How to hire an accounting analyst

How to hire an accounting analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step accounting analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an accounting analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new accounting analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an accounting analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The accounting analyst hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An accounting analyst's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, accounting analysts from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents accounting analyst salaries for various positions.

   Type of Accounting Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Accounting Analyst	Accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records. They ensure that financial records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time... Show more	$20-37
   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... Show more	$22-40
   Corporate Accountant	A corporate accountant is a professional 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... Show more	$22-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reconciliations
   • Customer Service
   • Account Reconciliations
   • GAAP
   • Strong Analytical
   • Payroll
   • Internal Controls
   • External Auditors
   • Pivot Tables
   • Financial Data
   • SOX
   • Process Improvement
   • Accruals
   • Financial Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and process all ACH, EFT and wire transfer transactions daily (debit or credits).
   • Manage reconciling monthly discrepancies between ERP transfers.
   • Manage budget submissions by subsidiaries in Europe/AFNE region in Hyperion.
   • Establish investment objectives to efficiently manage IPO proceeds within state risk parameters.
   • Maintain accounting controls by following GAAP and internal accounting policies; maintain financial security by following internal controls.
   • Review and approve monthly general ledger and bank account reconciliations for special condition accounts to ensure procedural consistency and compliance.

   More accounting analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the accounting analyst job description is a good way to get more applicants. An accounting analyst salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an accounting analyst in Idaho may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level accounting analyst. Additionally, an accounting analyst with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average accounting analyst salary

   $58,399yearly

   $28.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level accounting analyst salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average accounting analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$72,395	$35
   2	District of Columbia	$71,010	$34
   3	New York	$68,207	$33
   4	New Jersey	$66,166	$32
   5	Massachusetts	$62,597	$30
   6	Oregon	$61,666	$30
   7	Illinois	$60,660	$29
   8	Washington	$59,689	$29
   9	Michigan	$58,494	$28
   10	Maryland	$58,181	$28
   11	Delaware	$57,659	$28
   12	Virginia	$57,646	$28
   13	Colorado	$56,373	$27
   14	Minnesota	$55,930	$27
   15	North Carolina	$55,283	$27
   16	Texas	$54,801	$26
   17	Pennsylvania	$53,094	$26
   18	Ohio	$52,359	$25
   19	Missouri	$51,563	$25
   20	Arizona	$50,983	$25

   Average accounting analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$116,269	$55.90	47
   2	The Citadel	$103,634	$49.82
   3	Apollo Global Management	$102,294	$49.18	3
   4	Sonos	$98,619	$47.41	5
   5	Asana	$94,788	$45.57	2
   6	Dell	$90,165	$43.35	1
   7	IBM	$89,625	$43.09	3
   8	Broadcom	$88,929	$42.75	5
   9	Tri-State G&T	$88,405	$42.50	2
   10	Virtu Financial	$82,779	$39.80
   11	BNP Paribas	$82,024	$39.43
   12	Subaru	$81,763	$39.31	3
   13	BMO Capital Markets	$80,738	$38.82	5
   14	Citi	$80,466	$38.69	14
   15	Ford Motor	$80,377	$38.64	10
   16	Pacific Gas and Electric	$79,979	$38.45
   17	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	$78,505	$37.74
   18	BNY Mellon	$77,764	$37.39	29
   19	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$77,278	$37.15	37
   20	iCapital Network	$77,134	$37.08	1

4. Writing an accounting analyst job description

   An accounting analyst job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an accounting analyst job description:

   Accounting analyst job description example

   Becoming a McLane teammate is to become part of an honest, stable, and reliable company with 125 years of success. We are looking for teammates with perseverance who will take the extra step for our customers, our community, and the company. In return, we will pay you well and offer you the opportunity to go as far in your career as you want to go.
   DAY 1 BENEFITS such as medical, dental, and vision insurance and company-paid life insurance.
   Industry-leading 401(k) with annual company match starts on your 90th day.
   Paid holidays, vacation time, educational assistance program, and more!
   
   ABOUT THE JOB:
   
   This position will assist the Accounting Managers in the daily accounting processes for the Company's Distribution Centers (DCs) along with the General & Administrative (G&A) business units, as directed. This position will provide support and input into the development and implementation of various accounting processes and practices unique to the Food Distribution industry. This position will ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principals (GAAP) and will provide analytical review of critical data used in making decisions, which impact the overall profitability and success of the Company.
   
   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS / PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
   
   Other duties may be assigned. A teammate in this position must have the ability to:
   Assist in all aspects of the financial period close process (including preparation of journal entries) to ensure continuous reliability and accuracy, error identification, and analysis of results - all of which could have a significant and unique impact on profitability. Assist Accounting Managers with the preparation and maintenance of the planning process. Establish good working relationships with and serve as a point-of-contact for the DC management teams and their teams Exhibit a good working knowledge of the Distribution Accounting process, including the review of DC P&L's for accuracy. Assist in monitoring compliance to GAAP, Sarbanes/Oxley (SOX) controls, and other internal policies and best practices - to ensure a high level of consistency in the data as well as ensuring that McLane is in compliance with all defined standards. Assist in answering accounting and financial questions by researching and interpreting data. Reconcile balance sheet accounts, as assigned, to ensure accuracy and compliance with GAAP. Keep abreast of GAAP accounting and SOX key controls that impact our business. Assist with internal and external audits of the financial statements. Possess and/or develop the core competencies required for this position. Assist in organizing and implementing various accounting, analytical and other projects, as assigned
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS :
   
   A teammate in this position must have:
   Bachelor's degree in accounting required. CPA license preferred. 2 years minimum accounting experience; distribution accounting experience preferred Working knowledge of and a willingness to learn various McLane operating systems. Ability to identify and work through problems and conflicting issues in a clear and diplomatic manner. Focused ability to review and interpret data, transactions, policies, and business practices. Be open to relocation opportunities within McLane Company and its other business units. Be able to successfully pass a physical capabilities test (if necessary), drug screen and criminal background check.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right accounting analyst for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   To find accounting analyst candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit accounting analysts, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new accounting analyst

   Once you have selected a candidate for the accounting analyst position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new accounting analyst first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an accounting analyst?