What does an Accountant/Consultant do?
Accountants/consultants perform accounting tasks for organizations or companies. The accountants improve accounting practices and prepare financial statements at the end of every year. They analyze financial data and offer advice on regulatory compliance issues to the finance department. It is their job to make sure that the online system is secure. Most of the day, they organize invoices, prepare statements, and supervising systems. They should be equipped with analytical skills, industry knowledge, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication.
Accountant/consultant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real accountant/consultant resumes:
- Manage a staff of five to ensure their compliance with GAAP as well as best practices.
- Manage company responsibilities for budgets, forecasting, payroll and accounts receivable.
- Manage personnel financial matters including salaries, taxation procedures and other relate issues.
- Select and run weekly check run, ACH payments, and foreign payments.
- Process bi-weekly ACH and EFT payment to vendors, reimbursement and rush check payments.
- Coordinate with external CPA on financial tax filings i.e. , 990 for IRS regulations and maintain of IRS 501C status.
- Work collectively with CPA's, upper management teams, and internal accounting departments to provide accurate reports and identify discrepancies.
- Author desktop work instructions and update Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) documentation to reflect any changes in monthly processes or work flow.
- Perform accounts payable and receivable functions utilizing QuickBooks.
- Key contributor in establishment of QuickBooks for online applications.
- Establish process enhancement and document procedure and reporting requirements per SOX controls.
- Collect and verify project assumptions and overhead data, ensure Hyperion reporting system capture accurate data during planning process.
- Handle and maintain ADP payroll documents, EDD documents, and employee file documents.
- Collaborate with external payroll source ADP ensuring up-to-date information.
- Provide training and guidance to the different organization areas involve in Sarbanes-Oxley implementation.
Accountant/consultant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Accountant/Consultants are proficient in Account Management, Product Knowledge, and Strong Analytical. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Accountant/Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Account Management, 17%
Collaborated with cross-functional internal departments including account management, operations and underwriting to ensure cost effective quality service.
- Product Knowledge, 14%
Coordinated international labs and workshops for product knowledge and marketing.
- Strong Analytical, 13%
Risk taker, strong analytical and organization skills and independent decision maker.
- Leveraged, 9%
Identified opportunities that leveraged centralized IT solutions and resources in accordance with IT Strategies and standards.
- Customer Service, 8%
Interpreted customer service records and provided customer with analysis of configuration as well as suggestions to improve service.
- Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Conducted research and follow-ups after identifying customer issues in order to ensure adequate problem resolutions and customer satisfaction.
Common skills that an accountant/consultant uses to do their job include "account management," "product knowledge," and "strong analytical." You can find details on the most important accountant/consultant responsibilities below.
Communication skills. Many accountant/consultant duties rely on communication skills. "accountants and auditors must be able to listen to and discuss facts and concerns from clients, managers, and other stakeholders," so an accountant/consultant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways accountant/consultant responsibilities rely on communication skills: "experience dealing and solving hacienda discrepancy communications (ivu, payroll and income taxes). "
Detail oriented. accountant/consultants are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to accountant/consultant responsibilities, because "accountants and auditors must pay attention to detail when compiling and examining documents." An accountant/consultant resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "designed business process for the outgoing ap and hr checks with detail requirement gathering and specifying the solution in detail. "
Math skills. accountant/consultant responsibilities often require "math skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "accountants and auditors must be able to analyze, compare, and interpret facts and figures." This resume example shows what accountant/consultants do with math skills on a typical day: "updated web statistics, wrote/edited advertisement copy, and managed status reports. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for an accountant/consultant to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what accountant/consultants relies on this skill, since "strong organizational skills are important for accountants and auditors, who often work with a range of financial documents for a variety of clients." How this skill relates to accountant/consultant duties can be seen in an example from an accountant/consultant resume snippet: "developed and implemented organizational internal controls in all areas, and maintain all confidential financial records. "
The three companies that hire the most accountant/consultants are:
- Sedgwick LLP58 accountant/consultants jobs
- Core-Mark International22 accountant/consultants jobs
- HCSC10 accountant/consultants jobs
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Compare different accountant/consultants
Accountant/consultant 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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an accountant/consultant are more likely to require skills like "account management," "product knowledge," "strong analytical," and "leveraged." On the other hand, a job as a certified public accountant requires skills like "strong customer service," "state tax returns," "payroll tax returns," and "financial statement preparation." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Certified public accountants really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $92,755. Comparatively, accountant/consultants tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $68,479.The education levels that certified public accountants earn slightly differ from accountant/consultants. In particular, certified public accountants are 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an accountant/consultant. Additionally, they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Accountant/consultant 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.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real accountant/consultant resumes. While accountant/consultant responsibilities can utilize skills like "account management," "product knowledge," "leveraged," and "customer service," finance analyst/accountants use skills like "external auditors," "accruals," "process improvement," and "variance analysis."
Finance analyst/accountants earn a lower average salary than accountant/consultants. But finance analyst/accountants earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $78,897. Additionally, accountant/consultants earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $68,479 annually.finance analyst/accountants earn similar levels of education than accountant/consultants in general. They're 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Accountant/Consultants in the next 3-5 years?
Terri Walsh
Professor/Program Manager, Accounting, Seminole State College of Florida
Accountant/consultant vs. General ledger accountant
A general ledger accountant is in charge of ensuring the accuracy of a company's overall accounting processes and information. It is their responsibility to communicate with different departments and officials to gather necessary data, conduct extensive audits, prepare documentation and reports, maintain financial data on the company ledger, and interpret financial information. Furthermore, like a general ledger accountant, it is essential to monitor the progress of accounting processes, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from accountant/consultant resumes include skills like "account management," "product knowledge," "leveraged," and "customer service," whereas a general ledger accountant is more likely to list skills in "accruals," "external auditors," "asset system," and "sox. "
General ledger accountants earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $68,134. Accountant/consultants earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $68,479.general ledger accountants typically earn similar educational levels compared to accountant/consultants. Specifically, they're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Accountant/consultant vs. Senior staff accountant
A senior staff accountant is responsible for managing the accounting operations of the company's accounting department, reconciling accounts, and finalizing financial reports to discuss with the management. Senior staff accountants resolve account discrepancies, analyze the company's financial status, and verify financial transactions. They must have excellent analytical skills and extensive knowledge of the accounting principles to perform accounting duties that would minimize the financial risk of the company. A senior staff accountant provides strategic recommendations to prevent overspending and increase efficiency across all departments to drive more revenues and profits.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between accountant/consultants and senior staff accountants, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an accountant/consultant might have more use for skills like "account management," "product knowledge," "leveraged," and "customer service." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of senior staff accountants require skills like "external auditors," "accruals," "payroll processing," and "close process. "
Senior staff accountants enjoy the best pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $67,353. For comparison, accountant/consultants earn the highest salary in the finance industry.senior staff accountants reach similar levels of education compared to accountant/consultants, in general. The difference is that they're 1.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of accountant/consultant
Updated January 8, 2025
