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.
How to Become an Accounting Analyst
What is an Accounting Analyst
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an accounting analyst. For example, did you know that they make an average of $26.61 an hour? That's $55,358 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 90,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
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.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an accounting analyst. When we researched the most common majors for an accounting analyst, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on accounting analyst resumes include associate degree degrees or high school diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become an accounting analyst. In fact, many accounting analyst jobs require experience in a role such as staff accountant. Meanwhile, many accounting analysts also have previous career experience in roles such as accountant or accounts payable clerk.
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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.
Accounting Analyst Jobs You Might Like
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Average Salary for an Accounting Analyst
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Accounting Analyst Resumes
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming an Accounting Analyst. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
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Elizabeth Ramirez  Washington, DC  (550) 555-2774  eramirez@example.com Experience Accounting Analyst2011 - Present Marriott International•Washington, DC
Assistant Manager/Accounting2010 - 2011 L3 Technologies•Washington, DC
Tax Assistant (Part-Time)2008 - 2009 H&R Block•Washington, DC
Skills IRSERPSpecial ProjectsSOXDeloitteCost AnalysisCPAFinancial StatementsFinancial RecordsVariance Analysis Education Master's Degree Accounting2009 - 2010 Strayer University•Washington, DC Bachelor's Degree Accounting2006 - 2009 Strayer University•Washington, DC |
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Rose Boyd  Accounting Analyst2014 - Present The Home DepotAtlanta, GA
Assistant To The Controller2005 - 2014 Delta Air LinesAtlanta, GA
Finance Analyst/Accountant1995 - 2005 Delta Air LinesAtlanta, GA
 Bachelor's Degree Accounting1992 - 1995 Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA |
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Contact Information  Atlanta, GA (370) 555-8904 rboyd@example.comSkills Purchase Orders Ensure Compliance Quickbooks LLC Management Reports Revenue Recognition Balance Sheet Financial Statements Financial Models Sarbanes-Oxley |
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Jason Grant  Bronxville, NY  (220) 555-9223  jgrant@example.com Skills Financial TransactionsBalance SheetCustomer ServiceCorporate ActionsPayrollFinancial StatementsEnsure AccuracyProject ManagementSQLIncome |
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Employment History Accounting Analyst2020 - Present IBM•Bronxville, NY
Accounting Analyst2019 - 2020 IBM•Bronxville, NY
Corporate Finance Analyst2016 - 2019 IBM•Bronxville, NY
Education Bachelor's Degree Accounting2013 - 2016 Monroe College•Bronxville, NY |
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- Reconciled and reviewed multiple balance sheet accounts within the General Ledger department while auditing discrepancies for resolutions to reconciling items.
- Provided effective leadership in work process improvements and special projects delivering expected results.
- Ditto a Time and Attendance System and a Payroll System Strategic Planning, Business Planning Developed five year financial/operating plans.
- Generate monthly close of financial statements and prepare management reports Perform Accounts Payable and Accounts receivable activities.
- Reviewed cash, payroll and other significant reconciliations.
- Assisted with the preparation of the financial statements and footnote disclosures.
- Prepared corporate federal and state income tax returns for corporations in telecomm, healthcare, pharmaceutical and real estate industries.
- Assisted outside independent CPA to prepare year end tax returns and compilation of financial statements.
- Provided trend analysis and made market recommendations.
- Created financial models and ad hoc financial analyses to assist in interpreting and forecasting business performance.
- Facilitated periodic forecast and annual plan submission process into Hyperion by partnering with MetLife s business units.
- Reviewed GAAP analytics for the 8 largest MetLife entities for use internally and by external auditors.
- Balance Sheet
- External Auditors
- Management Reports
- Sarbanes-Oxley
- Pivot Tables
- Cost Analysis
- Essbase
- Financial Statements
- Annual Reports
- Financial Records
- Major: Accounting
- Major: Business
- Provided analysis of balance sheet and income statement items in accordance with GAAP and STAT accounting methods.
- Facilitate meetings with business partners locally and internationally.
- Prepared and analyzed financial statements and performed budget and expense analysis for investment product lines.
- Work with various external auditors.
- Record monthly rent rolls on real estate properties.
- Printed weekly A/P Checks and ACH transactions.
- Placed collection calls and provided invoice information for clients.
- Produce and verify financial statements or trust reports and daily NAV reporting.
- Assist in preparing quarterly financial statements
- Delivered all reporting needs by assisting client service team, portfolio managers, and compliance officer.
- Utilized accounting and security processing procedures for auditing reports (GAAP).
- Assist in preparation of financial statements by analyzing prepaid expenses and recording accruals.
- Prepared and reviewed financial statements and audit packages on a semi-annual and annual basis for back-up and audit purposes.
- Participated in special project research, documentation and analysis.
- Manage all financial transactions, posting journal entries, reconciling accounts, and recording interest statements.
- Process invoices, check requests and purchase orders from start to finish (coding/check printing).
- Evaluated vendor invoices for proper cost center posting.
- Processed all vendor invoices, paying via ACH, wire and check payments through SAP.
- Create PowerPoint presentations and reports.
- Complete travel arrangements, and direct, answer and follow through promptly on correspondence
- Processed bank returns list for ACH drafted accounts with EFT problems.
