January 11, 2008, Newsletter Issue #30: Prospective Earnings with an Associate's Degree in Accounting

Tip of the Week

Your potential earnings after you have earned an Associate's degree in accounting depends on three primary concerns. Where you work geographically, what you do, and how long you’ve been doing it. Your job title influences your compensation regardless of your location, as the level of responsibility strongly dictates salary levels. Your work experience level also has a large effect on your earnings. Here are some compensation levels you can use for comparisons:
Full charge bookkeeper: Between $29,000 and $40,000 Accounting assistant: Between $28,000 and $39,000 Auditing assistant: Between $27,000 and $38,000 Office manager: Between $29,000 and $42,000 The above are rough median numbers, somewhere in the average middle of pay ranges. If you work in New York, Massachusetts, California, etc., your compensation will increase by 10 percent to 40 percent, depending on your proximity to one of their major cities. Should you work in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, you should deduct about 10 percent to 25 percent. Experience can be an equally important factor. If you already have two to five years’ experience in your field, you can expect to earn 10 percent to 50 percent more than basic salary ranges. Be aware, different industries will also compensate identical job titles and descriptions higher or lower than median estimates because of your perceived responsibility level within that industry. Also, be prepared to be “flexible” in the event your current employer fails to appreciate and compensate you for your newly acquired expertise.

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