What to Do with an Accounting Degree: Career Paths, Opportunities & Next Steps

So, you've earned your accounting degree – congratulations! But what now? While many graduates assume the traditional route is a must – becoming a chartered accountant and working in a firm – there are actually a wide variety of opportunities opened up by an accounting degree. Whether you’re a young professional looking to pivot your career, or a recent graduate weighing your options, this blog post will walk you through your potential next steps.

Designed for today’s go-getters, creatives and professionals—including DIY enthusiasts, architects, designers and tradesmen—this guide will help you see how versatile and valuable your accounting background really is, especially in a dynamic UK job market.

1. Traditional Route: Chartered Accountant

One of the most common routes for accounting degree holders in the UK is to become a Chartered Accountant. If this is the path you choose, you'll need to complete extra professional qualifications such as ACA (via ICAEW), ACCA or CIMA. These are rigorous certification paths but offer strong career stability and earning potential.

Chartered accountants can work in public practice, but also within companies across virtually every industry. You could eventually move into management, finance director roles, or even set up your own consulting practice.

While this path is traditional, it’s far from narrow. As a tradesman or business owner, having a Chartered Accountant on board can make a huge difference in maintaining profitability and compliance with government regulations. If you're considering a dual-role as a designer or developer with accounting expertise—it’s a powerful combination.

2. Management Accounting & Internal Finance Roles

If climbing the corporate ladder appeals to you, management accounting might be your calling. This area of finance focuses on budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning within a company. Rather than preparing accounts for external use (like tax returns), you’d be optimising performance from the inside.

Small and medium businesses across the UK—especially those in interior design, construction, and building services—often seek professionals with financial savvy. Your accounting degree gives you a strong edge here, as you can offer strategic insights as well as technical skills.

Being an internal finance professional offers a great work-life balance, and often allows for more interaction with different departments, such as marketing, operations or product development—a real advantage if you're also interested in design or project management roles.

3. Start Your Own Business

An accounting degree is a powerful tool for aspiring entrepreneurs. Whether you dream of launching your own DIY eCommerce site, a home renovation service, or an architectural consulting firm, your knowledge of finance, tax and operations gives you a competitive advantage.

Many entrepreneurs struggle with budgeting, cash flow management and tax compliance—issues that you’ll be uniquely prepared to handle. Plus, by properly managing finances, you’ll have more room to focus on innovation, quality and customer satisfaction.

In the UK, government-backed startup loans and enterprise support schemes can provide startup funds and mentoring. Your background in accounting will also make it easier to write winning business plans and secure investment.

4. Specialise in Taxation Compliance

Tax is an area that affects every business, big or small. Your accounting degree can lead you into a career as a tax specialist—one of the highest paid and in-demand roles in finance. With the ever-evolving UK tax laws and regulations, DIY entrepreneurs and small business owners often rely on professionals to stay compliant without breaking the bank.

You could provide services to tradesmen, contractors or property developers, helping them manage VAT returns, capital gains, and corporation taxes—particularly as Making Tax Digital continues to affect UK business processes.

Getting qualified through ATT or CTA institutions can further boost your credibility. Many tax professionals operate remotely or even as sole traders, offering flexibility and the chance to handpick your clients.

5. Work in the Tech & Software Sector

The accounting industry is undergoing a tech revolution. The rise of cloud-based bookkeeping platforms like Xero, QuickBooks and Sage means that businesses now expect their financial teams to be tech-savvy. There’s strong demand for people who can sit at the intersection of finance and IT—and that’s where you come in.

If you have a knack for software or coding, or even just a curiosity about systems and platforms, you could find a niche as a systems accountant, implementation consultant or product advisor for financial applications.

This is particularly valuable in trades like interior design studios or building firms who are digitising their operations. You could advise on setting up digital invoicing, budget tracking and payroll systems that make business more efficient (and profitable).

6. Consultancy & Freelancing

With the growth of the gig economy, freelance accounting is a flexible, profitable and increasingly popular option. As a freelance consultant, you can work with tradesmen, contractors, and creatives—helping them with monthly bookkeeping, end-of-year reporting, or even coaching them through budgeting basics.

Your clients might include DIY YouTubers, redesign bloggers or property developers, all trying to manage their side hustles or grow their main business. By positioning yourself as approachable and advisory—not just someone who "does the numbers"—you can create lasting client relationships.

Working freelance also means you can build your business around the lifestyle you choose, whether that’s remote work, part-time schedules or focusing on clients you’re passionate about.

7. Become a Financial Analyst or Planner

If you’re more interested in performance analysis or wealth strategies than bookkeeping, becoming a financial analyst or planner might be a good fit. Analysts work for large firms, investment banks and private equity, delving deep into company data to support major decisions. This role is suitable for analytical minds with a taste for high-impact challenges.

On the personal side, financial planners help individuals and families make strategic decisions about savings, pensions, property investments and taxes. This can be incredibly satisfying work, especially if you love helping clients reach life goals—whether that’s buying their first fixer-upper or retiring early.

This path typically requires certifications like the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning (DipPFS) but offers excellent career prospects and room for growth.

8. Teaching, Tutoring & Mentoring

If you enjoy explaining complex topics and helping others grow, a career in education could be right for you. Accounting tutors are in high demand—both at universities and as private tutors for students working toward their professional exams (AAT, ACCA, etc.).

Platforms like Tutorful, Superprof and even YouTube make it easy to create your own brand as an approachable accounting coach. Some combine this with other interests—such as business education for tradespeople—or offer bite-sized learning for designers who want finance and budgeting tips in plain English.

It’s a rewarding way to stay close to your subject while inspiring the next generation of professionals.

Conclusion: Your Degree Is a Launchpad, Not a Limitation

Your accounting degree isn’t a narrow job ticket—it’s the launchpad to a wide range of exciting, fulfilling and profitable careers. From becoming a Chartered Accountant or financial consultant to starting your own design business with a solid financial backbone, the skills you’ve learned can take you far.

Whether you're hands-on in the trades, enjoy creative spaces like architecture, or are transitioning into entrepreneurship, understanding the financial side of any venture gives you a head start. The UK’s diverse business landscape is bursting with opportunities—and your accounting degree puts you in a strong position to take full advantage.

Use your numbers knowledge as a secret weapon to fuel your ambition, whether that's on a construction site, behind a laptop, or in your own growing startup.