Accountants Stressing Over Job Security

“Recently just finished an internship position with the government, in audit, I realized that I can make decent money forever and have good job security, ik the earning potential is lower in government than industry, but honestly I don’t really want to work that hard in my life, the industry hours sound ridiculous, so working 7.5 hours a day and only working long hours in busy season sounds like a peaceful life to me, what are the downsides of this situation submitted by /u/Proud-Buy-”

“Hi, I just got my first full-time job as a local government accountant. I make $57k in a LCOL area. I have good benefits and a pension I put 7% of my paycheck into that my job will match 200% at retirement (in 20 yrs). I also think we get a 5% COLA raise every year. I have two bachelor's degree, one in Information Systems and Accounting. I'm also studying for the CPA (I bought Becker before I got my job so might as well). I have the ability to get other degrees for free (bachelor's,”

“I’m early in my accounting career and torn between two very different opportunities. Option 1: Government Accounting Clerk • W-2 position with benefits and stability • Around $43k–$45k starting salary • Clear career progression through higher accounting clerk levels and other accounting roles • More structured environment and defined responsibilities • Would give me municipal/government accounting experience Option 2: Nonprofit Accounting / Reconciliation Role • Remote independent contractor pos”

“Senior accountant industry here age 56 salary 101k have an opportunity to interview for local government 75k. Had good reviews for past 3 years but suddenly (2 months ago) was told I don’t do enough and shown a log that actually shows a lot of work but spun in a way that my output is not enough. After that about 3-4 weeks of intense micromanagement , email paper trail with others suddenly being ccd etc. Now the past 5 weeks suddenly has been real quiet again. Not sure if I’m safe again or not an”

“I’ve been in accounting 15 years. Recently got my CPA (2 years ago). I’ve been in local government for 9 of those years. Any suggestions on how to get into auditing governmental entities? There appears to be a shortage of firms willing to audit. Looking for someone to provide insight on how to enter the field as well as possibly mentor me if I were to make the jump. TIA! submitted by /u/bdub0803 [link] [comments]”

“Going to accept an offer for a local gov senior accountant job , my background is 3 years of public accounting. Will I be pigeonholed into gov accounting for the rest of my career ? Will have CPA complete soon. submitted by /u/Defiant-Angle1108 [link] [comments]”

“I have an interview for a local government Senior Accountant at a medium sized city , MCOL coming up in a few days. I am a senior in assurance with 3 years of experience , but no governmental accounting experience. It says the job is noncompetitive which I am not 100 percent sure what that means. Will it be hard for me to land this job based off of my background or is it typical to get a government job with no experience ? submitted by /u/South_Scar_1751 [link] [comments]”

“I’m considering switching from public accounting to a government accounting position. The pay would be higher, and I’d also be leaving a toxic workplace, which I really need. My biggest concern is job security and potential government layoffs. For those who work in government accounting, is this something I should realistically be worried about? Would you make the switch? submitted by /u/Accomplished_Win9552 [link] [comments]”

“My other post gave me alot of insight so now Im wondering People who have government jobs chime in Tell me anything you want, the position your in, the pay, etc Is a CPA as valued in these positions and are you able to get the requirements for it while in government submitted by /u/jrod120794 [link] [comments]”

“25M, living in a LCOL area, I just bought a home and feel very concerned with quitting my current job to go into public accounting due to possible layoffs or getting fired. I work for a private company that is flexible and is going through a lot of growth, so it’s a very secure position for me, I like what I do and I love the environment but I feel like my career would progress a lot faster if I were to go into public accounting early on. I am very involved in the company and practically do the”

“For context, I was offered is a fund accountant 1, pay is around 68K plus 5% bonus. I work in state government at a staff level, and work 40 hr weeks for around 53K. I like my job and I think the work is way more interesting than a typical accounting role. I’ve been with the job for around a 8 months and will be promoted soon. The issue is that I got offered a role at a bank for an alternative investment fund accountant and I am unsure if I would like doing that kind of work full time. My curren”

“Any success stories for those who have transitioned out of government into either public or private? If so, how many years were you in government and did you have your CPA at the time you left? Everyone on here makes it seem impossible and that working in government is career suicide in this profession. submitted by /u/Lonely_Worldliness84 [link] [comments]”

“I’m a very recent graduate (literally finished my masters of accounting in July). I started an almost fully remote state tax auditor role in my city (MCOL that has no state income tax) with a pay of around 40k (with salary progression to around 60k in three years) a few weeks ago. I also recently received an offer to be an accountant (not remote role at all) at a federal government agency for 55k (with noncompetitive promotion till gs12 with compensation of around 95k at that point which should”

“With how corporate america is now, with paying less and laying off, what do you all think of government jobs? Seems like to me, they are better than the private sector now, more stable, pension, and not obsessed about profit margins and quarterly earnings. submitted by /u/Cold_Pin_7676 [link] [comments]”

“I 23M just started a job working for the state government specifically as an auditor. I worked at two public accounting firms and hated it due to the high stress, long hours, and feeling like I couldn’t succeed. I wanted to get thoughts and advice from those who have or are working in government to see how they like it. As far as pay I live in a low cost of living area and start at around 52k. The pay potential from what I’ve seen can go up into over 130k. I also think the benefits are pretty go”

“I landed a senior GL role in industry at the age of 22. I just finished my bachelor’s in finance and accounting, my prior experience includes 2 years in GL and 1.6 years in treasury. Is it uncommon and unusual to get to this at that age? Am I jumping too much or being too ahead of myself? submitted by /u/Left-Scientist8730 [link] [comments]”

“I have a career counseling meeting in 2 hours. Messaged my cc to see if he could reschedule since I’m busy with closes right now. He said it’ll be quick and one of our directors will be joining us. I know I should start looking for other jobs tonight. Any other advice career/not career related? For those of you who have been fired/laid off, how did you bring that up to your partner? submitted by /u/taintbone [link] [comments]”

“I’m a 30-year-old woman, a CPA, and a parent. I’ve been working in tax for about 10 years, starting at a small CPA firm during college, then moving to Big 4, and now working in a role that involves both tax and trading. I have a partner/director-level colleague (early 40s) who constantly calls me “kiddo.” In meetings, in one-on-one conversations, when stopping by my office. it’s almost never my actual name, just “kiddo.” I’ve only worked at two other firms before this, and I’ve never had anyone”