- Assist Human Resources @ Foley Equipment with ADP conversion.
- Oversight
- ATM
- Ifrs
- Powerpoint
- Quickbooks
- Vendor Invoices
- Subordinate Units
- External Auditors
- Bloomberg
- Ensure Compliance
- Insure compliance with all legal documentation requirements and applicable company policies including current GAAP.
- Identified and analyzed financial transaction problems with posted entries Performed upload files for incoming cash, check and credit card payments.
- Interact with IT and auditors to implement quality control procedures and measurements to ensure data integrity.
- Reviewed and analyzed company shrink and financial reports to ensure accuracy.
- Analyzed data from financial statements to resolve intercompany issues.
- Completed CPA exam and became Certified.
- Interact with the compliance group by returning inactive vendor invoices or vendor setup.
- Maintain effective communication to the seniors and managers about the timeline, goals, and status of the engagements.
- Assisted in updating media and communication services such as: mailing, web pages, and brochures.
- Analyzed and balanced all financial transactions to proper accounts on the general ledger.
- Prepared financial statements for stockholders of corporation.
- Special Projects
- Portfolio
- Customer Service
- Payroll
- Gaap
- External Auditors
- State Agencies
- Financial Statements
- Annual Budget
- Business Operations
- Reviewed data about net worth, liabilities, capital stock, income, and expenditure
- Assisted in annual budget preparation.
- Evaluated financial statements on a monthly basis.
- Visit client sites and assist on ad hoc or special projects as needed.
- Assist management with testing 6 U.S./6 Canadian randomly chosen accounts to prove income and expense.
- Review and research G/L balance sheet accounts related to Cash Analysis.
- Provided financial needs analysis for clients, outlining financial goals and develop plan to reach their objective.
- Complete research, reporting and other special projects as requested.
- Assisted in preparing month-end reports and financial statements creation for the client following established procedures and timelines.
- Cost Analysis via Invoice verification, General Ledger Verification and Departmental Budgeting.
- Reconciled Time and Material invoices to Wage Summaries for audit by Apple of subcontractor time/hours.
- Prepared all financial statements and daily production reports.
- Reconciled inter-company transactions and consolidated financial statements.
- Supported external audits with analyses & explanation of accruals, documentation, & journal entries.
- Assisted Accounting Manager with special projects as assigned.
- Prepared and analyzed financial statements and performed budget and expense analysis for investment product lines.
- Monitor and maintain the electronic messaging infrastructure.
- Support transition of existing business to replacement ERP systems.
- Developed QA testing plans and coordinated with an internal QA team to validate and test migrated code.
- Provided customer service to insurance agents and their CSRs.
- Assisted in preparation & validation of GAAP & STAT external financial statements.
- Ensured project costs are recorded in accordance with FARs and CAS.
- Team Lead for Long Term Care Sarbanes Oxley annual review to establish new SOX controls around external vendors processes.
- Reconcile account balances and prepare variance analysis for management review.
- Financial Statements
- Financial Systems
- Financial Records
- Database
- IPO
- Special Projects
- Quickbooks
- External Auditors
- Gaap
- ERP
- Use standard performance metrics to report performance on project budgets and estimates to ensure cost, and schedule objectives are met.
- Document revenue recognition treatment for adjustment based upon contractual agreements.
- Prepared internal financial statements and analyzed current month actual results to prior period results and budget amounts.
- Trained business process owners on proper internal controls and control testing procedures.
- Maintained schedules of P&L and balance sheet accounts for 19 U.S. branches.
- Contributed to payroll system conversion Performed payroll validation, analytical trouble shooting, and data entry.
- Worked with external auditors in the preparation of audited financial statements.
- Developed knowledge of Chinese accounting standards, US GAAP and IFRS.
- Provided effective leadership in work process improvements and special projects delivering expected results.
- Performed outsourced Financial Accounting as an EY Consultant, for Shell Chemical Divested Business Units)
- Range of clients included non-profit organizations, health care organizations, real estate partnerships, coal mining and banking.
- Served both public and non-public clients in a variety of industries, including real estate.
Learn How To Write an Accounting Analyst Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Accounting Analyst resumes and compiled some information about how to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Accounting Analyst Resume Examples And Templates
Find the best Accounting Analyst job for you
Create The Perfect Resume
Our resume builder tool will walk you through the process of creating a stand-out Accounting Analyst resume.
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
Find the best Accounting Analyst job for you
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!...
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, 16.0% of accounting analysts listed procedures on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.
- Procedures, 16.0%
- General Ledger Accounts, 10.2%
- Financial Statements, 9.0%
- Special Projects, 6.9%
- Customer Service, 6.2%
- Other Skills, 51.7% See All Accounting Analyst Skills
12 Accounting Analyst RESUME EXAMPLES
Build a professional accounting analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 12+ resume templates to create your accounting analyst resume.
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 Alaska, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Accounting analysts make the most in Alaska with an average salary of $71,245. Whereas in New York and New Jersey, they would average $64,350 and $61,559, respectively. While accounting analysts would only make an average of $59,377 in Connecticut, 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
$64,350
Avg. Salary
2. Alaska
$71,245
Avg. Salary
3. Connecticut
$59,377
Avg. Salary
How Do Accounting Analyst Rate Their Jobs?
Accounting Analyst Videos
