Manufacturing career directory
Accountants and Auditors
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.
Also called: Accountant, Accounting Officer, Audit Partner, Auditor, Cost Accountant, CPA (Certified Public Accountant), Financial Auditor, Financial Reporting Accountant, General Accountant, Internal Auditor, Account Auditor, Accounting Auditor, Accounting Consultant, Accounting Methods Analyst, Accounting Systems Analyst, Auditor in Charge, Bank Accountant, Budget Accountant, Bursar, City Auditor, Compliance Analyst, Compliance Auditor, Corporate Accountant, County Auditor, Data Processing Auditor, Field Auditor, Financial Accountant, Forensic Accountant, Fund Accountant, General Ledger Accountant, Industrial Accountant, Information Systems Auditor, Insurance Auditor, Inventory Accountant, Inventory Auditor, Medical Accountant, Medical Auditor, Mutual Fund Accountant, Payroll Auditor, Project Accountant, Property Accountant, Public Accountant, QC Auditor (Quality Control Auditor), Railroad Accountant, Railroad Auditor, Revenue Accountant, Staff Accountant, Staff Auditor, Tax Accountant, Tax Auditor, Traveling Accountant, Traveling Auditor, Traveling Repair Accountant
This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.
What the worker does
- Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Process invoices for payment.
- Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
- Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
- Prepare adjusting journal entries.
- Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
- Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
- Prepare, analyze, or verify annual reports, financial statements, and other records, using accepted accounting and statistical procedures to assess financial condition and facilitate financial planning.
- Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
- Review data about material assets, net worth, liabilities, capital stock, surplus, income, or expenditures.
Skills, machines and equipment
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Speaking
- Mathematics
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Persuasion
Education and training
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree (68.97% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET Job Zone 4: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships
Ask an employer or registered apprenticeship sponsor about current programs, eligibility, training and pay. A career profile does not confirm that a program is available.
Salary reference
67,020–109,810 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 13-2011.
Occupational-group wage references are not guaranteed pay for this specialty or an employer's offer.
Career advancement
- Develop reliable production, safety, quality, and equipment skills; explore additional processes, senior specialist, or team-lead responsibilities relevant to your workplace.
- Ask employers which demonstrated skills, education, or credentials are needed for the next role. Related careers are exploration options, not automatic promotions.
How Do I Get This Job?
- Review the skills and responsibilities above.
- Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree (68.97% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- O*NET Job Zone 4: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
- Compare real openings and confirm requirements directly with the employer.
View available jobs — availability is not guaranteed; sample listings are not real openings.
Related career information
Sources and limitations
O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. ShopFloor adapted occupational grouping, selected manufacturing-relevant occupations, and retained seven legacy guide titles. Specialties and alternative titles are grouped under O*NET occupations; these occupations can also occur outside manufacturing. Source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html. No wage, vacancy, certification, or video data is implied. ShopFloor advancement suggestions are general editorial guidance, not O*NET findings or guaranteed career progression. BLS wage ranges, when available, are national 25th–75th percentiles for the source occupational grouping, across industries; they are not local, apprentice, entry-level, or specialty-specific offers.