Top 10 Rewarding Career Options After Completing ACCA Qualification

Career Options After ACCA: The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is a worldwide renowned professional accounting qualification that provides a broad array of career opportunities in the fields of finance and accounting. 

Career opportunities after ACCA are financial accountants, auditors, tax consultants, management accountants, financial analysts, and risk managers. ACCA professionals can also become senior finance managers, CFO, and audit managers with promising salary opportunities across sectors. 

Career Options After ACCA Qualification

Career options after ACCA extend from accounting to finance to business consulting internationally. Salaries of ACCA professionals depend on experience, place of employment, and industry needs. Below are the top 10 lucrative jobs after ACCA.

1. Audit Manager / Senior Auditor 

Audit Manager / Senior Auditor manages the audit process for clients or within the company. They ensure that the financial statements are in keeping with the regulatory requirements. The pay falls in the range of Rs 15,00,000 - Rs 25,00,000, depending on the experience gained. 

 ACCA professionals are in demand by "Big Four" accounting firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) for these positions, which come with high responsibility and leadership roles in the team.

2. Financial Controller

Financial Controllers are crucial to an organization's financial well-being. They are responsible for all the financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and the implementation of internal controls. Financial Controllers frequently serve as a key connection between the finance team and senior executives, with a definite career path to a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position. They make approximately Rs 15,00,000 LPA, while senior specialists make up to Rs 25,00,000+ LPA.

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3. Management Accountant / Finance Manager

ACCA professionals can work as a Management Accountant/Finance Manager in a company. They are responsible for managing in-house financial, offering detailed financial analysis, cost management, and performance measurement. 

 Strategic business decisions such as budgeting and forecasting are an integral part of the job. A Finance Manager assumes more departmental responsibility, leading financial strategy, with a remuneration of approximately Rs 14,00,000 - Rs 28,00,000+ LPA.

4. Tax Consultant / Tax Manager

Career options after ACCA include Tax Consultants or Tax Managers. They are experts in intricate tax legislation and policies to counsel individuals and companies on tax planning, compliance, and optimization techniques to reduce liabilities. This is an ever-in-demand career, especially for those having international tax expertise through ACCA. Salary is approximately Rs 12,00,000 - Rs 22,00,000+ LPA.

5. Financial Analyst / Consultant

Financial Analysts analyze financial information, determine the financial position of an organization. They analyze the market and make investment, merger, and budgeting recommendations. Investment banks, financial institutions, and large companies are leading industries for Financial Analyst / Consultant with a salary between Rs 12,00,000 - Rs 24,00,000+ LPA annually.

6. Corporate Treasurer / Treasury Manager

Corporate Treasurers are one of the common career options after ACCA. They oversee the cash flow, liquidity, investments, and financial risks of a company. Treasury managers have a salary ranging from Rs 14,00,000 - Rs 22,00,000 LPA. Corporate treasurers have to ensure financial stability and usually handle capital structure choices and banking relationships.

7. Risk Manager

Risk Managers get Rs 5,00,000 - Rs 25,00,000+ LPA. It involves recognizing, evaluating, and managing various financial, operational, and market risks that may impact the assets or reputation of a firm. It is highly desired by banks, insurance firms, and large multinationals.

8. Forensic Accountant 

This specialized and dynamic field involves investigating financial discrepancies, fraud, and misconduct. Forensic Accountants use their accounting, auditing, and investigative skills to analyze complex financial data, often working closely with legal and law enforcement agencies. Salary ranges from Rs 12,00,000 - Rs 20,00,000+ LPA. 

9. Internal Auditor

Internal Auditors examine a company's business processes, governance, and internal controls to ascertain efficiency, compliance, and financial reporting reliability. They receive around Rs 12,00,000 - Rs 20,00,000+ LPA. Internal Auditors are an independent assurance and consultancy function within the company.

10. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Although this is generally a senior executive position involving extensive post-qualification experience (10+ years), ACCA is a direct route to the CFO. A CFO earns a lucrative salary of Rs 30,00,000 - Rs 80,00,000+. He/She is in charge of overall financial planning and management of a company, the highest rung on the corporate finance career ladder.

Salary of ACCA Professionals

The remuneration of ACCA professionals in India is usually determined by their experience and expertise in finance and accounting. Junior ACCA members usually begin with a modest salary, which increases immensely with experience and senior job positions. Salaries also differ based on location, industry, and company size, with leading professionals drawing handsome packages.

The following table provides an overview of the salaries of ACCA professionals based on the candidates’ experiences: 

Industries Recruiting ACCA Professionals

ACCA professionals are in demand across many industries because of their knowledge of finance, accounting, and management. ACCA professionals are being recruited by some of the biggest sectors in banking and finance, healthcare, food and beverages, and information technology.

The following are some of the sectors employing ACCA professionals:

• Banking and Financial Services
• Accounting and Auditing Firms
• Corporate Finance
• Insurance
• Management Consulting
• Government and Public Sector
• Non-Profit Organisations
• Manufacturing and Retail
• Energy and Utilities
• Technology and Information Systems