Tax Accounting Programs in Illinois

Educational Information:

When it comes to examining all of the financial transactions of a business or private individual, an auditor is the one responsible for doing just that. Their job is to make sure there isn’t any fraudulent activity going on around the business and waste is kept to a minimum.

Licensing Information:

Even though you might not need a specific license to work as an auditor, you can get your CPA certification to help you land even more jobs in the area. To get your CPA licensing, you need to have your bachelor degree, 150 credit hours of study at an accredited institution, completion of the AICPA ethics course and meet certain educational requirements as set out by the board. Partaking in the ethics class is important because you are going to be working in a position looking for fraud daily.

Employment Information:

All of the major accounting firms have offices in the downtown Chicago area. PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Ernst & Young and Deloitte are major gateways for those looking for work in an auditing position. Even though some individuals with their auditing degrees might work as tax preparers, enrolled agents or bookkeepers, the main position held is that of tax auditor. With more than 30 Fortune 500 companies in Chicago, you can see the potential job opportunities for auditing professionals is plentiful. Working as an internal auditor, financial controller and more is within your grasp in Illinois.

As of May 2020, accounting professionals earned an average salary of $76,800 in Illinois, while tax preparers here earned an average salary of $45,750. Between 2018 and 2028, the number of accountant and auditor jobs in the state is projected to increase by 5%, and the number of tax preparer jobs is projected to decrease by 1%.

About 5,840 annual job openings for accountants and 4,100 annual job openings for tax preparers are expected during this ten-year period leading to 2028 due to a combination of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market trends for accountants and auditors and tax preparers. Figures represent state data, not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed April 2021.

Job growth projections for accountants and auditors and tax preparers sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored O*Net database and based on state-specific information (2018-2028)