AAT Accountancy Qualifications

The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) is the UK’s leading professional body offering skills-based accountancy and finance qualifications. 

It has over 124,000 members worldwide and its prestigious qualifications are recognised and respected by employers globally. 

An online AAT qualification is the perfect starting point for a lucrative career in finance, and can set you on the path to starting your own accountancy practice or achieving Chartered Accountant status.

No, the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting is designed for total beginners, so it's perfect if you're new to finance.

You don't need any experience or qualifications to enrol, and you don't even need to be good at maths!

An AAT Accountancy qualification online gives you a wide range of lucrative career opportunities.

You could work in desirable roles such as:

• Accounting Technician
• Finance Officer
• Cost Accountant
• Payroll Manager
• Commercial Analyst
• Senior Bookkeeper

After completing the AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting, you could set up your own accounting practice or become a self-employed accountant.

Your accountancy course can also pave the way to becoming a Chartered Accountant. All the Chartered Accountancy bodies in the UK recognise AAT qualifications, so if you go on to further study, you can receive exemptions from certain modules and achieve prestigious Chartered status more quickly than by following the university path.​​

And if you've got your eyes set on the boardroom, 51% of FTSE 100 CEOs begin their career in finance. 

The average salary of AAT students and graduates at each stage of their career varies, however, these are the average earning according to recent findings: 

• AAT Student: £19,000
• Trainee Accountant: £20,000
• Accounts Assistant: £23,000
• Bookkeeper: £25,000
• Semi-Senior Accountant: £26,000
• Qualified Senior/Executive: £37,000
• Assistant Manager: £41,000
• Manager: £48,000
• Senior Manager: £43,000
• Self-Employed AAT Accountant: £54,000

Plus, if you join the AAT fast-track with a Chartered Accountancy body like ACCA or CIMA, you could earn upwards of £70,000 a year as a Chartered Accountant. 

Average AAT salaries from the AAT Salary Survey 2021. Chartered Accountant salary from TotalJobs.

If you’re not sure which AAT course to choose, we recommend taking the AAT Skillcheck. It’s a 30-minute online multiple-choice test that will suggest the right level for you based on your accounting knowledge.

The AAT Level 2 Certificate is perfect if you have no accounting experience or if you haven’t mastered essential skills like double-entry bookkeeping yet. Most students start at Foundation level, even if they have some accounting experience.

The AAT Level 3 Diploma is for you if you have significant practical accounting experience and a firm grasp of all the topics covered at Foundation level.

The AAT Level 4 Diploma could be ideal if you understand everything covered at Foundation and Advanced level and are fully competent in double-entry bookkeeping. Students rarely enrol directly onto the Professional Diploma without completing Foundation/Advanced or a similar practical accounting qualification first.

If you plan on completing multiple levels, you can save money and transition smoothly by studying our Level 2 & Level 3 or Level 3 & Level 4 combined courses.

And if you'd like to become a bookkeeper rather than an accountant, one of our AAT Bookkeeping courses could be right for you.

Everyone has a different combination of skills, experience, education and ambition, so the best way to decide on the right course for you is to give our specialist AAT course advisors a call. Don't worry, there won't be any pressure – we're just here to help you make the right choice.