Audit

• A certified general accountant provides external audit services to a company, a government agency or a non-profit entity. An auditor ensures that a firm's internal controls, processes and mechanisms are "adequate," "functional" and in adherence to regulatory requirements, industry practices and corporate policies. A procedure is "adequate" if it clearly states instructions for job performance and decision-making. An effective control remedies internal problems properly.
  
  

Tax Advisory

• A CPA providing tax advisory services to a company helps file quarterly and annual regulatory filings. In the U.S., Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules require a for-profit entity to file periodic income information. A CPA also analyzes a corporation's tax reporting systems to ensure that they are adequate (and functional) and may recommend tax-saving strategies.
  
  

Financial Accounting

• A certified general accounting ensures that a company's financial statements are "fair," complete and in adherence to generally accepted accounting principles ("fair" means "correct" in accounting terminology). Complete financial statements exhibit four data sets: a balance sheet, an income statement, a statement of cash flows and a shareholders' equity statement.
  
  

Education/Training

• A certified general accountant usually has a bachelor's degree in accounting, tax or auditing but could hold a higher degree---such as a master's or a doctorate. A specialist could hold a degree in liberal arts, but 24 semester hours must be in auditing, tax or accounting. A CPA must take minimum continuing professional education (CPE) hours every year to comply with a state board of accounting's licensing rules.
  
  

Salary

• A CPA's salary depends on industry, company size, experience and length of service. Compensation levels also may depend on a specialist's academic training. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that median wages of CPAs were $59,430 in 2008, with the bottom 10 percent earning less than $36,720, and the top 10 percent earning more than $102,380.
  
  

Work Hours/Locations

• A general accountant typically lives in a city and works long hours, that is, more than 40 hours a week. This audit specialist also may travel to meet with clients and could spend days or weeks on client sites. For example, a CPA auditing a Texas-based oil and gas drilling company may travel to Africa to review the company's operations in that region.
  
  

Career Development

• A certified general accountant experienced in tax, audit and financial accounting processes could become a partner at an accounting firm after 10 to 15 years. This specialist also could work in private business---or for a government entity---as a chief financial officer, a controller or a finance director. A CPA also could teach at a university or a college and engage in research.