Earning an associate degree in auditing or financial investigation

Follow the paper trail and find a rewarding career in the financial industry. With an associate degree in auditing, you could find yourself in a career where your skills are truly valued by your employers. Auditors and financial investigators are trained professionals who hold financial security as their top priority.

Why become an auditing clerk or financial investigator?

Businesses, governments and finance-minded individuals all have one thing in common: each is looking out for the bottom line. Audit workers and financial investigators work to track discrepancies, seek out errors and keep money where it belongs.

Careers in the industry have their own specific job duties. Auditing clerks, for example, tend to work internally in businesses, checking transaction records and documents to ensure accuracy. If they find an error, clerks make a note for accountants to investigate further.

On the other side of the transaction, financial investigators work to create financial profiles of businesses or individuals that could be tied to big-dollar transactions. In cases of fraud or theft, financial investigators may help search for assets to facilitate repayment.

Both types of workers use the targeted training you can find in a degree in auditing or financial investigation. An associate degree can be earned in 2 years of full-time study, and offers preparation you may use to start your career in the field.

Careers in auditing and financial investigation

A financial investigation or auditing degree can expand your earnings potential as it expands your resume. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that auditing clerks earned mean annual wages of $34,750 in 2009. That same year, private detectives and investigators--including financial investigators--earned mean annual wages of $47,130.

Job growth for both careers is expected to be good in the coming years. Job opportunities for private detectives and investigators are projected to grow 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the BLS. During the same time frame, jobs for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks are expected to grow 10 percent. Although no training program guarantees you'll land a particular job or salary, earning a degree in auditing or financial investigation can increase your chances with hiring managers, who may prefer or require formal education among applicants.

An associate auditing degree can be your first step towards more education and job responsibilities. Going on to earn a bachelor's degree in accounting plus CPA certification broadens your career opportunities for both investigation and auditing careers.

Earning an on-campus or online associate degree in auditing or financial investigation

You have options for higher education. Whether you're looking for a focused auditing or financial investigation degree or a broader campus-based associate degree in accounting, you have a choice in where you pursue your training.

Online associate degrees offer another option. With an online associate degree in auditing, you can study on your own time in an online program that offers more freedom and flexibility than most traditional degrees. Explore your financial investigation and auditing degree options and learn more about available programs both locally and online.

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