Accounting Certificate of Achievement
College of the Desert · Palm Desert, CA
- Cost
- $1,402
- Length
- 32 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 8,692
- Finished the program
- 88%Based on 1,837 people
- Working 6 months later
- 4%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Accountants and Auditors
Job ads may call this: Auditor · Accountant · Audit Partner · Cost Accountant
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
- Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
- Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
- Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
- Examine and evaluate financial and information systems, recommending controls to ensure system reliability and data integrity.
- Confer with company officials about financial and regulatory matters.
- Inspect cash on hand, notes receivable and payable, negotiable securities, and canceled checks to confirm records are accurate.
What this pays in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $58,221 | $85,328 | $137,407 |
| Across California | $62,806 | $98,678 | $163,213 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $98,678per yearRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: $84,600
- Projected openings
- 154,340Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 8,420
- Projected change
- +7.5%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Budget Analysts
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Cost Analyst · Budget Analyst · Budget Officer · Fiscal Analyst
- Analyze monthly department budgeting and accounting reports to maintain expenditure controls.
- Provide advice and technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.
- Review operating budgets to analyze trends affecting budget needs.
- Compile and analyze accounting records and other data to determine the financial resources required to implement a program.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations.
- Summarize budgets and submit recommendations for the approval or disapproval of funds requests.
- Consult with managers to ensure that budget adjustments are made in accordance with program changes.
- Direct the preparation of regular and special budget reports.
What this pays in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $62,623 | $89,334 | $136,136 |
| Across California | $70,330 | $101,190 | $152,161 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $101,190per yearRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: $89,754
- Projected openings
- 2,840Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 200
- Projected change
- +4.7%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
Financial and Investment Analysts
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Analyst · Trust Officer · Planning Analyst · Financial Analyst
The Department publishes no list of daily tasks for this job. This is how it describes the work instead.
Conduct quantitative analyses of information involving investment programs or financial data of public or private institutions, including valuation of businesses.
What this pays in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $66,741 | $102,847 | $173,249 |
| Across California | $74,062 | $110,940 | $201,606 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $110,940per yearRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: $99,267
- Projected openings
- 34,410Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 900
- Projected change
- +7.4%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
The accounting program at College of the Desert prepares students for a variety of career paths in the field of accounting and financial management. Students who study accounting learn to analyze, record, summarize, and report financial information, which is crucial for decision-making within and outside business organizations. This foundational knowledge equips them for roles in financial accounting, management accounting, tax accounting, governmental and not-for-profit accounting, and auditing. Additionally, more specialized careers such as forensic auditing, management consulting, and academic positions generally require further graduate-level education.The curriculum offered by the college includes both a broad overview of accounting principles and specialized courses in areas like bookkeeping, financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax accounting, cost accounting, and computer accounting. College of the Desert provides an Associate of Science Degree for employment preparation, a Certificate of Achievement in Accounting, and courses that facilitate transfer to four-year institutions. Both the degree and certificate aim to equip students with the practical skills needed for immediate employment or career advancement in the accounting sector. Students who earn the certificate might pursue positions as accounting clerks, bookkeepers, accountants, controllers, and tax preparers, and they also have the option to continue their education towards higher degrees in the field.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Indio Youth Opportunity CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 760-802-6059
44-199 Monroe StreetIndio, CA 92201about 9.6 miles away
Hours: Monday -Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Indio Workforce Development Center AJCCComprehensive center
Phone: 760-863-2500
44-199 Monroe StreetSuite BIndio, CA 92201about 9.7 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm Closed Holidays
Has a veterans' representative
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →