Also called: Fraud Examiner, Forensic Auditor
Follows the money to uncover fraud, embezzlement, and financial crimes.
Forensic accountants dig through bank records and spreadsheets to show where stolen money went, calculate damages in lawsuits, and testify as expert witnesses. The FBI hires many as special agents.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in accounting; CPA and CFE certifications.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Accounting, Finance, Criminal Justice.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Accountants and auditors (approx.).
Medium risk for 10 years. AI scans ledgers and flags odd transactions fast; fewer junior analysts, with humans explaining fraud to juries.
Classes: AP Accounting or Business, AP Statistics, Economics, English composition.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.