What characteristics are most helpful to a forensic accountant?
“You definitely need a strong accounting background – not just knowing how to do debits and credits, but a really strong understanding of how the financial statements all come together, where the areas of risk are, where the greatest chance for manipulation is. And the second piece that you need is what I call investigative intuition. Some people say I have a nose for fraud. … The more complicated the puzzle, the better I like it.” – Rick Romell Compensation: Most forensic accountants begin their career making between $30,000 and $60,000 and often work their way up to salaries well into the six figures, often between $125,000 and $150,000. To get in: You’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting and are generally expected to have CPA certification. It is beneficial to become a CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) or a CrFA (Certified Forensic Accountant). Outlook: The state Department of Workforce Development projects an average of 770 openings a year statewide for accountants and au
