What does an accountant assistant do?
An accountant assistant is responsible for assisting the operations of a finance department, performing administrative and clerical tasks as advised. Accountant assistants create budget reports, process invoices, and manage accounts receivable. They also document purchase orders, monitor the payroll release, complete bank reconciliations, update the company's account statements and escalate discrepancies, assist with audit preparations, and sort financial documents. An accountant assistant must be familiar with the accounting processes and financial industry, as well as have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks under minimal supervision.
Accountant assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real accountant assistant resumes:
- Manage international client's accounts by contacting leads and entering contacts into SalesForce database.
- Monitor daily competitors blogs, twitter handles, Facebook pages.
- Create wire frame and conceive design of home page call-out and Facebook page.
- Publish content regularly on Instagram and YouTube as a part of the social media strategy.
- Maintain internal pricing standards by using tariffs, customer contracts and regulations from ACH and IATA.
- Develop innovative PowerPoint presentation used by the agent as marketing tools as well as spreads sheets for larger risk.
- Assist CPA in monthly closing procedures and documentation for compliance to fiscal policies and procedures for internal and external grant requirements.
- Process full cycle accounts payable functions from vendor set up to payment (international wires, domestic wires and ACH).
- Perform overhaul and cleanup of company-wide SalesForce accounts.
- Assist CPA with various projects including converting manufacturing software.
- Work monthly bank reconciliation using QuickBooks and prepare financial statements.
- Verify accuracy and generate monthly payroll statements for corporation and partnership.
- Utilize QuickBooks to monitor business accounts; maintain and update customer and vendor financial status.
- Assist in the preparation and distribution of federal payroll certifications require by federally fund grants.
- Administer general ledgers, fund coding and checkbook maintenance for organization's accounts while also generating daily financial analysis reports.
Accountant assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Accountant Assistants are proficient in Customer Service, Data Entry, and Payroll Taxes. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Accountant Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 18%
Coordinate closely with operations and customer service, including interfacing with the resident/legal representative to implement and maintain confidential resident information.
- Data Entry, 13%
Work with highly confidential information Data entry for payrolls, checks and deposits Bank Statements reconciliation
- Payroll Taxes, 7%
Prepare payroll reports including monthly labor distribution and quarterly payroll taxes.
- Purchase Orders, 6%
Balanced related statements resolve purchase order problems and refer accounts to collections.
- General Ledger Accounts, 5%
Collaborated with co-workers in balancing inter-company general ledger accounts to accommodate management with year end completion of company financial statements.
- Credit Card, 4%
Maintained bookkeeping and accounting records, made purchase order, conducted credit card reconciliation and monthly account reconciliation.
Common skills that an accountant assistant uses to do their job include "customer service," "data entry," and "payroll taxes." You can find details on the most important accountant assistant responsibilities below.
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform accountant assistant duties is communication skills. Accountant assistants responsibilities require that "accountants and auditors must be able to listen to and discuss facts and concerns from clients, managers, and other stakeholders." Accountant assistants also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "extended responsibilities were: keeping an updated filing system, data entry, updated on tax requirements and regulations and communications. "
Organizational skills. This is an important skill for accountant assistants to perform their duties. For an example of how accountant assistant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "strong organizational skills are important for accountants and auditors, who often work with a range of financial documents for a variety of clients." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an accountant assistant: "demonstrated excellent communication skills daily with clients to obtain correct payroll information and utilized superior customer service and organizational skills. ".
Detail oriented. A big part of what accountant assistants do relies on "detail oriented." You can see how essential it is to accountant assistant responsibilities because "accountants and auditors must pay attention to detail when compiling and examining documents." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical accountant assistant tasks: "performed data entry and administrative duties supplied detailed tax documentation needed to submit accurate corporate income tax returns"
Math skills. A commonly-found skill in accountant assistant job descriptions, "math skills" is essential to what accountant assistants do. Accountant assistant responsibilities rely on this skill because "accountants and auditors must be able to analyze, compare, and interpret facts and figures." You can also see how accountant assistant duties rely on math skills in this resume example: "check figures, postings, bank statements and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy and proper codes. "
The three companies that hire the most accountant assistants are:
- Alera Group18 accountant assistants jobs
- Creative Artists Agency5 accountant assistants jobs
- Criterion Executive Search4 accountant assistants jobs
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Compare different accountant assistants
Accountant assistant vs. Certified public accountant
A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, accountant assistant responsibilities require skills like "data entry," "payroll taxes," "purchase orders," and "credit card." Meanwhile a typical certified public accountant has skills in areas such as "strong customer service," "state tax returns," "payroll tax returns," and "financial statement preparation." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Certified public accountants really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $92,755. Comparatively, accountant assistants tend to make the most money in the professional industry with an average salary of $44,129.certified public accountants tend to reach similar levels of education than accountant assistants. In fact, certified public accountants are 3.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Accountant assistant vs. Finance analyst/accountant
In a company setting, a finance analyst/accountant is in charge of handling and monitoring financial activities, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Their responsibilities revolve around preparing financial reports, performing audits and risk assessments, and identifying any errors and inconsistencies, resolving them promptly and efficiently. They also conduct research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, evaluate the existing procedures to determine its strengths and weaknesses, and recommend solutions to optimize operations for financial growth. Furthermore, as a finance analyst/accountant, it is essential to uphold the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that accountant assistant responsibilities requires skills like "customer service," "data entry," "payroll taxes," and "purchase orders." But a finance analyst/accountant might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "financial analysis," "payroll," "external auditors," and "gaap."
Finance analyst/accountants earn a higher average salary than accountant assistants. But finance analyst/accountants earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $78,897. Additionally, accountant assistants earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $44,129 annually.In general, finance analyst/accountants achieve higher levels of education than accountant assistants. They're 6.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for accountant assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Terri Walsh
Professor/Program Manager, Accounting, Seminole State College of Florida
Accountant assistant 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.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, accountant assistants are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "data entry," "purchase orders," and "individual tax returns." But a corporate accountant is more likely to have skills like "gaap," "account reconciliations," "external auditors," and "close process."
Corporate accountants make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $71,156. On the other hand, accountant assistants are paid the highest salary in the professional industry, with average annual pay of $44,129.corporate accountants typically earn similar educational levels compared to accountant assistants. Specifically, they're 4.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Accountant assistant vs. General accountant
A general accountant is responsible for evaluating account statements, conducting data analysis with financial transactions, and generating reports on revenues, expenses, and sales forecasting. These accountants manage discrepancies on the company and clients' profiles, including bank reconciliations and processing of account receivables and payables. They also handle the release of invoices and petty cash, analyzing balance sheets, and updating accurate financial information on the database. A general accountant must have excellent analytical skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines.
Types of accountant assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
