Job Duties and Responsibilities
The more experience the Management Accountant has in the job, the more complex the
tasks they are likely to be assigned. However just a few of the tasks might be;
cost allocation, life cycle cost analysis, product profitability, price modeling,
rate and volume analysis and many more reports. Sometimes a discipline called Throughput
Accounting is used and it's based upon the principle of identifying factors that
are preventing goal completion within a company.
Work Environment
Management Accountants would generally work within an office environment with a
traditional 40 hour work week and employee benefits. Various accounting software
and financial software may be required and some of it may be propriety software.
Employment Outlook and Opportunities
Larger corporations are recognizing the value of management accounting and the Management
Accountant professional will generally find the most employment opportunities within
the larger companies. Employment opportunities for the Management Accountant are
limited more by the size of the company than by industry.
Job growth for the Management Accountant is predicted to be faster than average
this is according to a 2006 employment outlook report generated by the US Department
of Labor.
How much does a Management Accountant make - Management Accountant Salaries and
Wages
Earnings for Management Accountants with 1 to 4 years experience is reported
to be within the $42,772-$58,958 range per year.
Earnings for the Management Accountant professional after the initial four years
are highly variable and dependent upon the employer and as well as regional factors.
Educational background and preparation, as well as certifications earned appear
to play a significant role in the earnings of the Management Accountant.
How to Become a Management Accountant
Education for Management Accountants
Almost all Accountant positions require a bachelor degree in business administration,
finance, statistics, economics, or Accounting. The better compensated positions
are usually available to the more educated candidate. Entry level positions will
require at least a bachelor degree in the aforementioned areas.
Previous experience within the accounting or finance area can help the job seeker,
as well as certifications such as from the CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants), or the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) from the Institute of
Management Accountants.
Other Qualifications
Few other careers within the accounting profession have such a direct impact upon
the policies and procedures of corporations as the Management Accountant will. This
is a profession that requires good written communication skills as well as the traditional
skills of analysis and detailed orientation and a good background in statistics.
The Management Accountant professional will not only be reporting figures, profits
and losses, but making projections and giving reasons behind the forecasts. The
successful Management Accountant will have not only all the traditional skills with
the ability to collate the various reports and make predictions and recommendations
based upon disparate facts.
Career Advancement
Those seeking career advancement within the Management Accountant field may find
that the usual course is to be promoted to positions where they supervise junior
accountants as well as collate information and make forecasts based upon others'
reports.
For more information on an exciting career in management accounting there are links
provided to various schools on this site.
Management Accountant Resources
ACPAINTL - Affiliated Conference of Practicing Accountants
International