Educational Requirements
Before you can apply to be an Arizona CPA, you have to meet specific education and work experience requirements defined by the Arizona State Board of Accountancy. The Board has slightly different and more rigorous educational requirements than those needed to take the Uniform CPA Exam. To sit for the exam, Arizona candidates need to have a bachelor’s degree and at least 24 semester hours in accounting courses. Whereas those seeking CPA licensure need a bachelor’s degree and 150 total hours of postsecondary education, which includes a minimum of 36 hours in mostly upper-level accounting courses and 30 hours of related courses.
Salary
According to a report by theBureau of Labor Statistics, Arizona accountants made a median annual wage of $61,320 in 2011. There were also 18,630 accountants employed in Arizona that same year. Job prospects should be excellent for licensed CPAs and those who’ve earned professional recognition.
CPA Licensing in Arizona
The first step toward CPA licensure in Arizona is meeting all of the educational requirements to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam. Arizona candidates must meet the following:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
- Complete 24 accounting semester hours of which 12 come from intermediate accounting theory, advanced accounting, cost accounting, auditing theory and practice, income taxes, or advanced accounting classes, or any combination of board-satisfactory courses; and another 18 hours in related courses.
Once you’ve fulfilled the educational requirements mentioned above, you must take the CPA exam and complete these next steps to be granted certification:
- Pass all four parts of CPA exam.
- Complete 150 total hours of postsecondary education, which includes a minimum of 36 hours in mostly upper-level accounting courses and 30 hours of accounting-related courses.
- Complete at least one year of work in the office of a CPA or public accountant, or in private industry or a government agency that has provided adequate public accounting experience. The Board may accept part-time employment, volunteer, or intern work as a substitute as long as it is deemed equivalent public accounting work experience.
- Pass AICPA Professional Ethics Exam for initial licensure.
Continuing Education Requirements
Arizona CPAs have to renew their permit to practice public accounting every two years by continuing their professional education. Here, CPAs are required to complete 80 hours of continuing professional education during the two-year period after each biennial license renewal.
Accounting Jobs in Arizona
Arizona has many exciting career opportunities for accountants, most of which are located in the Phoenix metro area. The biggest industries for accountants in Arizona are in finance and insurance, technology, state and local government, and manufacturing. Arizona is also home to many big, national accounting firms like Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young.