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Finance & Accounting

Accountant

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Primary Secondary Post-16

Accountants play a crucial role in helping organisations and individuals manage their finances. Their work involves preparing financial statements, managing budgets, ensuring compliance with tax laws, and providing financial advice to help businesses grow. Accountants may work in public practice firms, private businesses, government departments, or as self-employed consultants. The job requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and ethical integrity. Accountants often specialise in areas such as auditing, tax, management accounting, or financial accounting.

Accountant

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📊 Statistics

Average Salary

The average salary for a qualified accountant in the UK ranges from £28,000 to £55,000 per year, with senior roles earning upwards of £70,000.

Job Opportunities

There are over 300,000 people employed as accountants and auditors in the UK, with demand particularly high in large cities.

Qualification Time

It typically takes 3 to 5 years to become a fully qualified accountant through professional bodies such as ACCA, CIMA, or ICAEW.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Tax Accountant

Specialises in preparing and submitting tax returns for individuals and businesses, ensuring compliance with HMRC regulations.

Management Accountant

Focuses on preparing financial reports and analyses to assist managers in making strategic decisions within a company.

Forensic Accountant

Investigates financial discrepancies and fraud, often working closely with law enforcement and legal teams.

Gain Relevant Qualifications

Complete GCSEs and A-levels or Equivalent

Achieve good grades in GCSEs, especially in maths and English, and consider A-levels in accounting, maths, or business studies.

Strong results in maths and English at GCSE level are important for an accountancy career. A-levels in relevant subjects will help with university or apprenticeship applications. If you do not have A-levels, equivalent qualifications such as BTECs or a relevant Level 3 diploma are also accepted.

Choose a Route: University or Apprenticeship

Decide whether to pursue a university degree in accounting or a related subject, or to apply for an accountancy apprenticeship.

A degree in accounting, finance, or business is the traditional route, but higher apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships in accountancy are excellent alternatives. Apprenticeships offer on-the-job training and study towards professional qualifications.

Gain a Professional Qualification

Work towards a recognised accountancy qualification such as AAT, ACCA, CIMA, or ICAEW.

After your initial education or apprenticeship, you will need to study for a professional qualification. The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) is a great starting point, and you can progress to chartered status with ACCA, CIMA, or ICAEW. These bodies offer study options and exams required to become a fully qualified accountant.

Build Work Experience

Apply for Placements or Part-time Roles

Look for work experience, internships, or part-time jobs in finance departments or accountancy firms.

Gaining experience in an office or finance environment is highly valued by employers and will give you insight into the day-to-day work of an accountant. Many firms offer summer placements or work experience programmes to students.

Develop Key Skills

Focus on developing skills like attention to detail, analytical ability, and communication.

Accountants need to interpret financial information, spot errors, and explain findings to clients or colleagues. Practice these skills during your studies and work experience. Participating in extra-curricular activities or volunteering for finance-related roles at school or in the community can also help.

Secure an Accountancy Role

Apply for Entry-level Jobs

Search for trainee accountant, accounting assistant, or finance administrator roles.

Once you have completed your qualifications and have some experience, you can apply for entry-level positions at accountancy firms, businesses, or in the public sector. These roles will allow you to continue your professional development and work towards chartered status if you wish.

Continue Professional Development

Keep studying and sit exams to progress towards becoming a chartered accountant.

As you gain experience, you can work towards higher professional qualifications and memberships. Chartered status opens up more senior roles and specialisms, such as tax, audit, or management accounting.

🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Accountant. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

🎓 View Apprenticeships

Career Progressions

No career progressions found for

Sample Qualifications

A management accountant is closely related to an accountant as they both handle financial data, prepare reports, and provide financial insights to support decision-making within organisations. Management accountants typically have similar qualifications and responsibilities, focusing on internal financial management rather than external accounting functions.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • combining work with studying a professional qualification

University

You could do a degree in any subject then apply for a place on a graduate training scheme to work towards a professional accountancy qualification.

If you want to take a more focused route onto a graduate scheme, you could study for an accountancy related degree, like:

  • accountancy
  • accounting and finance
  • business and management
  • maths

Some degree courses may give you exemptions from certain professional accountancy training modules.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths

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Apprenticeship

You could take your first steps towards a career as a management accountant by applying for place on an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Professional Accountancy or Taxation Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Accountancy and Taxation Professional Level 7 Apprenticeship

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

Other Routes

To become a qualified management accountant, you could train with a professional body, for example:

They all have different entry requirements and ways to qualify, so it's important to check with them which is the right route for you. If you already have relevant accounting or business-related qualifications, you may be able to qualify in a shorter time.

More Information

Career tips

Look out for ways to get experience in a company's finance department or with a financial organisation. There may be opportunities to do:

  • work shadowing
  • Easter and summer holiday schemes
  • virtual and workplace internships
  • year in industry placements

These are offered by small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large national companies. They can give you an insight into the career and help you make contacts in the sector.

Further information

You can learn more about working and training in accountancy from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

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