What does an accounting and administrative assistant do?
An accounting administrative assistant is responsible for supporting the operations of the accounting department of an organization by performing administrative duties to maintain efficient and accurate services. Accounting administrative assistants conduct bookkeeping functions, as well as creating financial reports, analyzing account statements, updating account information on the database, processing invoices, and managing account receivables. They must have basic knowledge of the accounting disciplines, as well as excellent analytical and communication skills, especially on receiving clients' inquiries and concerns and administering payment procedures.
Accounting and administrative assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real accounting and administrative assistant resumes:
- 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.
- Reconcile QuickBooks accounts and provide balance reports, input bank statement data assuring accounts are update accurately and timely.
- Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
- Ensure of accurate and timely documentation with regards to payroll, inventory and other information inquire by the CPA for review.
- General accounting duties not including CPA responsibilities.
- Utilize PeopleSoft on a daily basis to coordinate accounts payable and purchase supplies.
- Act as PeopleSoft department approver ensuring adherence to purchasing policies and procedures.
Accounting and administrative assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Accounting And Administrative Assistants are proficient in Data Entry, Customer Service, and Financial Statements. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Accounting And Administrative Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Data Entry, 12%
Instituted data entry procedures for receiving inventory of raw materials, resulting in more timely and accurate reporting.
- Customer Service, 8%
Raised the bar in delivering exemplary customer service with pronounced and value-added communication etiquette via verbal and written skills.
- Financial Statements, 7%
Facilitated close working relationship with outside firms in preparation of annual financial statements, legal documents and representation letters.
- Purchase Orders, 6%
Processed, distributed and accurately verified invoice/purchase order information and resolves variations and billing discrepancies.
- Vendor Invoices, 4%
Ensured input all vendor invoices timely and accurately into QuickBooks.
- QuickBooks, 4%
Reconcile QuickBooks accounts and provide balanced reports, input bank statement data assuring accounts are updated accurately and timely.
Most accounting and administrative assistants use their skills in "data entry," "customer service," and "financial statements" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential accounting and administrative assistant responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an accounting and administrative assistant to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Accounting and administrative assistants often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "displayed strong work ethic and superior interpersonal, customer service and communication skills. "
Organizational skills. Many accounting and administrative assistant duties rely on organizational skills. "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently.," so an accounting and administrative assistant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways accounting and administrative assistant responsibilities rely on organizational skills: "assist in handling monthly organizational payroll remittances, financial statements, and reports. "
Writing skills. This is an important skill for accounting and administrative assistants to perform their duties. For an example of how accounting and administrative assistant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an accounting and administrative assistant: "performed various administrative duties as needed, including data entry, business letter writing, and separation of mail. ".
The three companies that hire the most accounting and administrative assistants are:
- Ernst & Young11 accounting and administrative assistants jobs
- Marriott International2 accounting and administrative assistants jobs
- Nike2 accounting and administrative assistants jobs
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Compare different accounting and administrative assistants
Accounting and administrative assistant vs. Finance assistant
A finance assistant is responsible for supporting the financial department with daily operations by doing administrative and clerical tasks as needed. Finance assistants' duties include sorting financial records, updating account spreadsheets, assisting on bank statements reconciliation, processing payments, generating an invoice, auditing financial statements, escalating financial discrepancies for review, and reviewing cost analysis reports. A finance assistant must be knowledgeable of the financial industry and accounting processes, as well as have strong analytical and organizational skills.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between accounting and administrative assistants and finance assistant. For instance, accounting and administrative assistant responsibilities require skills such as "financial statements," "credit card statements," "process invoices," and "word processing." Whereas a finance assistant is skilled in "payroll," "financial assistance," "credit card," and "hr." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Finance assistants really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $39,521. Comparatively, accounting and administrative assistants tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $44,137.finance assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than accounting and administrative assistants. In fact, finance assistants are 2.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Accounting and administrative assistant vs. Administrative support
Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries. Most of these duties revolve around supervising and distributing information within an organization. This typically includes taking memos, answering phone calls, and managing, storing, and organizing files. They are also responsible for receiving and sending correspondence and greeting customers and clients. Some administrative support may be required to have vast professional knowledge as their duties are more specialized than the others.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that accounting and administrative assistant responsibilities requires skills like "vendor invoices," "credit card statements," "general ledger," and "journal entries." But an administrative support might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "payroll," "phone calls," "patients," and "excellent organizational."
On average, administrative supports earn a lower salary than accounting and administrative assistants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, administrative supports earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $40,623. Whereas accounting and administrative assistants have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $44,137.In general, administrative supports achieve similar levels of education than accounting and administrative assistants. They're 1.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Accounting and administrative assistant vs. Accounting associate
An accounting associate is responsible for supporting the operations of the accounting department, ensuring the stability of the financial services and status of an organization. Accounting associates process invoices, update client accounts on the database, manage financial reports, assist with tax auditing and processing, monitoring the financial statements and activities of the organization, escalate financial disputes, and verify accounts receivable. An accounting associate must have excellent knowledge of the accounting industry, as well as exceptional analytical and time-management skills to perform clerical duties as needed under minimal supervision.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, accounting and administrative assistants are more likely to have skills like "financial statements," "credit card statements," "journal entries," and "travel arrangements." But a accounting associate is more likely to have skills like "reconciliations," "account reconciliations," "general ledger accounts," and "work ethic."
Accounting associates earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $52,406. Comparatively, accounting and administrative assistants have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $44,137.When it comes to education, accounting associates tend to earn similar degree levels compared to accounting and administrative assistants. In fact, they're 2.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Accounting and administrative assistant vs. 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. They plan department weekly meetings, schedule conference calls, and work on solving administrative related concerns and issues. They do a complex task that involves multi-tasking from the preparation of department reports, analyzing data, and finding solutions. It is a requirement to be an experienced, collaborator, and trained cross-functional communicator. Moreover, other duties will include scheduling company-initiated activities, meetings, and events.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between accounting and administrative assistants and administrative staff, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an accounting and administrative assistant might have more use for skills like "data entry," "customer service," "vendor invoices," and "credit card statements." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of administrative staff require skills like "payroll," "personnel actions," "financial reports," and "resource management. "
The professional industry tends to pay the highest salaries for administrative staff, with average annual pay of $73,642. Comparatively, the highest accounting and administrative assistant annual salary comes from the technology industry.The average resume of administrative staff showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to accounting and administrative assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 4.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 1.3%.Types of accounting and administrative assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
