Accountant

Accountancy trainees need to pass professional exams set by an accountancy body before they gain chartered status. There is no set career path for accountants – they have increasingly diverse responsibilities in areas such as financial analysis, risk management, auditing and financial advising. After gaining some experience, many qualified accountants move into other areas of work, heading for such high-profile positions as chief financial officer or financial director.

According to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI), 9 out of the top 10 Irish Stock Exchange (ISEQ) companies have a chartered accountant as their financial director. Accountancy is a well-paid profession, with fully qualified accountants among the top earners in the country. Newly qualified accountants earn from €28,000 to €38,000 per annum, and this can rise rapidly. The average salary for an accountant working in a public practice is approximately €80,000 a year. Accountants working in business or industry are often promoted to management posts where the salaries can be even higher.

Job roles in this area include the following:

Financial Accountant
Financial Controller
Tax Manager
Cost Accountant
Payroll Manager
Credit Controller
Business Analyst

Further Resources

The Institute of Chartered Accountants
CA House
83 Pembroke Road
Dublin 4
Phone: 01 637 7200
Email: ca@icai.ie
Web: www.icai.ie

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA Ireland)
9 Leeson Park
Dublin 6
Phone: 01 498 8900
Email: recruit.dublin@ie.accaglobal.com
Web: http://ireland.accaglobal.com

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland
9 Ely Place
Dublin 2
Phone: 01 6767353
Web: www.cpaireland.ie

The Institute of Incorporated Public Accountants in Ireland
24 O'Connell Street
Waterford
Phone: 051 843677
Web: www.iipa.ie
Email: iipa@eircom.net