What do you do that you earn six figures?

r/financialindependence • u/fidgit86 • Aug 13 '21

It seems like a lot of people make a lot of money and it seems like I’m missing out on something. So those of you that do, whats your occupation that pays so well?

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650

u/danxthexman 32M / 68% SR Aug 13 '21

Accounting

144

u/sirnibs3 Aug 13 '21

Me too buddy guy are you in public

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u/Dreamgeezer Aug 13 '21

Industry here!

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u/Spacechip94 Aug 13 '21

How do you get that much in accounting? I’ve been doing it in industry for around 5 years and make nowhere near that just wondering if I’m doing something wrong

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u/HomelessOnWallStreet Aug 13 '21

I’ve worked at a few companies in industry and the #1 skill by far is knowing how to use excel. Not just simple things but actually understanding it and being able to put together a spreadsheet that can accomplish any task. I’ve gotten promotions at all 3 places of employment rather quickly because they recognize the importance of having someone that can fix issues/create solutions. I may have gotten lucky but I’ve only worked with 1 other individual who really knew what they were doing in excel.

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u/odyssus001 Aug 13 '21

An accountant that can write SQL queries can write their own ticket in any large company.

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u/yumcake 29d ago

Seconding this. Excel is quick and flexible and you should know it, but it's best for just solving immediate small scale problems for your team. Knowing SQL helps you achieve systematic reporting solutions for entire organizations. That's the next-level stuff that can really help differentiate you since many other accountants usually have a good enough understanding of excel. Knowing SQL is a valuable competitive moat.

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u/lawfulcitizen Aug 13 '21

At my last company it was only the controller that knew sql and she was irreplaceable. At my new one, an app company, every senior accountant has a working knowledge of SQL and we use it a lot. Although for reading numbers straight from the database Looker has become the new favorite since its an easier way to run queries

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u/yumcake 29d ago

Change jobs for pay jumps. Annual raises are nothing compared to new job pay jumps.

If you don't have a CPA you really should go get it. Bookkeepers are replaceable but CPAs are the ones employed to do the replacing by pursuing more efficient process and automation.

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u/Neutral_Buttons Aug 13 '21

Don't stay anywhere more than 2 years was the answer for me, sadly. Just got to 6 figures this year. About 8 years, 4 jobs, 15-20k salary increase per job change. It's a very good time to be looking in my area.

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u/Dreamgeezer Aug 13 '21

It took me 10 years. I found myself working in a niche area, then switched companies halfway but stayed in that niche.