How To Become An Account Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is an account associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A fruitful way to invest in education is by pursuing a career as an account associate. This entry-level job is best suited for young and fresh accounting enthusiasts. Choosing this job as a profession is an ideal approach to have the experience of real-world accounting and finance. With an average salary of $24.44 an hour, the chances for fresh graduates to get hired will increase by 10% by 2028.

Account associates are bound to assist in various general bookkeeping and accounting functions. These functions include various clerical activities such as preparing reports, invoices, managing client accounts, etc. It means they are beneficial for accountants and auditors. That is why they are typically hired within accounting departments of companies or accounting firms.

To become an account associate, you need a two-year bachelor's degree in accounting. But you will also work with colleagues who have associate's degrees. They are expected to have the know-how of software like Microsoft Office and bookkeeping software to accomplish their responsibilities.

ScoreAccount AssociateUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,927

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 6.60%

Black or African American 6.86%

Hispanic or Latino 14.58%

Unknown 3.97%

White 67.36%

Gender

female 61.14%

male 38.86%

Age - 53

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 53

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an account associate

Explore account associate education requirements

Most common account associate degrees

Bachelor's

66.9 %

Associate

14.3 %

Master's

8.2 %

Start to develop specific account associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	28.91%
Work Ethic	8.14%
Develop Leads	6.80%
Patients	5.03%
Account Management	4.65%

Complete relevant account associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New account associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an account associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real account associate resumes.

Gain additional account associate certifications

Account associate certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific account associate certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for account associates include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

More About Certifications

Research account associate duties and responsibilities

Manage corporate Google+ and Instagram accounts.
Input and manage the company CRM system.
Utilize LinkedIn, Google search to identify B2B decision-makers and generate warm leads.
Install network software, create company inventory, and manage financial records in QuickBooks, and act as secretary

Prepare your account associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your account associate resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an account associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable account associate resume templates

Build a professional account associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your account associate resume.