What career options are available in accounting?

Accounting professionals can pursue careers in tax, audit, consulting, financial planning, forensic accounting, business advisory services, and many other areas across nearly every industry.

What is the new pathway to becoming a CPA in West Virginia?

Under House Bill 4088, an individual with a bachelor’s degree that includes a concentration in accounting may qualify for CPA licensure by passing the CPA exam and completing two years of qualifying experience.

Why should I consider becoming a CPA?

The CPA designation can provide greater credibility, expended career opportunities, and the chance to become a trusted advisor who helps clients solve problems, make decisions, and plan for the future.

Insights

Nov.11, 2026

Looking for Rewarding Career? Consider Becoming a CPA

By Barry Burgess

Your future could add up to more than you imagined, especially with new, flexible pathways to becoming a CPA in West Virginia. If you are a high school or college student, or if you are looking for a career change, accounting is a profession worth serious consideration. It offers opportunities to work with businesses, individuals, nonprofit organizations, and entrepreneurs while developing skills that are valuable in virtually every industry.

If you are willing to take the next step, becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) can open even more doors. Certified Public Accountants are trusted advisors who help clients make decisions, solve problems, plan for the future and navigate an increasingly complex financial world.

What is the new path to an aspiring CPA in West Virginia?

Aspiring CPAs in West Virginia now have greater flexibility than ever before. In 2026, House Bill 4088, was signed into law, creating multiple pathways to CPA licensure. The new law recognizes that there is no single educational path that is right for everyone.

One option allows an individual with a bachelor’s degree that includes a concentration in accounting to qualify for CPA licensure by passing the CPA examination and completing two years of qualifying experience. Other pathways remain available to those who pursue additional accounting education.

This change is important because it gives students more flexibility and choice in how they pursue the CPA credential.

Why Should You Consider Accounting?

You can build a career, not just find a job.
The skills are transferable to virtually every industry.
You can choose from many career paths, including tax, audit, consulting, financial planning, forensic accounting, and business advisory services.
You can work directly with business leaders and become an important part of their decision-making.
The CPA designation provides credibility and opportunity throughout your career.
You can take advantage of West Virginia’s more accessible path to becoming a CPA.

If you are trying to decide what comes next, don't overlook accounting. The profession needs the next generation of CPAs, and West Virginia has taken an important step toward making that career attainable for more people.

Your accounting degree could be the beginning of a career that lasts a lifetime. Why not make CPA part of the plan?

Suttle & Stalnaker, PLLC is ready to help. If you have more questions about a career in accounting, please reach out to our office at 304-343-4126 or cpa@suttlecpas.com.