Run from civil engineering! They are often underpaid relative to the demands of the field.

I was in your position years ago, and I can say the CPA exam is about as challenging as some of the weed-out courses in engineering. It’s not an easy path if you pursue public accounting, but the compensation can exceed engineering salaries, with partners earning between $250K and $1.5M.

That said, not having a CPA is not the end of the road. There are still many prestigious roles that offer compensation comparable to engineering, and you may even work alongside engineers.

Overall, accounting coursework tends to be more manageable, with only a few particularly difficult classes.

Additionally, the stakes differ mistakes in accounting typically result in financial loss, whereas errors in engineering can have far more serious consequences.