Accounting or Finance?
Accounting records, checks and explains the numbers and has a state license path (CPA). Finance uses those numbers to value, invest and plan; it has no state license, though some jobs need FINRA licenses that employers usually sponsor.
Accounting · median pay$83,680Accountants and auditors
Finance · median pay$103,570Financial analysts
Accounting · colleges1,298awarded it in 2023-24
Finance · colleges718awarded it in 2023-24
Side by side
Rows that are the same for both are shown once.
| Accounting | Finance | |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Recording, checking and explaining the financial information businesses, governments and people rely on. A bachelor's degree is the usual entry; becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) also takes the CPA Exam and a state license. | Managing money: valuing companies, investing, lending, managing risk and planning. Graduates start as financial analysts or advisors and can move into financial management. |
| What you study | Financial and managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, accounting information systems, business law, finance and economics. | Corporate finance, investments, financial modeling, accounting, economics, statistics and financial markets. |
| College program | Accounting (CIP 52.0301) | Finance (CIP 52.0801) |
| Colleges that awarded it (2023-24) | 1,298 colleges · 37,839 bachelor's degrees | 718 colleges · 42,051 bachelor's degrees |
| Main job (BLS) | Accountants and auditors | Financial analysts |
| Median pay (May 2025) | $83,680 | $103,570 |
| Jobs and growth (2025–35) | 1,595,200 jobs · 5% growth (faster than average) | 443,100 jobs · 7% growth (much faster than average) |
| Other jobs it leads to | Financial managers | Personal financial advisors, Financial managers |
| License | Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license (only for some roles) | No state license |
| Accreditation to look for | Both: AACSB International (program) | |
Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; jobs and growth: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; colleges: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 (first majors). Some finance jobs need FINRA licenses, usually sponsored by the employer after hiring.
BLS
Occupational Outlook HandbookU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
NCES IPEDS
IPEDS Completions, 2023-24 (complete data file C2024_A)National Center for Education Statistics
- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
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Accounting & CPA
Checked 8 Oct 2026. All comparisons · How Margdarshan sources its data →