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What does an account associate do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does an account associate do

An account associate is responsible for supporting the accounting and finance department in performing accounting operations, bookkeeping functions, and other related clerical tasks. Account associates analyze and sort financial statements accordingly, assist on payroll processing, evaluate account reconciliations and receivables, create financial reports, and updating recent account information on the database. They also handle clients' inquiries and concerns, routing calls to the appropriate accounting staff or department. An account associate must have excellent analytical and communication skills, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the accounting principles.

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Account associate responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real account associate resumes:

  • 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
  • Manage social media accounts and advertise the soir e events through email and Instagram resulting in increase in follower count.
  • Manage data, creative, premium and POS fulfillment, follow-up telemarketing to dealers and legal requirements for group dealer programs.
  • Perform bank reconciliation, A/P, A/R, G/L, and P/R.
  • Track SEO for campaigns and projects.
  • Create prospect lists using LinkedIn and draft proposals.
  • Create and disperse content daily on twitter for clients.
  • Maintain filing system for all reports and hr documents.
  • Send out RFP's and collect data for underwriter review.
  • Work in SQL to develop better queries for data retrieval.
  • Prepare and execute complex display, mobile, video, and Facebook campaigns.
  • Assist CPA with the finalization of the quarterly reports and tax return preparation.

Account associate skills and personality traits

We calculated that 29% of Account Associates are proficient in Customer Service, Work Ethic, and Develop Leads. They’re also known for soft skills such as Computer skills, Integrity, and Detail oriented.

We break down the percentage of Account Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 29%

    Provided day-to-day management of client relationships, including customer service, account maintenance and documentation of all changes and interactions.

  • Work Ethic, 8%

    Commended for dedicated work ethic and rewarded by steadypromotions and training in all aspects of work.

  • Develop Leads, 7%

    State Farm bank certified) - Develop leads & schedule appointments - Market appropriate products and services.

  • Patients, 5%

    Utilized computerized and automated mail systems daily to notify appointment reminders to Cleveland Clinic patients.

  • Account Management, 5%

    Monitored changes in IRS regulations for documentation requirements on non-resident alien accounts to ensure accurate account management and IRS reporting.

  • PowerPoint, 4%

    Designed and created PowerPoint presentations that highlighted products and services.

"customer service," "work ethic," and "develop leads" are among the most common skills that account associates use at work. You can find even more account associate responsibilities below, including:

Computer skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an account associate to have is computer skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks need to be comfortable using computer spreadsheets and bookkeeping software." Account associates often use computer skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "filed office correspondence and other documents, sent and received faxes, photocopied and completed computer data entry. "

Integrity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling account associate duties is integrity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks have control of an organization’s financial documentation, which they must use properly and keep confidential." According to an account associate resume, here's how account associates can utilize integrity in their job responsibilities: "key contributions: prepare payroll and commission disbursements for 300 attorneys and staff maintain 80 client trust accounts for cfo. "

Detail oriented. This is an important skill for account associates to perform their duties. For an example of how account associate responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are responsible for producing accurate financial records." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an account associate: "prepare detailed financial reports that are provided to the client. ".

Math skills. account associate responsibilities often require "math skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks deal with numbers daily and should be comfortable with basic arithmetic." This resume example shows what account associates do with math skills on a typical day: "created data tracking and reporting databases and spreadsheets for student statistics and payroll expenses. "

All account associate skills

The three companies that hire the most account associates are:

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Compare different account associates

Account associate vs. Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.

If we compare the average account associate annual salary with that of a bookkeeper, we find that bookkeepers typically earn a $8,590 lower salary than account associates make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both account associate and bookkeeper positions are skilled in customer service, powerpoint, and reconciliations.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, account associate responsibilities require skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "develop leads," and "patients." Meanwhile a typical bookkeeper has skills in areas such as "payroll tax returns," "journal entries," "purchase orders," and "credit card accounts." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Bookkeepers really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $42,063. Comparatively, account associates tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $48,877.On average, bookkeepers reach similar levels of education than account associates. Bookkeepers are 3.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Account associate vs. Corporate accountant

A corporate accountant is an individual who prepares financial statements and maintains financial records of an organization to ensure that they comply with laws, regulations, and the organization's policies. Corporate accountants are required to analyze financial statements to help executives make financial decisions for the organization. They must collect ledgers and financial reports from divisional offices and prepare corporate financial statements for executives. Corporate accountants must also prepare budgets to allocate funds for spending for each department.

On average, corporate accountants earn a $15,373 higher salary than account associates a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Account associates and corporate accountants both require similar skills like "reconciliations," "account reconciliations," and "gaap" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real account associate resumes. While account associate responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer service," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "develop leads," corporate accountants use skills like "cpa," "close process," "internal controls," and "accruals."

On average, corporate accountants earn a higher salary than account associates. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, corporate accountants earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $71,156. Whereas account associates have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $48,877.corporate accountants earn similar levels of education than account associates in general. They're 4.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Account associate vs. Assistant account executive

An assistant account executive is responsible for managing customer accounts, under the supervision of an account executive. Assistant account executives develop processes and techniques to execute projects based on clients' specifications. They assist account executives with clients' presentations for project updates and status reports. They also manage client requests to increase brand awareness, including maximizing sales strategies and resources and advertising promotions within the budget goals. They must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, especially when managing the clients' expectations and marketing the clients' brands to all available platforms for customers' recognition.

An average assistant account executive eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of account associates. The difference in salaries amounts to assistant account executives earning a $1,126 higher average salary than account associates.Using the responsibilities included on account associates and assistant account executives resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "customer service," "account management," and "powerpoint.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an account associate is likely to be skilled in "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "develop leads," and "patients," while a typical assistant account executive is skilled in "account executives," "journal entries," "fact sheets," and "purchase orders."

Assistant account executives earn the highest salary when working in the professional industry, where they receive an average salary of $50,936. Comparatively, account associates have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $48,877.Most assistant account executives achieve a similar degree level compared to account associates. For example, they're 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Account associate vs. Accounts payable clerk

An accounts payable clerk is responsible for supporting the accounting department by performing clerical duties to file financial reports timely and accurately. Accounts payable clerks manage and verify invoices documents, reconcile balance spreadsheets, process payments for suppliers and vendors, resolve billing discrepancies, confirm and post account statements, record outstanding credits, and maintain an organized record of transactions. An accounts payable clerk must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles to deliver high-quality services and help the business minimize excessive financial loss.

Accounts payable clerks average a lower salary than the annual salary of account associates. The difference is about $10,594 per year.While both account associates and accounts payable clerks complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like customer service, reconciliations, and data entry, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "develop leads," and "patients" are skills that commonly show up on account associate resumes. On the other hand, accounts payable clerks use skills like purchase orders, vendor statements, credit card, and journal entries on their resumes.The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for accounts payable clerks, with average annual pay of $41,570. Comparatively, the highest account associate annual salary comes from the finance industry.accounts payable clerks reach similar levels of education compared to account associates, in general. The difference is that they're 3.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of account associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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