💡 Why it matters: Every company, school and government body must keep honest records of its money. Chartered accountants keep the books and are trusted to tell the truth about them.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦2.5M – ₦6M
- Mid-career
- ₦8M – ₦18M
- Senior
- ₦18M – ₦45M
≈ ₦667k – ₦1.5M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Closest UK job: Private practice accountant. Typical starter to experienced salary. National Careers Service, 2026
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Accountants and auditors. Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Job Bank occupation: Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified General Accountant (CPA, CGA). Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Prepare and check company accounts
- Make sure money records follow the law
- Advise bosses on spending and saving
- Work out tax and prepare reports
- Spot errors and unusual transactions
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Maths
- Attention to detail
- Honesty
- Analysis
- Communication
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Start as a trainee at an accounting firm
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Accountancy apprenticeship (levels 3 to 7) with a firm
- Graduate training contracts at accountancy firms
🇺🇸 United States
- Internships at accounting firms
- Start as a bookkeeper or staff accountant
🇨🇦 Canada
- Co-op programs with accounting firms
- Start as an accounting clerk or staff accountant
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Maths, Accounting and Economics in school
- 2Take an Accounting degree
- 3Start as a trainee at an accounting firm
- 4Pass your professional accounting exams
- 5Move up to senior accountant, partner or finance director
⏰ A day in the life
You open the accounts for a bakery client and find a payment that was entered twice. You fix it, check the tax figures for the month and explain the results to the owner in plain words.