPA exams after they join the company.

The four employment prospects have great advantages in salary and career direction. In the Big Four, the average annual salary of certified public accountants is generally around 300,000-400,000. If you can become a partner, it is common to earn millions a year.

Local accounting firms: According to the statistics of CICPA, by the end of 20 13, the number of accounting firms in China had reached 8,209, including 40 firms with securities and futures business qualifications, and 44 of the top 100 firms had business income exceeding 1 100 million yuan. It can be seen that the development of accounting firms further increases the demand for holders of certified public accountants.

Among the local accounting firms, the influence of the eight local accounting firms is gradually improving. In the past two years, Ruihua and Lixin have repeatedly surpassed the international top four and squeezed into the top five accounting firms in China. Choosing the local top eight is also a very optimistic direction for CPA holders.

In addition, it is the main employment direction of non-practicing certified public accountants. Almost all senior financial institutions or places with senior accounting positions will have certified public accountants.

Large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises: state-owned enterprises attach great importance to certified public accountants, and the initial salary level may be relatively low. However, after getting the CPA certificate, the promotion speed in large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises will be very fast. Generally, if you are a financial manager or chief financial officer, the average annual salary can reach about 300,000. Moreover, state-owned enterprises are relatively stable and the work pressure will be relatively small.

Government finance department: Many government finance departments not only need to pass the unified civil service examination, but also need the certificate of certified public accountant in the recruitment process, otherwise there is no interview opportunity. This is enough to prove that the government departments attach importance to the gold content of certified public accountants and the demand for certified public accountants.

Commercial banks: As the pillar of China's economic development, commercial banks have always had a great demand for certified public accountants. Take China Bank, one of the four largest banks in China, as an example. When recruiting senior positions such as senior account manager, product manager and senior investment consultant, China Bank not only requires high academic qualifications and work experience, but also indicates that it must hold certificates such as certified public accountant and FRM.

Investment banks: Famous foreign investment banks include Goldman Sachs, Morgan and Deutsche Bank. These investment banks not only have a very high position in the financial circle, but also their salaries are beyond the reach of many people. If you add the annual salary and the dividend at the end of the year, it is basically around 80- 1 10,000. The words of domestic investment banks usually appear in the form of a department of securities firms. The investment banking department of CITIC Securities is well-known in the industry, so the requirements for candidates are also relatively high.

Consulting companies: As far as consulting companies are concerned, MBB, McKinsey, Bain and Boston are the three most famous consulting companies. Although the consulting companies in China are not so big at present, the future market and development potential are still great. CPA can give you a threshold to enter a consulting company, and you can also study MBA to enhance your value. If you are a senior project manager or even a partner, it is normal to earn millions or even tens of millions a year.

Third, the future development trend of certified public accountants

Under the influence of the reform of AI technology and certificate system in accounting industry, the development trend of certified public accountants candidates is also changing greatly. Mainly reflected in three aspects: First, the number of applicants increased; Second, the attendance rate of the examination room has improved; Third, the overall level of preparation has improved. So there may be two outcomes in the future.

In a short time, the number of certified public accountants has increased rapidly. Judging from the recent trend, the competitive pressure of accountants is greater than ever before, so it is more active to apply for certified public accountants. The increase in the number of applicants and attendance rate means that candidates pay more attention to the importance of certified public accountants in their career development and will prepare for exams more seriously, so the number of certified public accountants will grow faster. And in the last five years, this trend will not change.

The employment direction is more extensive. The emergence of more high-end accountants in the future will certainly promote the development of new accounting fields, and more high-end accounting posts will be created at that time, which will also broaden the employment direction of certified public accountants. This is not only the future development trend of the industry, but also the opportunity and challenge for financiers. It is best to prepare for new development opportunities that may arise.

Fourth, give some suggestions to candidates preparing for CPA preparation.

Accounting major is still exporting to the society, and many candidates begin to pursue CPA in a short time in the big environment, hoping to improve their competitiveness as soon as possible. But in this process, learning is always more important than exams. Bian Xiao gives some suggestions to candidates who want to prepare for CPA, hoping to help each candidate establish a correct view of examination.

Make your own career development plan. Don't blindly take the exam because of a temporary fever. You should make a complete plan for your career development and formulate your own preparation strategies under the guidance of the plan, including completing the exam in several years, taking a few subjects first and then taking a few subjects, so that you can keep up with your career development.

Prepare for CPA with a learning attitude. CPA is very difficult. Many candidates take the CPA exam with a 60-point mentality, so when they sprint before the exam, they deeply feel that they have fallen into the whirlpool of forgetting to learn, so the key is to really understand it and make CPA truly become their professional advantage and weapon in the follow-up work.