CA vs CMA- Know Which is a Better Career Option?

CA VS CMA: Are you perplexed about choosing CA and CMA? Are you wondering which one has the higher demand? Well, both courses are considered as one of the toughest in India and one requires a brilliant IQ to crack them.

A person who is choosing between these two, i.e. CA vs CMA course must be interested in playing with numbers. It really depends on the student’s interest. Here is a simple guide for you to choose between CA vs CMA under various categories. In this blog, we tell you about the differences between CA and CMA. Go through it completely to know in detail.

Basic Introduction About CA (Chartered Accountant)

You might be knowing that CA is the most reputed course in the commerce stream. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is the only authority responsible to conduct the CA exam and provide the degree. ICAI is the second-largest accounting body in the world.

Chartered Accountant (CA) is well known for earning high incentives in the corporate world and are also held responsible for handling the financial and legal matters of the company.

The profession is challenging because a CA always requires to update himself with the amended laws and case studies. A person who is an expert in CA is aware of various domains such as accounting, auditing, taxation, finance, and corporate laws.

Must-Read CA Salary Structure

A candidate is eligible to get appointed on various job profiles such as Internal Auditor, Portfolio Management, Finance Advisor, etc.

Basic Introduction About CMA (Cost and Management Accountant)

CMA Full Form In India

Cost & Management Accountant is the full form of the abbreviation CMA.

Now lets talk about the CMA exam. It is completely based on Cost Accounting. CMA studies primarily focus on Financial and Accounting Management. Their job profile is to maintain and handle the cost records, pricing of the goods/services, verification of cost records, etc.

But every company is not required to get the cost audit done, very few companies that are dealing at a very large scale are required to get the cost auditing done.

• Know everything about the CMA Exam

Although CMA has started emerging in India, its scope is still very limited. But we can say it is a course for the future. CMA is the only authorized person to do the cost audit of the company. There are numerous books available for CMA as well. You can be exam-ready with a huge collection of CMA Preparation Books available online.

A Brief Comparison between CA vs CMA | Difference Between CA and CMA

Here you can check the detailed comparison between CA Vs CMA Exam including a comparison between their course structure, duration, job profile, and the salary difference between CA and CMA. It will help you to understand better about both exams.

Parameter	CA	CMA
Course Structure	CA course is divided into three levels.   CA Foundation,  CA Intermediate, CA Final along with three years of practical training.  One can enroll for the entrance examination of the CA Foundation after qualifying 12th standard.	The CMA course is divided into three levels.   CMA Foundation, CMA Intermediate, CMA Final. The students after qualifying 10+2 examination are eligible to enroll themselves in the CMA Foundation course.
Duration	The total duration in the CA Course is a minimum of 4.5 years including 3 years of articleship training.	The duration of the CMA course is a minimum of 3-4 years. Training in CMA is also a mandatory part of this course.
Demand in Market	Chartered Accountants are highly knowledgeable in various domains hence there demand is rapidly increasing in the corporate world.   Companies are looking for a candidate who can handle various tasks and CA’s are deemed to be perfect for this job profile.	Every company is not required to get the cost audit done. Companies working on a very large scale are required to appoint cost auditors.   Hence, the demand of CMA is very limited but it is expected that the demand will rise with the passage of time.
Job Profile	A CA can work on multiple Job Profiles such as –   Statutory Audit. Internal Audit Advisor in Direct or Indirect Taxation Handling Transfer Pricing Financial and Accounting Management Investment Decisions System Audit (after clearing DISA/CISA) Handling the company’s Legal Matters etc.	A CMA can be appointed on the following job profiles –   Cost Accounting Cost Auditing Financial Planning Determine the Prices of Goods and Services. Management Accountant Financial Analyst Cost Accountant Accounting Manager Senior Accountant Corporate Controller Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
CA Vs CMA  Salary In India	A fresher Chartered Accountant can be offered an average salary of 6-7 lakhs which increases with experience and ability.   However, the candidates who passed out on the first attempt are usually offered 10-12 lakhs and Rank Holders get to offer up to 25 lakhs.	CMA Salary in India: The average salary of CMA in India lies between 5-7 lakhs which increase with the passage of time and also depending upon one’s ability.

Going through the difference between CA vs CMA, you must have gotten a complete idea of the courses. According to the experts, in the current market, CA has a lot of scope and demand.

But if you are planning for the future say after 10-15 years then you can opt for CMA which is expected to grow with the passage of time. Choose the best between CA vs CMA. You can excel in both exams with a wide range of CA Books available online.

FAQs on the Difference between CA vs CMA