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What is an accountant internship and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.
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Accountant internship provides students with the opportunity to learn and gain experience in a real accounting firm. This is a very good opportunity for any student looking to have a career in accounting or finance. As an accountant intern, you will be required to perform research and assist with financial reports and records. You are also expected to support and work together with the payment processing team. Also, you might regularly need to handle confidential or sensitive information such as bank statements, invoices, and balance sheets. Beyond all these, you will be required to take on projects or additional tasks to learn more about office operations.

Getting an accountant internship doesn't require you to have a bachelor's degree, but you must be working towards a degree in accounting or finance. You must be very good at maths and be proficient with computers. The average yearly salary of an accountant intern is $28,194 or $13.55 an hour.

What general advice would you give to an accountant internship?

Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.Stephen Moehrle Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor and Chairman of Accounting, University of Missouri - St. Louis

It was a great time to be entering the accounting industry, before the pandemic. Our students were serving in internships in huge numbers and our graduates were enjoying 100% placement, usually with multiple offers. The entry-level professionals were entering a profession marked by emerging and evolving technologies that made even the entry-level duties especially interesting. Further, our tech-comfortable young professionals were experiencing quick advancement because of their ability to employ the new technologies.

Most of the above remains true so the only open question is job availability. It would be unrealistic to say things are great. However, it seems that job prospects for accounting majors will be better than for those of virtually every other entry-level profession during difficult times. I have been speaking with firm leaders across the spectrum of firms and most do intend to be on campus in the fall recruiting season. Of course, they have a lot of time to learn more about the economy over the next few months, but we are cautiously optimistic. Again, I am confident that whatever the state of job availability for young CPAs-to-be, prospects will be better for accounting graduates than virtually any other profession.

They will be entering the profession at a fascinating moment in time. Of course, the technological advances assure this regardless of economic conditions. However, there are business disruption-related issues that will provide rich opportunities for making a difference. For example, audit staff will be working with clients to see them through these troubling times. Lamentably, I fear that these young professionals will learn more about the going concern determination than they desire to know. Tax staff will help clients to optimally use the tax loss carrybacks and carryforwards that are arising by the day. Entry level professionals in corporate accounting will get a day-to-day front row seat in business management through crisis. While lamentable times, these are times when young professionals can make a difference that saves jobs.
ScoreAccountant InternshipUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $33,484

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.45%

Asian 18.39%

Black or African American 7.60%

Hispanic or Latino 9.90%

Unknown 3.91%

White 59.76%

Gender

female 53.56%

male 46.44%

Age - 43
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 - 43
Stress level
5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Accountant internship career paths

Key steps to become an accountant internship

  1. Explore accountant internship education requirements

    Most common accountant internship degrees

    Bachelor's

    79.5 %

    Master's

    8.6 %

    Associate

    7.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific accountant internship skills

    SkillsPercentages
    R8.60%
    Account Management7.92%
    PowerPoint7.67%
    Renewable Energy7.53%
    Journal Entries5.01%
  3. Complete relevant accountant internship training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New accountant interns 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 accountant internship based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real accountant internship resumes.
  4. Gain additional accountant internship certifications

    Accountant internship 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 accountant internship certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

    More About Certifications
  5. Research accountant internship duties and responsibilities

    • Develop and manage CRM system to identify cross sell and up sell opportunities.
    • Create RFP responses for IDHN's to achieve a more compliant, long term agreement.
    • Work with manage care, medical reimbursement and Medicaid issues/challenges.
    • Perform market research, creating a client PowerPoint presentation with competitive intelligence.
  6. Prepare your accountant internship resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your accountant internship 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 accountant internship resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable accountant internship resume templates

    Build a professional accountant internship 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 accountant internship resume.
    Accountant Internship Resume
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    Accountant Internship Resume
    Accountant Internship Resume
    Accountant Internship Resume
    Accountant Internship Resume
    Accountant Internship Resume
  7. Apply for accountant internship jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an accountant internship job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first accountant internship job

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Average accountant internship salary

The average accountant internship salary in the United States is $33,484 per year or $16 per hour. Accountant internship salaries range between $24,000 and $45,000 per year.

Average accountant internship salary
$33,484 Yearly
$16.10 hourly

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How do accountant interns rate their job?

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Accountant internship reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Reporting to a CPA Controller or CFO, always learning and not micromanaged. Treated as a professional always.

Cons

Business owners that do not know or understand compliance and GAAP, or the patience to follow the rules... generally common in small companies.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

It's an office job.

Cons

Everything else. Too much anxiety, debts, low sallary (€700/month).


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

I like when the numbers fall in to place. I enjoy helping clients reach their financial goals. I am great with client consultations. I appreciate the chance to help plan for a client's needs.

Cons

I dislike situations where no planning had been done. I am bothered when a client has an accounting problem that could have been avoided by proper planning.


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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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