[DTXCPA]

I’ve been looking up some stats for MBA and CPA. I am currently working as a staff accountant in industry and we have CPAs with 4-5 years of experience working as senior accountants making $65k. On the other hand I have been looking up stats of good MBA programs in my state, Texas (UT Austin, UT Dallas, SMU, Texas A&M) and all of their stats show that their MBAs make starting salaries of 100-120k plus signing bonuses of $15k-20k. I do understand that these aren’t technically ‘starting’ salaries since these folks already have 3-5 years of experience, but still 65k vs 110k? Isn’t the gap too wide? Is an MBA from a good business school actually worth more than a CPA or am I missing something? I understand that comparing MBA and CPA is not fair since one is a degree and the other a license, but I’m talking just in terms of salary.

[Anonymous]

Post edited – please read the forum rules:

https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/cpa-exam-forum-faqs-and-help-center/

We aren’t trying to be sticklers – just consistent.

– Mod NINJAs

[samantha]

I don't really think when you're in public accounting anyone cares about the fact that you have an MBA. That really means nothing…In that case, having your CPA is more attractive to firms than your MBA.

In corporate accounting, if you want to advance far, you definitely need your MBA, and having your CPA will make you that much more attractive.

[VanDammage]

I disagree with needing an MBA to advance in corporate accounting. I work in corp accounting in the tech industry. All of the VPs, controllers, chief accounting officers, etc I know both through working with them directly and networking, can't think of a single one who has an MBA. All of them have CPAs, however. I don't even know if I've worked with a CFO before who has an MBA. None of the ones at my current company have. They have all had CPAs though, most with public accounting experience.

[CPA2BEE]

In either accounting industry, public or private, the CPA holds more value than MBA – period.

FAR - 80
AUD - 82
BEC - 80
REG - 85

ETHICS - 90
EXPERIENCE - COMPLETE
Application for California license mailed 8/4/2016

[Juice23]

The CPA is a certification, the MBA is a degree. They serve vastly different purposes and signify very different things. They are not directly comparable except in a very limited sense.

[Ne’O]

Ivy8313 and Brickell,

I've had and let expire more than a half dozen of what they now call Finra licenses: 3,4,7,24,55,63 and one I am forgetting.
From trading floor days to present, I've overseen and trained about two dozen professional traders.
If someone shows promise, I still like to do so from time to time.
You would need find me on Seeking Alpha or one of the other forums where I still have a presence.

Seeing Jeff's edit of Brickell's post and reading his rules as to why, I don't think he'll permit it here.
I can understand his published reasoning as protecting his bread n butter and can anticipate other claims, though think it forgoes a significant revenue stream.
But it is his forum and that is his choice.

For trade and finance related matters, feel free to reach out to me at Seeking Alpha.

Neobliviscar
(Ne'O)

Newbie CPA Candidate

[Author]

Replies