NorthStar Academy
15 Years Anniversary
global job options after CMA and ACCA, CMA vs ACCA career overseas, international opportunities for accounting professionals
👤 NorthStar Academy📅 13 Aug, 24⏱ 13 min read

Jobs After CMA and ACCA Which Profession offers More Overseas Job Opportunities

Many individuals uphold a dream to travel and work abroad, in nations like the USA and Europe. Hence, they want to choose a career that can help make this dream come true. Finance and Accounting can be career options for commerce students.

As we all know, accounting is a popular career option to pursue, as accountants play an incredibly important role in an organization. Hence, it is the best career option for individuals who want to work in an important position and expect swift growth.

If you want to work overseas in the Finance and Accounting profession, it is recommended to have at least an internationally recognized qualification awarded by some reputed accountancy professional bodies, such as ACCA and IMA. 

ACCA and CMA USA certifications are two such internationally recognized qualifications, which can help you land a job in nearly every part of the earth. In this article, we will discuss every aspect of the jobs after CMA USA and ACCA certifications. Let's also break down all the differences between the CMA vs ACCA job opportunities on every level, such as the market demand for the qualification, job recognition, salary, and much more.

Latest Updates :

What is CMA vs ACCA?

Before we discuss job opportunities provided by the above two qualifications (CMA and ACCA),. Let's first get to know a little more about these qualifications.

CMA (Certified Management Accountant)

Issued by the IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) in the US, CMA is one of the most prestigious certifications in Managerial Accounting. The credentials signify that the individual holding them possesses all the knowledge in several fields of accounting, such as financial planning and Strategic Management.

CMA certification digs deeper and puts more emphasis on management accounting as well as financial management. Hence, it eventually becomes more comprehensive and preferred by a lot of individuals. Besides, if you are someone who wants a managerial and senior-level position in a company, then doing a CMA course is the best way to go. Worried about the jobs after CMA? It can open several paths to many senior-level positions in a company, and you can even reach the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) position in a company with CMA certification.

A Bachelor's degree and two consecutive years of Managerial work experience are necessary for CMA USA Certification. The applicant must clear two examinations (with a total of 4 hours of time duration for each exam), to get certified as a CMA. The first part of the exams comprises 100 MCQs carrying 375 marks and the second part comprises 2 essay questions carrying 125 marks in total. 

Once you have acquired it, there is no shortage of well-paying jobs after CMA. We will discuss the opportunities for jobs after CMA in detail, in the later section of the article.

Now, let us first grasp the meaning of ACCA certification.

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified  Accountants)

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is a globally recognized professional body of accountancy, in effect since 1904. This official body offers a professional certification in accounting by the same name, ACCA (Chartered Certified Accountant) qualification.

ACCA is a globally recognized qualification, with more than 200,000 fully qualified members from nearly 180 different countries spread all around the globe. The qualification is well known to provide its applicant with a strong foundation in the field of accounting, which helps them build their careers in the field of finance. ACCA is quite comprehensive, similar to the CMA certification. It provides the candidate with a world-class education at reasonable prices a combo of the ACCA certification course, which is quite hard to find these days. 

With recognition from over 180 countries around the globe, ACCA has an immense global presence, larger than any other accounting qualification. Hence, there are many ACCA job opportunities overseas waiting for you more than the jobs after CMA.

Accounting Job Overseas

The field of accounting, also known as the language of business, is responsible for providing a lot of jobs worldwide. Talented and smart accountants are in great demand as global economies become more and more organized and structured. With the rapid integration of new and ever-evolving technology, the role of an accountant and accounting ? have also evolved accordingly, but the key components remain the same. The accounting job overseas still holds an important position in a company.

There are a ton of job opportunities overseas as an accountant. Whenever there is business, there is a need for accountants, and guess where most of the business happens. It happens overseas from Western nations, trade capitals, and trade hubs. Just to name a few, 

  • United Kingdom (UK)
  • United States of America (USA) 
  • Canada
  • Germany
  • Australia
  • Singapore
  • UAE (United Arab Emirates) and others

Above are the locations where your skills as an accountant are most in demand.

Prerequisites for Accounting Jobs Overseas

There are some prerequisites for working overseas as an accountant, which are as follows: 

  • The individuals at least have a bachelor's degree in any relevant field.
  • Individuals should also have relevant certifications like CMA and ACCA for better recognition and opportunities.
  • Two to three years of work experience.

One will also require a good score in IELTS or TOEFL to work abroad.

Read More :

image.png

Overseas Jobs after CMA or ACCA certification

As we mentioned earlier, CMA and ACCA are both globally recognized certifications. But what does it mean to you? It simply means that once you get any of these two certifications, you will be eligible to get a job nearly anywhere around the globe. There are a lot of overseas jobs after CMA or ACCA certification.

Overseas Jobs after CMA

If you want to settle and work in the USA or Canada, the CMA is the way to go. CMA opens the door to not only the USA and Canada markets but also companies from Middle Eastern and Asian countries that are also looking for CMA-certified finance professionals. So, it will be no issue to find overseas jobs after CMA certification.

Getting a CMA certification is no easy task. The individual has put a lot of effort, time, and consistency into this career path. The individual is required to have at least 2 years of relevant work experience and have to clear 2 examinations (4 hours each) on top of having a bachelor's degree.

