How to hire an accounting and administrative assistant

How to hire an accounting and administrative assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step accounting and administrative assistant 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 and administrative assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new accounting and administrative assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an accounting and administrative assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your accounting and administrative assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an accounting and administrative assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An accounting and administrative assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, accounting and administrative assistants 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 and administrative assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Accounting And Administrative Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Accounting And Administrative Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-23
   Administrative Support	Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries... Show more	$12-25
   Administrative Staff	As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll... Show more	$27-48

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Customer Service
   • Financial Statements
   • Purchase Orders
   • Vendor Invoices
   • QuickBooks
   • Credit Card Statements
   • Expense Reports
   • General Ledger
   • Journal Entries
   • PowerPoint
   • Accounts Receivables
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Bank Deposits

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
   • Upload participant and employer contributions after each payroll run, prepare ACH wire for funds and reconcile payroll.
   • Maintain a cash balance report consisting of current bank account activity, business checking balance and upcoming ACH withdrawal transactions.
   • Create numerous PowerPoint presentations for internal and external presentations.
   • Set up PowerPoint presentations, operate overhead projectors and microphones.
   • Recorded/Maintain accounts payable and accounts receivable by investigating business transaction discrepancies via QuickBooks.

   More accounting and administrative assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your accounting and administrative assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An accounting and administrative assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an accounting and administrative assistant in Oklahoma may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level accounting and administrative assistant usually earns less than a senior-level accounting and administrative assistant. Additionally, an accounting and administrative assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average accounting and administrative assistant salary

   $38,192yearly

   $18.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level accounting and administrative assistant salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average accounting and administrative assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$44,823	$22
   2	Oregon	$42,286	$20
   3	Massachusetts	$41,406	$20
   4	Maryland	$40,034	$19
   5	Texas	$39,883	$19
   6	Louisiana	$38,062	$18
   7	Colorado	$37,918	$18
   8	Arizona	$37,793	$18
   9	Pennsylvania	$37,711	$18
   10	North Carolina	$35,728	$17
   11	Illinois	$35,598	$17
   12	Tennessee	$35,407	$17
   13	Missouri	$34,658	$17
   14	Virginia	$34,560	$17
   15	Florida	$33,710	$16
   16	Georgia	$33,019	$16
   17	Oklahoma	$31,768	$15
   18	South Carolina	$31,424	$15
   19	Alabama	$30,657	$15
   20	Indiana	$28,945	$14

   Average accounting and administrative assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Ernst & Young	$51,664	$24.84	115
   2	Latham & Watkins	$49,763	$23.92
   3	Four Seasons	$47,153	$22.67	4
   4	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$42,454	$20.41
   5	Eastern Metal Supply	$42,337	$20.35
   6	UC Hastings Law	$41,500	$19.95
   7	RELX	$40,410	$19.43	3
   8	Business Talent Group, LLC	$40,378	$19.41
   9	Wilson Construction	$40,358	$19.40	4
   10	Kimley-Horn	$40,263	$19.36	16
   11	Kawasaki Rail Car	$40,120	$19.29
   12	Modular Services	$40,109	$19.28
   13	Career Strategies	$39,940	$19.20
   14	Legal Aid	$39,923	$19.19
   15	Servpro	$39,687	$19.08	43
   16	Goodwin Recruiting	$39,609	$19.04
   17	Compassus	$39,434	$18.96	2
   18	DSV Panalpina	$39,143	$18.82	22
   19	VitalChek	$38,991	$18.75
   20	Cohu	$38,983	$18.74

4. Writing an accounting and administrative assistant job description

   A job description for an accounting and administrative assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an accounting and administrative assistant job description:

   Accounting and administrative assistant job description example

   Accounting and Administration Assistant
   Department: Administration
   Location: Schaumburg, IL
   Reports to: SVP/Controller
   FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
   
   Our client is looking for an accounting and administrativeassistant to join our team in their Schaumburg office. This person will work tosupport the daily operations of the office.
   The ideal candidate is a high-energy individual with excellent organizationalskills, a strong attention to detail and the ability to communicate effectivelyin both written and verbal communications
   
   Responsibilities: Assist with Data entry tasks for AR/AP
   Use company accounting system to manage AR/AP functions Build out and maintain processes to keep files and office supplies organized and easily accessible. Conducts benefits enrollment for new employees. Completes I-9 for new hires and maintains I-9 records. Creates new employee personnel files and files paper and documents into appropriate employee files.
   Requirements: 1-2 years experience as an administrative assistant working with Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable functions Strong organizational, communication, and time-management skills Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment Positive, high-energy attitude Resourcefulness, creativity, and problem-solving skill set Familiarity with office equipment --i.e. printers, copiers, scanners Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially MS Excel
   Apply today and you could win in our $100k Giveaway for Job Fest 2022. This year’s Job Fest features weekly drawings for $1k, three $25k giveaways, and more. In total, we''re giving away $100k! Between September 12 and December 4, employees receive an automatic contest entry for every week you work 36+ hours on assignment with us. The more weeks you work, the better chance you have to win. To learn more and read the contest rules, visit www.worknowandwin.com. Apply now for a chance to win! Company DescriptionLet’s find your next job – together. Whether you’re looking for temporary work or a direct-hire job, Pro Staff will connect you to an opportunity that closely matches your interests and skills. Pro Staff is a proud member of Staffmark Group, an award-winning family of staffing brands with a national network of 450+ offices. We connect over 250,000 people to jobs each year, and we’re ready to put this expertise to work for you! Learn more at www.prostaff.com.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right accounting and administrative assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with accounting and administrative assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit accounting and administrative assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your accounting and administrative assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit accounting and administrative assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit accounting and administrative assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 and administrative assistant

   Once you've selected the best accounting and administrative assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new accounting and administrative assistant 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 and administrative assistant?