If you want an accounting career in Austria, choosing the right qualification matters more than people expect. The same job title can mean very different things, depending on whether you trained through a university, a regulated Austrian route, or an international body.
In simple terms, there are three main paths. First, a university degree (bachelor’s or master’s) that builds broad business skills and can support later professional exams. Second, Austrian regulated professional routes such as Bilanzbuchhalter, Steuerberater, and Wirtschaftsprüfer, which can be essential for certain certified roles. Third, international certifications like ACCA, which can help if you’re aiming for multinational work or cross-border mobility.
This guide compares options by career goal, time, cost, language, and flexibility, so you can pick a path that fits your life, not just your CV.
Best university accounting degrees in Austria (for a strong long-term foundation)
A university degree is a common starting point in Austria because it gives you a recognised academic base and keeps doors open. Employers often use degrees as an easy filter for graduate roles, especially in banks, larger corporates, and advisory firms. A degree also gives you structured training in accounting, tax, audit, finance, and business law, rather than learning one slice of the job.
You’ll keep seeing “ECTS” on Austrian programme pages. ECTS is a credit system used across Europe. Think of it as a way to measure workload. A typical bachelor’s degree is 180 ECTS (often three years full-time), and a typical master’s is 120 ECTS (often two years full-time). If you switch universities or countries later, ECTS helps your learning transfer more smoothly.
Degrees can also support regulated routes later. Even when a regulated title doesn’t strictly demand a master’s, advanced study can make the exams less painful because you’ve already covered financial reporting, tax basics, and audit methods in a structured way. The trade-off is time and language. Many undergraduate business degrees have some English content, but specialist accounting and tax master’s programmes are often mostly German, so it’s smart to plan language study early.
WU Vienna, business degrees with an Accounting and Taxation focus
WU Vienna (Vienna University of Economics and Business) is one of the best-known business universities in Austria, and it’s a strong pick if you want options. Rather than locking you into a narrow “accounting only” track from day one, many business programmes let you build a finance or accounting focus through electives and specialisations.
At master’s level, WU offers a Master in Accounting & Finance (120 ECTS, four semesters) with a mix of English and German teaching depending on the course. Typical entry expectations include a relevant bachelor’s degree (usually 180 ECTS in business or economics) and proof of language skills. If you’re coming from abroad, it’s sensible to collect your transcripts early and match your modules to the entry requirements, because gaps may slow your admission.
WU’s accounting and taxation focus usually covers the skills employers actually test in interviews: how to read and prepare financial statements, how corporate tax affects decisions, what auditors look for, and how international rules change reporting. If you’re still deciding between audit, tax, and industry accounting, it also helps to understand the differences between specialisms. This short overview of accounting pathways can make those choices clearer: Understanding different accounting types.
Other solid choices, practical universities of applied sciences and specialist master’s routes
If you want practical skills and a faster route to “work-ready” confidence, a University of Applied Sciences can be a better fit than a traditional research-heavy route. For example, FHWien der WKW offers a Bachelor’s in Accounting & Taxation (180 ECTS, six semesters, German) and a Master’s in Accounting, Controlling & Taxation (120 ECTS, four semesters, German). These programmes tend to be structured around applied cases, tools, and employer needs, which suits students who learn best by doing, not theorising.
If you already have a business bachelor’s and want a deeper specialist profile, a targeted master’s can help. The University of Innsbruck offers a Master’s in Accounting, Auditing and Taxation (120 ECTS, four semesters), taught mostly in German, with English skills also expected (often around B2 level). Entry requirements commonly include a relevant bachelor’s degree and proof that you’ve covered core accounting and tax topics in earlier study. If you’re short on credits, you may be asked to complete additional modules.
A practical route tends to suit people who want internships, applied projects, and a clear link to employment. A specialist master’s tends to suit people aiming for advisory, audit, or technical roles where deeper theory and research methods are valued. In both cases, language planning is part of the career plan in Austria, not an afterthought.
Austrian professional qualifications for certified roles (Bilanzbuchhalter, Steuerberater, Wirtschaftsprüfer)
Some accounting roles in Austria are regulated, which means you don’t just need skills, you need a recognised title and registration to perform certain services independently. The big advantage is credibility. A regulated title signals trust, technical competence, and a clear scope of work. The downside is commitment, because you’ll need exams and verified work experience.
In broad terms, the typical route has three parts: build experience in real accounting work, prepare through structured learning (often via providers linked to the Austrian Chamber of Commerce), then sit formal exams. After passing, you usually complete registration steps such as proof of reliability, insurance, and professional suitability. Timelines depend on your starting point, your study time, and whether you already work in finance.
It also helps to match the qualification to the job you want. If you’re aiming for hands-on accounting and year-end work in SMEs or shared service centres, Bilanzbuchhalter can be a direct route. If your goal is tax advisory or statutory audit sign-off work, the expectations are higher, and the path is longer.
Bilanzbuchhalter and payroll qualifications, a faster route into hands-on accounting
Bilanzbuchhalter is often described as a higher-level accounting qualification that goes beyond basic bookkeeping. In day-to-day terms, it’s about producing reliable accounts, supporting year-end close, and handling reporting tasks that need accuracy and knowledge of rules, not just data entry.
