Accounting Technology Programs in Illinois

Educational Information:

Students who undergo training in accounting technology will gain the basic finance and accounting skills needed to work in a career as an accountant, auditor, bookkeeper, tax preparer and many more. Common places of work include accounting firms, commercial industries, retail stores, hospitals and other entities.

Licensing Information:

Those who want to get their license in Illinois will need to meet the following requirements:

  • Completion of 150 hours at an accredited university or college within the accounting concentration
  • Successful completion of a bachelor degree
  • Completion of the AICPA’s ethics course
  • Education requirements as set forth by the examiner
  • If the candidate previously academically qualified for the exam, they don’t have to worry about meeting the new requirements imposed for academics.
  • Successful completion of the CPA exam and proof of verification of the certificate to the IDFPR
  • Employment experience of at least a year working full-time providing advice or service by means of using accounting skills

Employment Information:

All of the main accounting firms, Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young, have an office within the Chicago area. Even though some accountants within the state work as tax preparers, enrolled agents or tax preparers, there are a number of other opportunities available to you. Professionals who already have their license hold positions in accounting firms and large corporations. Chicago has more than 30 Fortune 500 companies, all of which have a number of potential jobs for internal auditors, management accountants, capital accountants, financial controllers and more.

As of May 2020, accounting professionals earned an average salary of $76,800 in Illinois. Between 2018 and 2028, the number of accountant and auditor jobs in the state is projected to increase by 5%, which is slightly higher than the national average growth rate of 4% during this period. About 5,840 annual job openings in this field are expected during this ten-year period leading to 2028 due to a combination of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market trends for accountants and auditors represent state data, not school-specific information. 

Job growth projections for 2018-2028 sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored O*Net database. Figures represent state data, not school-specific information.

Conditions in your area may vary. Data Accessed May 2021.