BS in Cybersecurity or BS in Accounting?

If you have a strong math background then forget cybersecurity and do computer science. You can definitely focus on cyber security after a CS degree if you want to. As for "sitting in front of a computer all day," that's up to you. I do computer adjacent work with a CS degree, but I do a lot of research and interact with a lot of people. I am not a developer in any capacity.

Accounting is very much a desk bound job with not a lot of personal interaction until you become a partner. And even then, you will still have your nose in the books (computer) most of the time. Also, everyone is calling doom on accounting with AI taking over. I think AI will just be a tool for accounting to help digest large volumes of documents, etc. and won't replace the decision making function of accountant. But who knows.

Cyber security is definitely a field that will be in demand for the foreseeable future. It is a lot of time in front of a screen but there are facets of the profession that get out off the office. There are forensic computer experts who make a lot of money working for attorneys or law enforcement on IP theft/misappropriation cases. And cyber security is only as good as the employees using the computers. So, cyber security experts often do presentations for employees and management.

Go with Cyber Security. Accounting will mostly be replaced with AI as automation increases. You have a mathematics degree so accounting wouldn't be necessary. What are your career goals. Just because something is popular doesn't mean you will enjoy it.

Maybe a career in finance will suit you better since you enjoy math or engineering. Think about it and do some research on cyber security and accounting and see which fits you best.

Hope this helps a bit.

MS in computer science. It won’t be easy but the math will help and you’ll be set for life.

I sell software. The top tier cyber security folks I work with make bank. Depending on where you land you may be perfect to go out into the field. A lot of these companies need a personality to talk to businesses.

these tech geniuses are super smart but lack that human element

Accountants are aging fast and we need new ones. So there will be jobs.

Cyber is viable too and for a lot of cybersec jobs you don't really need the hardcore CompSci stuff, you need to know how to secure networks and stuff, analyze and protect against threats etc.

This might sound obvious, but choose the one that sounds more interesting to you. The worst jobs are the boring ones.

Don't know if you are a top student, or went to a better school, but math majors going into quantitative trading/modeling/analysis have the highest starting salaries of all undergrads.

Do some research. Start at website poets & quants.

Both are probably good areas but I can speak to accounting. The entry level job market for accounting is incredibly robust. Simply not enough accounting grads to fill all the roles. There is a huge wave of partner retirements looming, making for incredible advancement opportunities. Also, a major misconception is that accounting leads to a forever career in audit. The truth is that even if you do start in audit, the opportunities that will present themselves are literally unimaginable. Also consider tax consulting (this involves very little tax return prep) and advisory/consulting (which generally doesn't require a CPA, although the CPA credential itself is highly valuable regardless of area). Even if you don't want to do an "accountant" type of job, the business knowledge that accounting provides is invaluable.

The truth about AI / automation in accounting is that it makes the job better. In fact, the data analytics revolution already has. We don't do the boring, repetitive spreadsheet work that we used to do because now we can use software to do it. This "upskills" the role of accountants to more higher-level, strategic work. Now, if you said that data analytics/ AI / automation is squeezing out accounting clerks or bookkeepers, I would agree with you, but that is a very different job from accountant.

Finally, there is a lot of teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration that happens in accounting. I have lifelong friends from an engagement team I worked on 20+ years ago. You may often end up interacting with engineers or logistics personnel during your engagements. And of course in public accounting if you want to make it beyond manager and especially to partner, you have to be a personable individual who can schmooze and sell while also being a technical expert and having an eye for big-picture business strategy.

Start in Big 4 if you can. The connections and respect of having that on your resume pays immense dividends later on.

Get the accounting degree. The numbers of graduates are dropping these days..the salaries are going up and the opportunities are plentiful.

Also, considering you already have a BS in math, here is an alternative plan for accounting:

- Take the core accounting courses (intro, managerial, intermediate 1 and 2, audit, tax) but do not pursue a BS / BBA.

- Apply for an accounting internship while taking those courses.

- Enter a 1-year master of accounting program.

This would be more efficient and get you to a more valuable degree quicker than a BS / BBA (the BS/ BBA would require you to take sophomore level business courses in all areas). You do not need an undergrad degree in accounting to pursue a master's in accounting.

Both will make you unemployed and in student loan debt.

Go to nursing school, PA, dentistry or medical school.

Those math courses are quite elementary. I hope you took something more advanced than Discrete Math because that is mostly HS level stuff. Accountants are a different breed. Getting into Risk is one possible avenue but those personalities do not crave creative thought. Security is not new. There is a monotonous part to it. Little details matter. Consultancies pay the most but I do not think you would want that work. The best jobs are in back office at banks or large corps. You will hang out with nerds but they treat each other pretty well. They can be a little arrogant but that can be remedied. I managed a hacker group at a consultancy many years ago. I found it boring.

Can't you do a masters instead of a BS? The latter might be seen as a step back. It's not like you're doing something totally unrelated to your first degree.

Not sure what the job market is like in the USA, but in the UK you might as well wipe your backside with a masters certificate. I have an MSc in nuclear and couldn't find a job despite having a first in physics (3.8-4.0 GPS equivalent?). You need on the job training or professional qualifications.

Accounting is depressing unless, again, it is a lucrative and cushy number in the USA.