Based on current guidance available for Austria, becoming a Bilanzbuchhalter typically involves around three years of relevant full-time work experience in accounting tasks (for example, bookkeeping, financial reporting, year-end preparation, or tax-related work), followed by written and oral exams. There are also formal requirements linked to trustworthiness, financial reliability, liability insurance, and having a business base within the EU or EEA when working independently.
The exam coverage is practical. Written papers often test double-entry bookkeeping and common year-end areas, and oral exams cover a wide range of topics such as accounting rules, reporting duties, and legal deadlines. Many candidates prepare through structured courses (often delivered through approved training providers), which can keep your study focused and reduce the risk of learning the wrong material.
This route suits people who want to earn while they qualify. It can work well in SMEs, accounting firms, and shared service centres, where employers value people who can close accounts cleanly and explain the numbers. If you prefer a narrower focus, payroll qualifications (often framed as certified payroll accounting) can be a smart stepping stone. Payroll work builds discipline and knowledge of employment-related rules, and it can lead to roles in HR finance, payroll teams, or outsourced payroll services.
If audit is part of your plan later, it’s worth learning what auditors do and how they test information, even if you don’t want to become an auditor yourself. This guide is a solid primer: Auditing principles and process.
Steuerberater and Wirtschaftsprüfer, the path for tax advisory and audit careers
If you’re drawn to tax planning, representing clients, and interpreting tax rules, the Steuerberater route is usually the target. If you want a career signing off audit work and leading statutory audits, Wirtschaftsprüfer is the classic goal.
The simplest way to think about the difference is this: Steuerberater focuses on tax advice and tax compliance, while Wirtschaftsprüfer focuses on audit assurance and the credibility of financial statements. Both demand strong technical knowledge and professional judgement, and both rely heavily on local law and professional rules.
Publicly available summaries suggest that Bilanzbuchhalter can support progress towards tax advisory routes, and that practical experience is central. Beyond that, the exact rules and exam pathways can vary based on your education, your work history, and the route you take (for example, degree-based entry versus practice-based entry). If you’re serious about either title, treat the official bodies and current exam regulations as your source of truth for 2026.
A university master’s in accounting, auditing, and taxation can still play a big part here. It won’t replace professional exams, but it can reduce the “shock factor” when you meet advanced topics under time pressure. It also helps in interviews, because you can speak clearly about financial reporting choices, audit risk, and how tax issues affect business decisions.
In these careers, German language competence often becomes non-negotiable because client work, filings, and legal sources are in German. If you’re relocating to Austria, build language learning into your timetable as early as possible.
International certifications and flexible courses that work well in Austria
International qualifications can be a strong addition in Austria, especially in Vienna and other cities with multinational employers. They can help in roles that use IFRS reporting, group consolidation, internal controls, and finance operations. They’re also useful if you want the option to work across borders later.
That said, international certifications don’t always grant the same legal rights as Austrian regulated titles. Employers may still prefer Austrian credentials for certain client-facing tax and audit roles, or when a role is tied to local regulation. The best approach is to treat international qualifications as a way to boost mobility and technical depth, while staying realistic about what they can and can’t authorise you to do.
ACCA and IFRS focused learning, good for global finance teams
ACCA is a global professional accounting qualification, built around exams plus verified work experience. It’s widely recognised internationally, including in Austria, and it can be attractive to multinational employers because it covers financial reporting, audit, tax principles, ethics, and strategic business thinking.
In practical terms, ACCA suits English speakers, people working in international finance teams, and anyone targeting roles where IFRS knowledge matters. ACCA also offers IFRS-focused training options, and Austria sometimes appears on the calendar for in-person IFRS learning, which can be helpful if you want a short, intensive skills boost without committing to a full degree.
A simple caution helps keep expectations grounded: if your long-term aim is a regulated local title with specific signing rights, you’ll still need to meet Austrian requirements. Many people use ACCA as a strong career asset alongside local experience, rather than as a replacement for local authorisation.
Part-time and online options for busy professionals in Austria
Not everyone can pause work for a full-time programme, and you don’t have to. In 2026, realistic flexible options include part-time degrees, live online revision courses for professional exams, short IFRS or budgeting courses, and online certificates that focus on practical topics like financial statements and audit basics.
The key is to decide what you need right now: a recognised credential for hiring and promotion, or a skill you can use in your job next month. Short courses can be great for confidence and performance, but they don’t always carry formal recognition for regulated routes.
Before paying, ask a few blunt questions:
- Recognition: Will employers in Austria value this certificate, or is it just a learning record?
- Language: Is the teaching and assessment in German, English, or mixed?
- Time: How many hours per week will you really need, including revision?
- Support: Will your employer fund fees or give study leave?
- Progression: Does it count towards an exam pathway, or is it stand-alone?
A good plan often combines one main qualification with one targeted skill course, so your CV shows both commitment and job-ready ability.
Conclusion
Austria offers clear routes into accounting, but the best choice depends on your starting point and your end goal. If you’re a school leaver, a business degree with an accounting focus keeps your options open and supports later exams. If you’re a career changer, Bilanzbuchhalter or a practical applied programme can get you into hands-on accounting roles faster. If you already work in finance and want tax or audit as a long-term destination, plan for a longer path, stronger German, and structured exam prep.
Pick one main path and add one skills boost, such as IFRS, Excel, or budgeting. Most careers move faster when you keep the plan simple. Always check the latest 2026 entry rules and exam requirements directly with universities and the relevant Austrian professional bodies before you commit. Your next step doesn’t need to be perfect, it needs to be well chosen.