Management Accountant Careers

Job Summary:
Management Accountants are usually employed by organizations. They analyse accounts with a view to provide meaningful and timely information to management. They use various financial ratios and statistical tools to provide management with an accurate picture of the business, which helps them take necessary preventive or corrective action.

Qualification:
Four years bachelor's degree plus Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification conferred by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

The estimated number of accountants and auditors in 2003 were around 1.2 Million. Management Accountants start their career as junior Cost Accountants and progressively rise up the ladder in the Finance department.

Salary Range:
On an average, accountants with up to 1year of experience earned about $ 40,000, senior accountants earned about $ 65,000, Managers earned about $ 75.000. Salaries depend on size and complexity of the job, location, education level and professional qualifications.

Prospects:
Management Accountants are not as much in demand compared to public accountants as the scope of the job is limited to providing feedback to management. This is a specialized function and the number of management accountants required by a company are usually very few. However, it is a very high profile function within the finance department of an organization and a good management accountant gets noticed by top management quickly as the job offers plenty of visibility and direct interaction.