The chief duty of an accounting analyst is to help optimize the accounting operations of an organization. To do this, they perform duties like analyzing financial transactions, conducting audits, gathering information from the accounting department, and observing accounting operations to identify areas for improvement.
In addition, an accounting analyst is also typically responsible for resolving account discrepancies, creating financial reports, optimizing the company's expenses, and establishing investment practices. With these duties in mind, it comes as no surprise that the job entails constant communication and collaboration with members of the accounting team, as well as the upper management.
The role of an accounting analyst requires a background in accounting, including a degree and appropriate licensure (if necessary). Furthermore, an aspiring accounting analyst must have a firm grasp of accounting principles, the company's accounting processes, and various accounting disciplines that apply to the company and its industry.
On average, the salary of an accounting analyst is around $27 an hour or roughly $55,000 a year. If you want to seek the highest-paying opportunities, you should look into jobs in the finance, manufacturing, and energy companies first.
What is an Accounting Analyst?
What Does an Accounting Analyst Do
There are certain skills that many accounting analysts have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and organizational skills.
How To Become an Accounting Analyst
If you're interested in becoming an accounting analyst, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 73.9% of accounting analysts have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.3% of accounting analysts have master's degrees. Even though most accounting analysts have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Accounting Analyst Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an accounting analyst can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as finance analyst, progress to a title such as senior accountant and then eventually end up with the title regional controller.
Average Salary for an Accounting Analyst
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Accounting Analyst Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active accounting analyst jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where accounting analysts earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Accounting Analyst Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 4,676 | $67,222 |
| 2 | Texas | 2,646 | $54,816 |
| 3 | Florida | 1,962 | $44,478 |
| 4 | New York | 1,774 | $68,069 |
| 5 | Illinois | 1,611 | $60,403 |
| 6 | Virginia | 1,444 | $57,709 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 1,197 | $62,635 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 1,189 | $52,789 |
| 9 | Georgia | 1,146 | $50,242 |
| 10 | Colorado | 1,058 | $56,363 |
| 11 | Ohio | 1,058 | $52,624 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 955 | $56,040 |
| 13 | Maryland | 945 | $58,005 |
| 14 | Washington | 859 | $59,611 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 835 | $55,922 |
| 16 | Arizona | 817 | $50,887 |
| 17 | Michigan | 801 | $58,367 |
| 18 | New Jersey | 800 | $66,187 |
| 19 | Missouri | 680 | $51,483 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 672 | $50,968 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 600 | $53,653 |
| 22 | Indiana | 554 | $50,666 |
| 23 | Oregon | 519 | $62,064 |
| 24 | Connecticut | 504 | $60,756 |
| 25 | Alabama | 485 | $47,776 |
| 26 | Iowa | 429 | $47,008 |
| 27 | Utah | 405 | $55,277 |
| 28 | South Carolina | 369 | $44,408 |
| 29 | Kentucky | 330 | $53,838 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | 262 | $50,434 |
| 31 | Kansas | 259 | $49,729 |
| 32 | Nevada | 255 | $49,057 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 242 | $55,719 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 231 | $48,279 |
| 35 | Nebraska | 225 | $48,640 |
| 36 | Delaware | 207 | $57,565 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 174 | $51,063 |
| 38 | New Mexico | 168 | $48,256 |
| 39 | Idaho | 161 | $46,799 |
| 40 | Mississippi | 155 | $42,575 |
| 41 | Montana | 146 | $46,295 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | 140 | $58,375 |
| 43 | Hawaii | 125 | $49,320 |
| 44 | Maine | 112 | $49,493 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 110 | $50,055 |
| 46 | Alaska | 97 | $57,840 |
| 47 | South Dakota | 82 | $48,881 |
| 48 | Vermont | 74 | $52,279 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 70 | $45,680 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 57 | $48,730 |
Top Colleges for Accounting Analysts
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Top Skills For an Accounting Analyst
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 12.4% of accounting analysts listed reconciliations on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Accounting Analyst Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Accounting Analyst templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Accounting Analyst resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Accounting Analyst Demographics
Accounting Analyst Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among accounting analysts, 58.4% of them are women, while 41.6% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among accounting analysts is White, which makes up 65.1% of all accounting analysts.
- The most common foreign language among accounting analysts is Spanish at 44.5%.
Work Experience Programs For Accounting Analysts
Virtual work experience programs replicate work at top companies and help you gain the skills to be successful when applying and working there. In only a few hours, learn the relevant tools necessary to complete a typical work day at that company. Virtual work experience programs are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced. No experience or application is required!
Company: Standard Bank
Cost: Free
Duration: 5.5 hours
Online Courses For Accounting Analyst That You May Like
Subsidiary ledgers for accounts receivable & accounts payable. Special Journals - Sales journal, purchases journal...
Payroll calculations - federal income tax, social security, Medicare - Payroll journal entries posted to ledger accounts...
The Easiest Course In Accounting!...
Best States For an Accounting Analyst
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an accounting analyst. The best states for people in this position are New York, California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Accounting analysts make the most in New York with an average salary of $68,069. Whereas in California and New Jersey, they would average $67,222 and $66,187, respectively. While accounting analysts would only make an average of $62,635 in Massachusetts, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New York
$68,069
Avg. Salary
2. District of Columbia
$70,984
Avg. Salary
3. California
$67,222
Avg. Salary
How Do Accounting Analyst Rate Their Jobs?
Top Accounting Analyst Employers
Most Common Employers For Accounting Analyst
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IBM | $89,625 | $43.09 | 110 |
| 2 | SEI Investments | $88,047 | $42.33 | 58 |
| 3 | Citi | $80,466 | $38.69 | 37 |
| 4 | Ford Motor | $80,377 | $38.64 | 18 |
| 5 | BNY Mellon | $77,765 | $37.39 | 126 |
| 6 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $77,278 | $37.15 | 50 |
| 7 | Northern Trust | $74,968 | $36.04 | 59 |
| 8 | Franklin Templeton | $71,196 | $34.23 | 27 |
| 9 | Chevron | $66,230 | $31.84 | 20 |
| 10 | First American Financial | $64,059 | $30.80 | 29 |
Accounting Analyst Videos
Becoming an Accounting Analyst FAQs
How Does An Accountant Become A Financial Analyst?
An accountant can become a financial analyst by working their way internally from an accountant into a financial analyst role. This is good news for accountants looking to move up the corporate ladder into a more lucrative financial analyst position.
Is Accounting In Demand?
Yes, accounting is in demand. In fact, accounting is one of the most high-demand jobs within the financial sector. This is great news for anyone interested in a career in accounting, as the demand for these positions is only expected to increase in the near future.
Is Being An Accounting Analyst A Good Job?
Yes, being an accounting analyst is a good job. It does not take long to begin a career as an accounting analyst, and it also pays pretty well. There are a variety of industries you can work in as an accounting analyst, and there are also numerous opportunities to advance within your role.