Educational Requirements
Candidates for CPA licensure in the state of Hawaii must hold at least a bachelor’s degree with 150 credit hours.
Salary
In May 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that 4,580 accountants and auditors were employed in Hawaii. The average wage for accountants and auditors in Hawaii in 2011 was $61,750.
CPA Licensing in Hawaii
Hawaii CPAs are licensed by the Hawaii Board of Public Accountancy. To become licensed, a person must first take the CPA exam after meeting the following academic requirements:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in accounting, OR
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in a subject other than accounting but with 18 semester hours of upper-division or graduate-level accounting subjects.
Requirements to be issued a certificate (license):
- Complete 150 hours of semester study at an institution of higher education.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree with 24 semester hours in upper-division accounting courses and 24 semester hours in upper-division non-accounting business courses.
- Pass the CPA exam.
- No ethics exam is required.
- Complete 1,500 chargeable hours in the performance of audits involving the application of generally accepted accounting principles and generally accepted auditing standards, or accrue two years full-time professional public accounting experience.
Continuing Education Requirements
Hawaii CPA certificates (licenses) are renewed biennially. Hawaii CPAs music complete 80 hours of board-approved continuing professional education (CPE) during the preceding two-year period. According to LearningMarket, candidates for license renewal are required to take four hours of ethics for each two-year period.
Accounting Jobs in Hawaii
The greatest concentration of accountants and auditors is found in Honolulu, which is a hub for business and international commerce. Three of the four “big four” accounting firms have branch offices in Honolulu, including KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Deloitte, and offer employment opportunities for Hawaii CPAs. Accountants, internal auditors, controller, and even environmental accountants are employed throughout Hawaii’s tourism, finance, and energy industries.