Accounting (Associate in Science)
Allan Hancock College · Santa Maria, CA
- Cost
- $4,694
- Length
- 72 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 30%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 57
- Finished the program
- 69%Based on 32 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 30%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $13,788A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
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.
Shrinking -9.4%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County), 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.
- Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
- Typical pay in California
- $98,678per yearSanta Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: $89,795
- Projected openings
- 154,340Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 1,400
- 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.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Four-year degree — 59% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Bachelor's degree. 11% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 0%
- High school diploma
- 2%
- Started college, no degree
- 3%
- Two-year degree
- 6%
- Four-year degree
- 59%
- Master's degree
- 27%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 4%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
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 2 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.
- Typical pay in California
- $101,190per yearSanta Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: $110,644
- Projected openings
- 2,840Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 50
- 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.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Four-year degree — 46% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Bachelor's degree. 21% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 0.2%
- High school diploma
- 6%
- Started college, no degree
- 9%
- Two-year degree
- 6%
- Four-year degree
- 46%
- Master's degree
- 31%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 2%
Credit Analysts
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Credit Analyst · Credit Officer · Credit Risk Analyst · Credit Administrator
- Analyze credit data and financial statements to determine the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money.
- Complete loan applications, including credit analyses and summaries of loan requests, and submit to loan committees for approval.
- Prepare reports that include the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money.
- Generate financial ratios, using computer programs, to evaluate customers' financial status.
Show 3 more things this job involves
- Analyze financial data, such as income growth, quality of management, and market share to determine expected profitability of loans.
- Compare liquidity, profitability, and credit histories of establishments being evaluated with those of similar establishments in the same industries and geographic locations.
- Contact customers to collect payments on delinquent accounts.
- Typical pay in California
- $99,502per year
- Projected openings
- 2,580
- Projected change
- -9.4%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
California publishes no separate figure for this job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA. The statewide figures above are the only ones there are.
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.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Four-year degree — 52% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Bachelor's degree. 31% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 0.7%
- High school diploma
- 8%
- Started college, no degree
- 16%
- Two-year degree
- 6%
- Four-year degree
- 52%
- Master's degree
- 17%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.6%
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
All businesses need accounting information to measure their profitability, solvency, and liquidity. Accounting is known as the language of businesses and without it, businesses would not be able to communicate with leaders, stakeholders, and government authorities.The program focuses on traditional financial, managerial, and tax accounting principles and techniques. Coursework is sequenced in building blocks of knowledge and skills with an emphasis on learning by doing. The associate degree in accounting prepares students for entry-level positions and professional advancement in public, private, and government accounting. Entry-level opportunities consist of positions such as accounts payable/receivable clerk, payroll accountant, accounting paraprofessional, tax examiner assistant, and junior cost accountant. This is a tech prep program.
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 (2026-08-04). 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.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
America`s Job Center of California Workforce Resource CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 805-614-1550
1410 South BroadwaySuite ESanta Maria, CA 93454about 11.8 miles away
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Has a veterans' representative
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 →