Accountant
Accountants provide financial and tax advice as well as business consulting services for organizations and individuals.
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Auditor, Business Analyst, Certified General Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Chartered Accountant, Chartered Professional Accountant, Comptroller, Controller, Fraud Investigator, Treasurer
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in administering accounting systems, examining financial accounts and records, preparing income tax returns from accounting records, and in maintaining internal control procedures
Interest in co-ordinating information to develop cost finding and internal control procedures; and in analyzing financial statements and reports
Interest in consulting with clients to provide financial, business and tax advice; may supervise articling students, other accountants and administrative technicians
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Accountants offer accounting services to the public or provide internal accounting services to organizations. Duties vary from one position to another. In general, accountants:
Accountants usually work in an office setting and often work in teams. Their hours vary depending on the organization and their duties. Overtime is common at budgeting time, month end, and an organization’s fiscal year end. Overtime is also common when personal income tax time approaches.
Depending on the position and the technology, some accountants may need to travel. They may be able to perform some tasks remotely while doing others from their office. Some organizations allow flexible work hours and remote working options.
Accountants need:
They should enjoy having clear technical rules, working within highly structured processes, and solving problems creatively. They should be comfortable directing others.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 100 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Sep 16, 2022 and Jun 08, 2023.
Review these skills to learn:
Attention to detail | 73 |
---|---|
Tasks: Prepare financial statements and reports | 70 |
Tasks: Analyze financial documents and reports | 70 |
Tasks: Examine accounting records | 69 |
Construction Specialization: Reliability | 65 |
Construction Specialization: Organized | 64 |
Construction Specialization: Accurate | 64 |
Tasks: Prepare reports and audit findings | 60 |
Tasks: Develop and maintain cost findings, reporting and internal control procedure | 59 |
Construction Specialization: Client focus | 57 |
Training to become an accountant involves a combination of related post-secondary education and practical experience.
Accountants who provide public accounting services must be designated as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta (CPA Alberta). For more details, see Certification Requirements and the CPA Alberta website.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
Certain professional titles or duties within this occupation are protected by provincial legislation. Requirements vary if you use these titles or perform these duties.
The related legislation is shown below. If there are multiple related legislations, select a certification heading to learn about each one.
Chartered Professional Accountants provide financial reporting and consulting services for organizations and individuals.
As of July 1, 2015 Alberta's 3 regulated accounting designations, Chartered Accountants, Certified General Accountants and Certified Management Accountants, have been merged into a single designation, Chartered Professional Accountant.
Under Alberta’s Chartered Professional Accountants Act [pdf] and Chartered Professional Accountants Regulation [pdf], Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) is a protected title. Therefore, to call yourself a Chartered Professional Accountant, you must register as a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants Alberta (CPA Alberta). You do not have to register with CPA Alberta if you do not call yourself a Chartered Professional Accountant. However, you must be registered to provide professional accounting services, such as audits or review engagements.
All CPAs who are members in good standing with CPA Alberta and were registered as a Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified General Accountant (CGA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) can continue to use their previous designations.
For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Accountant.
Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Accountants work for a wide variety of organizations including:
They may be salaried employees or work on a fee-for-service basis.
Experienced individuals with professional accounting designations may advance to management positions or teach at the post-secondary level. Those in public accounting firms can move through the ranks of senior staff to become managers and partners.
In industry, experienced accountants can become controllers, treasurers, chief financial officers, or senior executives.
In government, accountants may work as:
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
In the 1111: Financial auditors and accountants occupational group, 78.0% of people work in:
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, the 1111: Financial auditors and accountants occupational group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1.8% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 541 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.
Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.
Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
---|---|---|---|---|
Starting | $18.00 | $57.20 | $32.76 | $30.63 |
Overall | $23.96 | $65.91 | $41.04 | $38.00 |
Top | $27.40 | $83.78 | $51.41 | $46.34 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
Oil & Gas Extraction | $105,764 |
---|---|
Transportation and Warehousing | $97,285 |
Utilities | $91,520 |
Educational Services | $88,434 |
Public Administration | $86,241 |
ALL INDUSTRIES | $79,752 |
Construction | $79,395 |
Manufacturing | $77,723 |
Information, Culture, Recreation | $76,821 |
Business, Building and Other Support Services | $76,203 |
Agriculture | $73,592 |
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | $72,493 |
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Leasing | $72,235 |
Wholesale Trade | $69,453 |
Health Care & Social Assistance | $68,676 |
Retail Trade | $68,125 |
Other Services (Repair, Personal Services and Related) | $58,783 |
Accommodation & Food Services | $53,277 |
Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta (CPA Alberta) website: www.cpaalberta.ca
Chartered Professional Accountants Western School of Business (CPAWSB) website: www.cpawsb.ca
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2020. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.