Job Title: Accounting Manager
Years of Experience: 14
Current Employer: Miles Sand and Gravel Co/dba Concrete Nor'West
Where: Burlington, WA
Education: Skagit Valley College, Associate in General Studies, Associate in Office Technology, Accounting Certificate
Other Relevant Work Experience: Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Payroll
Salary: Use the PayScale Research Center to find median salaries for accounting careers, including an accounting manager salary.

Job Description of an Accounting Manager

Accounting is a field that will always be highly in demand. Known as “the language of business,” accounting is essential to any business and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts positive growth for accountant positions over the next several years. An accounting manager's career path may include related positions such as certified public accountant, auditor or certified management accountant. In the following description of an accounting manager job, we learn the ins and outs of a typical day as well as a common method of starting in this industry and typical problems to avoid.

PayScale: What is the job description of an accounting manager?

Manage a team of three to four accounting professionals; work directly with CFO on monthly entries, reconciling bank accounts; prepare and publish profit & loss statements, balance sheets, sales reports, inventory; prepare and report WA State DOR excise returns and quarterly B&O; file for refund of state and federal fuel tax; journal entries; reconcile monthly allocations of prepaid expenses; prepare schedules for year end taxes.

PayScale: How did you get started as an accounting manager?

I like working with numbers and balancing. I wanted a profession that I could easily support myself with and that is useful to myself both professionally and personally.

Name: Mary Fleming
Job Title: Agriculture Health Nurse - Occupational Health Nurse
Years of Experience: 19 years
Current Employer: Grady Memorial Hospital
Where: Delaware, Ohio
Education: Grant Hospital School of Nursing, diploma; Capital University, BSN; Ohio State University, working for MPH
Other Relevant Work Experience: RN since 1977
Salary: See the PayScale Research Center for the median occupational health nurse salary.

Nursing and Agriculture Jobs - Occupational Health Nurse Salary

The agriculture industry offers some of the world's most dangerous jobs, including farm machinery operator, farm worker, farm laborer and farm mechanic. In this Salary Story, occupational nurse Mary Fleming explains the dangers of the agriculture industry and what occupational health nurse jobs are really like. She also shares fun stories about how an agriculture health nurse can become a technical advisor for novels and how she won the most prestigious community health award, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leader Award.

PayScale: What is your Agriculture Health Nurse/Occupational Health Nurse job description?

I do patient follow-up for agriculturally related injuries, diseases, and fatalities. Some is by mailed questionnaire, some by phone, and some visits. Patient education, wound assessment, assisting with secondary injury prevention, hazard assessment, etc. Then, working with regional advisory board, design public health interventions like a tetanus campaign to get adults up to date with their boosters after a fatality and sales of first aid kits for on-farm use because of the number of trauma cases. We do research projects like the research to design a grain rescue tube that could be used on farms for grain engulfments because 92 percent of the people trapped to chest level die while they attempt to rescue them.

I recently received information about job opportunities from the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE). Until I received their fact sheet about this line of work, I didn’t even know that it existed. It turns out if you have a mind for math and science, are good with your hands and want a stable, well-paid job, corrosion engineering is a great field to pursue right now.

Name: Dr. Noorulamin Baloch
Job Title: Senior Medical Officer
Years of Experience: 15 years
Where: Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Current Employer: Government of Sindh Lyari General Hospital
Education: Liaquet Medical College, MBBS, DA, Anesthesiolgy and Surgical Intensive Care, Family Planning.
Other Relevant Work Experience: Rotary ward duties in surgical & medical units, emergency and casualty department, medical care in sugar industry, etc.
Salary: See the PayScale Research Center for median physician salaries in the U.S. and Pakistan.

Medical Jobs in Pakistan - Senior Medical Officer

Dr. Noorulamin Baloch is a senior medical officer and anesthesiologist working in Pakistan. As discussed in the following Salary Story, medical jobs in Pakistan can involve numerous challenges, including lack of equipment or supplies. However, Dr. Baloch is passionate about anesthesiology and has helped thousands of patients over the course of a career. Keep reading to find out how this physician got started, what it's like to work in Pakistan and what to expect from an anesthesiologist career.

PayScale: What is your physician job description?

Well I am an anesthetist and it is my job to provide anesthesia - general, spinal, regional - in operation theatres of different surgical faculties like G surgery, eye, ENT, urology, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, gynecology & obstetrics, radiolgy, cancer dept., etc. I have spent lot of time in intensive care units both specialized and general.

Name: D.Vega
Job Title: Receptionist
Years of Experience: 2
Where: Tacoma, WA
Education: College Student
Salary: See the PayScale Research Center for the median salary for medical receptionist jobs.