All these efforts prove that the individual is quite serious about his/her career in finance. CMA also requires the individual to have fabulous managerial skills. Hence, the candidate is perfect for more advanced-level job roles, and because the candidate usually gets a higher level of responsibility, the pay for CMA is also higher than for individuals with similar accounting certifications.


Average Salary for CMA Job Opportunities Abroad

As we mentioned earlier, CMA and ACCA are both globally recognized certifications. But what does it mean to you? It simply means that once you get any of these two certifications, you will be eligible to get a job nearly anywhere around the globe. There are a lot of overseas jobs after CMA or ACCA certification.

Average Salary for CMA Job Opportunities Abroad

The global average salary of a CMA-certified finance professional is around USD 74,344 per year. The actual salary that you may receive, as a CMA, highly depends on your overall performance, your resume, and your experience. Your job position is also a factor in deciding your salary. Other than this, the work location is another crucial factor in deciding your salary.

The average  for jobs, according to the job location:

Country

Average annual salary

USA

USD 109,119

Canada

USD 100,000

Dubai

USD 111,000

United Kingdom (UK)

USD 69,426

European countries

USD 81,403

Asian countries

USD 40,354

CMA salary abroad 

In India, after completing the CMA, a person can get an average annual salary of Rs 6-7 lakh (in INR) for freshmen doing jobs after CMA. The salary may go up depending on various factors, like the choice of company, experience, etc.

Overseas Jobs After ACCA

If you have already decided to go abroad to settle and work and want to do it as quickly as possible, then an ACCA qualification might be another great option for you. ACCA has a great global presence, with 178 countries recognizing the certification. After getting the ACCA certification, you can join as an accountant in any of those 178 countries. You will be seen as one of the best accountants in the world.

Even European companies, especially European ones, highly prefer the candidate with an ACCA certification over anyone else. Once you complete this certification, many ACCA job opportunities abroad will be open to you, which can help you lead a fulfilling career in accounting. With this certification, you will be able to join top MNCs like Google, IBM, Microsoft, etc.

Salary of ACCA Job Opportunities Abroad

An ACCA-certified accountant's salary depends heavily on the work location and real work experience of the ACCA. For an ACCA trainee, the salary hovers around $24,000 per annum, and for an ACCA part-qualified, the expected salary is USD 32,000 per annum. And for an ACCA finalist, it is safe to assume a salary package of USD 38,400 per year.

Even with the rise of the work-from-home culture, location still plays an important role in deciding your salary for any job. The average annual salary for ACCA job opportunities, according to the work location, is as follows:

Country

The average annual salary of an ACCA

USA

USD $68,000

United Kingdom (UK)

USD $50,000

Germany

USD $30,000

Singapore

USD $32,000

France

USD $34,000

Salary of ACCA Job Opportunities Abroad 

While ACCA Jobs in India can only pay you between 6 lakhs and 15 Lakhs INR per year on average, Based on skills and expertise, it can go even higher.

Read More :

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, CMA USA vs ACCA, both designations are well respected all around the world and the growth aspects for them are equally good. Both designations are good in their way and you can find a ton of CMA and ACCA job opportunities. One should make one's career decision based on the type of life you wanna live, what type of work-life you want to build, and where you want to work and settle.

Although both qualifications are accepted pretty much everywhere around the globe, still companies in the Middle Eastern, Asian, and North American countries prefer accountants with CMA as their qualification certificate which you can easily acquire with a comprehensive CMA certification course. On the other hand, the companies in Europe prefer someone with ACCA.

So, if you want to settle in the USA, Canada, Asia, or the Middle East, US CMA is the way to go. You can find many well-paying jobs after CMA in these regions. 

But if you wanna live in Europe, then go for ACCA certification. As there are many ACCA job opportunities in Europe.

Become a CMA or ACCA now by applying to Northstar Academy! Get more information by calling +918147470707

Trending Blogs

Course

Links

ACCA

CMA US

CPA US

Enrolled Agent

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has more scope, CMA or ACCA?

CMA and ACCA are both prestigious qualifications in the field of accounting, and both can help you get well-paid jobs. However, as we mentioned in the article earlier, ACCA has more global recognition today, but CMA is also catching up. More individuals are taking up the CMA courses due to their feasibility and low cost. There might be a little more scope to be found after achieving the ACCA qualification, but CMA is pretty much more convenient, with ample opportunities. 

Which country is best for CMA?

CMA is recognized in more than 150 countries, but the qualification is especially popular in the United States and the Middle East. The average salary for jobs after CMA is also high in the USA, hence making it the best country to work as a CMA. 

Can a CMA go abroad?

Of course, you can go abroad and find jobs after CMA certification. Over 100 countries recognize the CMA qualification. You can travel to any of these countries and easily land a well-paid job with the help of this qualification. 

What is the salary of a CMA abroad?

The average salary for a CMA hovers around 70,000 US dollars per year. But It can vary quite a lot for different locations. For example, in the United States, the average salary of a CMA can shoot up to USD 104,000 per year. 

Which is tougher, CMA or ACCA

A pass percentage can be a good indicator of the difficulty of a particular exam. The pass percentage of CMA is near 50%, while the same for ACCA is average at 40%-45%. By this, we can conclude that the ACCA is tougher than the CMA. However, it has become quite easier to clear these examinations because the platform named NorthStar Academy provides comprehensive courses.