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Comp Watch ’12: Credentialed Accountants vs. Non-credentialed Accountants

Have you struggled to pass a certification exam? Is your reaction to colleagues that place various three-lettered credentials behind their name on their résumés a resounding "Meh"? Not too hung up on money? Great! You won't be bothered by this at all:

The average reported salary of IMA members surveyed was $109,001 in 2011, down 0.2 percent from $109,265 in 2010. The average total compensation (including base pay and other incentives such as bonuses) rose to $129,591 in 2011, up 0.9 percent from $128,486 in 2010. Consistent with prior years, the survey reveals that holding one or more professional certifications, such as the CMA or the CPA, has a positive impact on earning power. The average total compensation for those with certification is $139,338, which is $33,411 (32 percent) more than for those without certification ($105,927). Certification especially impacted younger professionals in the 19- to 29-year-old age group, who earned $15,696 more in salary and $20,612 more in total compensation than their noncertified peers.
Don't let those 19-year-old certified accountants get you down. At least they can't go to the bar to drink their sorrows away like you can.