Accountant Career Path: From Staff Accountant to Controller
Updated · By Andrew Johnson, OneTwo Resume
Data: BLS OES May 2025 (national median annual wage), BLS Employment Projections education and training table (2025), O*NET OnLine. Sources checked .
What is the typical accountant career path?
Each row below is a step documented by BLS or O*NET. Pay is the national median for the step’s whole occupation across all experience levels; where a step is a level inside an occupation, BLS publishes no separate figure and none is shown.
| Step | Typical education and experience | Median pay (May 2025) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EntryStaff or junior accountant | Bachelor's degree; no related work experience typically required | $83,680Accountants and Auditors (SOC 13-2011) | BLS |
| Mid-careerSenior accountant (often a CPA) | Experience and added responsibility; a CPA license needs 150 semester hours of college coursework, a national exam and other state requirements | Not published separately; counted in Accountants and Auditors | BLS |
| Senior / leadAccounting manager or controller | Bachelor's degree; 5 years or more of related work experience | $166,570Financial Managers (SOC 11-3031) | BLS |
| Senior / leadChief financial officer (CFO) | Experience as a financial manager (BLS) | Not published by BLS | BLS |
| Adjacent moveFinancial analyst | Bachelor's degree; no related work experience typically required | $102,740Financial and Investment Analysts (SOC 13-2051) | O*NET |
| Adjacent moveBudget analyst | Bachelor's degree; no related work experience typically required | $91,640Budget Analysts (SOC 13-2031) | BLS |
| Adjacent moveManagement analyst (consultant) | Bachelor's degree; Less than 5 years of related work experience | $101,860Management Analysts (SOC 13-1111) | BLS |
Education and experience columns for steps with a BLS occupation are the BLS Employment Projections assignments (typical education needed for entry; work experience in a related occupation; on-the-job training). Steps without their own occupation are described from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
How do you become a senior accountant?
By gaining experience and taking on more responsibility, which is how BLS describes the move from entry-level public accountant to senior positions. Many accountants also pursue the CPA license, required for anyone filing reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which takes 150 semester hours of coursework and a national exam. Moving on to accounting manager or controller generally means 5 years or more of related experience, the typical BLS requirement for financial managers.
What can an accountant move into?
Within accounting, BLS says public accountants often move into management accounting or internal auditing, and management accountants and internal auditors move between those two tracks; moving from them into public accounting is less common. Outside the occupation, BLS and O*NET list financial analyst, budget analyst and management analyst as similar work, and financial manager (accounting manager, controller, treasurer) as the step up.
How long does it take to become a controller?
BLS lists the typical entry route for financial managers, the occupation that includes controllers, as a bachelor’s degree plus 5 years or more of experience in a related business or financial occupation. For a CPA, the 150-hour education requirement is 30 semester hours beyond the usual 4-year bachelor’s degree, and many schools offer a 5-year combined bachelor’s and master’s program to meet it. BLS does not publish typical years between specific accounting titles.
What does each step involve, and which skills does it use?
What the sources say about each step, with the skills listed on our resume example for that role where we have one.
Entry
Staff or junior accountant
Accountants and auditors typically need a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field such as business; some employers prefer a master’s. BLS notes that management accountants often start as cost accountants, junior internal auditors or trainees, and that people with an associate’s degree, as well as bookkeepers and accounting clerks who meet employer requirements, may get junior accounting positions and advance by showing their skills on the job.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- GAAP
- General Ledger Accounting
- Month-End Close
- Account Reconciliations
- Financial Statement Preparation
- Journal Entries and Accruals
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Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors · O*NET OnLine: Accountants and Auditors · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025)
Mid-career
Senior accountant (often a CPA)
BLS: entry-level public accountants may advance to senior positions as they gain experience and take on more responsibility. Any accountant who files a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission must be a licensed CPA, and all states require CPA candidates to complete 150 semester hours of college coursework, 30 more than the usual 4-year bachelor’s degree.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors
Senior / lead
Accounting manager or controller
BLS lists accounting manager, budget director, chief cost accountant and manager of internal auditing as common next steps for management accountants, with some becoming controllers or treasurers. These roles are classed as financial managers, who typically need a bachelor’s degree plus 5 years or more of experience in a business or financial occupation such as accountant. Accounting supervisor and financial reporting manager are among O*NET’s reported titles for the occupation.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Financial Analysis
- Budgeting and Forecasting
- Risk Management
- Strategic Planning
- Financial Reporting
- Capital Allocation
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Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Financial Managers · O*NET OnLine: Financial Managers · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025) · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors
Senior / lead
Chief financial officer (CFO)
BLS: experienced financial managers may advance to become chief financial officers, the executives responsible for the accuracy of an organization’s financial reporting. BLS also notes that some top executives have a background in accounting, internal auditing or finance.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Financial Managers · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors
Adjacent move
Financial analyst
Listed by BLS as an occupation similar to accountants and auditors, and by O*NET as a related occupation. The typical entry requirement is also a bachelor’s degree.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Financial Modeling
- Data Analysis
- Forecasting
- Budgeting
- Variance Analysis
- Excel
Resume example · Interview questions · Cover letter example
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Financial and Investment Analysts (profile) · O*NET OnLine: Financial and Investment Analysts · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025) · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors · O*NET OnLine: Accountants and Auditors (related occupations)
Adjacent move
Budget analyst
A similar occupation per BLS and a related occupation per O*NET; BLS also names budget director as a management-accounting promotion.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Financial Analysis
- Budget Management
- Variance Analysis
- Forecasting
- Resource Allocation
- Financial Reporting
Resume example · Interview questions · Cover letter example
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Budget Analysts · O*NET OnLine: Budget Analysts · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025) · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors · O*NET OnLine: Accountants and Auditors (related occupations)
Adjacent move
Management analyst (consultant)
BLS lists management analysts among occupations similar to accountants; the role typically asks for less than 5 years of related work experience on top of a bachelor’s degree.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Data Analysis
- Strategic Planning
- Process Improvement
- Project Management
- Financial Modeling
- Performance Metrics
Resume example · Interview questions · Cover letter example
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts · O*NET OnLine: Management Analysts · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025) · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors
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How much do you earn at each step of the accountant career path?
National median annual wages from BLS OES May 2025, for each step's whole occupation across all experience levels: Staff or junior accountant: $83,680 (Accountants and Auditors); Accounting manager or controller: $166,570 (Financial Managers); Financial analyst: $102,740 (Financial and Investment Analysts); Budget analyst: $91,640 (Budget Analysts); Management analyst (consultant): $101,860 (Management Analysts). BLS does not publish pay for levels inside an occupation, such as senior or lead titles.
Do you need a CPA to advance as an accountant?
Not always. BLS says a CPA license is required for any accountant who files a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission; other accountants choose to become CPAs to improve job prospects or gain clients. BLS also describes specialty certification as an advantage in the job market.
Can you become an accountant with an associate’s degree?
Sometimes. BLS notes that people with an associate’s degree, as well as bookkeepers and accounting and auditing clerks who meet employer requirements, may get junior accounting positions and advance by showing their skills on the job. The typical entry requirement is still a bachelor’s degree.
Can a management accountant move into public accounting?
It happens, but BLS describes it as less common than the reverse: public accountants often move into management accounting or internal auditing, while management accountants and internal auditors mostly move between those two tracks.
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