A Master’s in Accounting does not automatically make you a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). While you do not strictly need a CPA license to work in many accounting roles—such as staff accountant, internal auditor, or bookkeeper—a CPA is required to sign audit reports, represent clients before the IRS, or work in certain public accounting roles.
Earning a master's degree from an accredited institution can help you prepare for—and pass—the exam. In an accounting master's program, you'll take classes covering advanced managerial accounting, advanced tax concepts, advanced auditing and financial accounting, and more—topics directly relevant to the CPA exam.
No, an accounting degree is not useless without a CPA; it opens many doors in corporate, government, and non-profit sectors (like financial analysis, management accounting, and internal audit), but a CPA is often essential for public accounting (especially auditing), high-level management roles (like CFO/Controller), and roles requiring public attestations, with the CPA providing a significant career boost, higher earning potential, and faster advancement, according to Bellevue University, Franklin University, Post University, and SuperfastCPA.
Absolutely not. Many accounting roles don't require CPA certification. In fact, our Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Science in Accounting are designed as non-licensure programs. That means they provide the essential accounting knowledge and skills needed for a variety of accounting careers.
Having an MSA degree can make you stand out among other candidates when applying for jobs, allowing you to secure higher-level positions with better pay and benefits. It can also make you eligible for specialized roles in areas such as forensic accounting, financial planning, or risk management.
As you work toward becoming a CPA, there are some other letters you can earn behind your name. Two of the most popular are MAcc (Master of Accountancy) and MBA (Master of Business Administration). Which ones you get, if any, is a matter of preference—so how do you know which one is right for you?
Research indicates that from 2020 to 2024, the average percentage of staff holding CPA licenses at said firms fell from 56% to 48.4%.
Comparison between CA and CPA
It is difficult to determine which of these professions offers a higher salary, as the salary of a CA or CPA can vary greatly based on several factors. However, in general, CAs tend to earn slightly more than CPAs in India.
You need a CPA for complex tax situations, business audits, IRS representation, financial audits (like for public companies or nonprofits), major life changes (marriage, divorce, inheritance), or when you need expert financial planning for retirement, estate planning, or business growth beyond basic bookkeeping, especially when dealing with investments, rental properties, or foreign accounts. Essentially, when your finances get complicated or require certified, independent verification, a CPA is essential for compliance and strategic advice.
The average salary for individuals holding a Master of Accounting (MAcc) degree is around $81,000 annually, compared to reports that a Certified Public Accountant can earn an average base salary of $76,000. Additionally, CPAs without a master's degree earn about $63,000 on the lower range of average CPA salaries.
A master's degree helps you meet the requirements to sit for the CPA exam. CPA requirements vary state by state. However, all states require earning 150 college credit hours before you can sit for the CPA exam.
In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPAs earn 10% to 25% more than non-certified accountants. However, salaries of CPAs and non-certified accountants vary by industry. They can be higher than average in industries experiencing a lot of growth, such as financial technology or software.
The Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAcy, or MAccy), alternatively Master of Science in Accounting (MSA or MSAcy) or Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcy, MPAcc, MPA or MPAc), is a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for public accounting; academic-focused variants are also offered.
Increased Earning Potential
MS in Accounting graduates can expect an even greater impact on their earning potential. Lightcast, a labor market data analytics platform, notes that roles requiring an MS in Accounting degree advertise a median salary of $107,000.
While it may not be universally acknowledged as the hardest business major, accounting is often considered more challenging than many other business degrees. This is partly due to the stringent requirements to become a certified accountant and the rigorous exams one must pass to earn professional certification.
We're also seeing very high demand for many accounting positions through 2025, from entry-level positions up to senior-level management positions. Staff accountants are essential to the day-to-day accuracy of an organization's financial operations and are often the backbone of an accounting department.
Making $500,000 a year is quite rare, placing you in roughly the top 1% (or slightly below, depending on data) of U.S. earners, with estimates suggesting only about 0.8% to 1% of individuals or households achieve this income, though government data can obscure this; it's a significant financial milestone, yet surprisingly, many high earners still feel financially stretched due to lifestyle inflation and high costs.
No, an accounting degree is not useless without a CPA; it opens many doors in corporate, government, and non-profit sectors (like financial analysis, management accounting, and internal audit), but a CPA is often essential for public accounting (especially auditing), high-level management roles (like CFO/Controller), and roles requiring public attestations, with the CPA providing a significant career boost, higher earning potential, and faster advancement, according to Bellevue University, Franklin University, Post University, and SuperfastCPA.
The accounting compensation is going to be greatly overshadowed by the finance pay. It just isn't that sexy. Accountants don't get rich through employment (with the exception of CFO/Director level executives), but it is definitely enough to put them in the upper middle class.
Which credential is more beneficial for a career in finance? A CPA is essential for specializing in accounting or tax roles, while an MBA opens doors to diverse management positions in finance, including investment banking and corporate leadership. Choose based on your career goals.