Educational Requirements
The CPA licensing and regulating body of Nebraska is the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy, and the requirements for obtaining and keeping a CPA license are laid out in the Public Accountancy Act. Applicants must meet certain educational requirements to sit for the CPA examination, including completing 150 semester hours and earning a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. A certain number of accounting classes and general business classes must be taken. A person may sit for the Nebraska CPA exam if they expect to finish the required courses and degree within 60 days of taking the test.
Salary
The average annual wage for accountants in Nebraska is $64,570, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state has an average concentration of accountants, with about 7,700 employed statewide. Nationally, employment for accountants and auditors is expected to increase as stricter laws and lending standards come into effect. Professional recognition, like becoming a CPA, expands an accountants job prospects.
CPA Licensing in Nebraska
To hold themselves out to the public as a CPAs, candidates must have a certificate and a permit to practice. To apply for a certificate, you must be a resident of Nebraska, have a place of business, or be regularly employed in the state; and you must have passed the CPA exam, as well as the AICPA‘s Professional Ethics self-study exam.
To sit for the CPA exam in Nebraska, applicants must meet these requirements or plan to meet them within 60 days of taking the exam and show proof of meeting them within 90 days:
- Completed 150 semester hours (or 225 quarter hours) of postsecondary education
- Earned a baccalaureate or higher degree from a college or university accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools or another agency determined to be acceptable by the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy
- Completed 30 semester hours in accounting beyond accounting principles courses
- Completed 36 semester hours in general business
The application for a permit to practice requires the applicant to have 4,000 hours of accounting experience in a period not less than two years within a licensed, registered CPA firm, and under the direct supervision of a CPA with an active permit to practice. Permits must be renewed every two years.
Continuing Education Requirements
To continue to be a CPA in Nebraska with an active permit, accountants must have completed 80 hours of continuing education within the preceding two calendar years, including four hours of ethics. The Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy accepts courses approved by the National Association State Board of Accountancy and the Quality Assurance Standards, as well as those that contribute to professional development and technical competence that are approved by the board.
Accounting Jobs in Nebraska
Agriculture, including both farming and raising livestock, is a major industry in Nebraska, so agricultural accountants are a valuable asset in the state. Those looking to go into this type of accounting should be familiar with cash basis accounting, farm equipment, and the standards used by the Farm Financial Standards Council. Opportunities for accountants and financial managers also exist in the manufacturing, private health care, data processing, and engineering industries.