Receptionist Careers – Medical Receptionist Job Description

D. Vega is a receptionist for a medical facility. As a college student, the job has turned out to be especially valuable for gaining professional skills. In this interview, you'll read about the job description for medical receptionist, including what the duties of a receptionist are and what it's like to work in a rehabilitation center. You'll also find some great advice and stories that would be valuable to anyone working as a receptionist. What are lead medical receptionist job duties? The steps required to be promoted are explored. Learn why a positive attitude and love of learning are essential to this job.

PayScale: What is the job description of medical receptionist?

As a receptionist of a rehabilitation center I am the gate keeper to the company. The facility I work at provides short-term rehabilitation and long-term care services. My first priority is insuring the safety of residents by knowing their comings and goings. Each day when I arrive I check for new residents and created a file for them, which includes their medical status, contacts, special requests and coding. Once the file is complete it is locked in a secure file cabinet, which can only be accessed by authorized personnel. Then I check to see if there are enough supplies in the office and submit a request for more at month’s end. Next I will create administrative packets, so they are ready for distribution. There are two types of administrative packets, Human Resources and Residential. I also answer the phones and direct calls to the appropriate parties. It’s important to respond to every call and not let it go to voice mail. Periodically, there are requests for a tour of the facility. When leaving the reception area I will secure the front by locking up, forward calls to the nurses station and proceed to show prospective families around. Since the facility is open and designed like a home, I am able to interact with residents throughout the evening. Coffee and hot chocolate is always available and taking time to sit and share with families is one of the best parts of my job.

March Madness has arrived, and with it all of the number crunching, predicting and name calling that college basketball fans can muster. And, the school comparisons go beyond the court. While everyone knows that Duke is the number one seed for the tournament, did you know its graduates are also ranked number one for earning a hefty paycheck after graduation?

Here at PayScale, it's all about the Benjamins. So when we made our predictions for the 2010 NCAA Men's College Basketball tournament, we ranked the schools based on the earning power of each school's alumni.

With Stanford (and the whole PAC 10) having a bad basketball year, who will wear the Salary Madness crown this year?

Before settling in for basketball overload, take 10 minutes to find out if you are earning what you are worth with the PayScale Salary Calculator. Who knows – next year you could be earning enough to afford Final Four tickets.

The technology industry news site, Channel Insider, recently published an article titled, “Tech Certifications That Pay the Best Salary.” Curious what those might be, I took a look at the list.

Their information is based on a survey of 17,000 technology professionals conducted by technology training and certification company, Dice Learning. Dice Learning listed the certifications in order of how much you would earn for your tuition dollar, starting with the most cost-effective at the top.

Name: Graham Philip
Job Title: IT and Communications Manager
Years of Experience: 5
Employer: Parts And Services Ltd.
Where: Taupo, New Zealand
Education: Bachelor of Electronics, Aukland Technical Institute; Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching, Waiariki Technical Institute; Bachelor of Computing Systems, Waiariki Technical Institute
Relevant Work Experience: TV & Electronics servicing, Sound Processing Systems Engineering at Dolby Labs in London
Salary: Use the PayScale Research Center to find median salaries for IT jobs in New Zealand.

Jobs in New Zealand - IT & Communications Manager

With its stunning landscape, warm weather and livable cities, there's no question that New Zealand is an appealing place to both live and work. It's not surprising, then, that many people are researching job vacancies in New Zealand. If you're looking for IT jobs, or just want to know more about jobs in New Zealand, check out the following interview with Graham Philip, an IT and communications manager in Taupo, New Zealand. He explains his IT manager job description, describes some career challenges and rewards, and shares advice for those pursuing IT jobs. Get an insider's look at IT jobs in New Zealand.

Where are your bank account numbers, home address, social security number, birth date, bank balances and other top secret information stored? Maybe in your desk drawer. But, these days, they are likely also somewhere out in cyber space being sought after by hungry hackers. Fortunately, a whole army of tech savvy computer security specialists are working to keep your information safe. And, they are getting paid well to do so. Would you like to join their ranks?

Name: Michelle Hampton
Job Title: Contract Specialist / Corporate Paralegal
Years of Experience: 5
Employer: Self-employed; previously employed as VP Contracts Specialist at IT company
Where: Columbus, OH
Education: AA-AS Degree in Legal Safety & Justice from CSCC (ABA approved)
Other Relevant Experience: Over 10 years of paralegal/business experience
Salary: Use the PayScale Research Center to find median paralegal salaries.

Paralegal Careers - Corporate Paralegal Job Description

The corporate legal field is an well-compensated industry and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,  legal assistant and paralegal jobs are expected to grow quickly over the next several years. In this interview, Michelle Hampton describes her contract specialist/paralegal job description. She explains how she leveraged her legal skills from an entry-level worker all the way to VP of an IT company, and then went freelance. Her certifications and legal job experiences are explained, and she gives tips for avoiding some of the pitfalls in this high-stakes industry. Find out why her career choice is so rewarding, and find the answer to that all important question: how much money does a paralegal make?