"data entry," "customer service," and "reconciliations" aren't the only skills we found accounting assistants list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of accounting assistant responsibilities that we found, including:
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What Does an Accounting Assistant Do?
An accounting assistant is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the business' accounting department, from reviewing financial transactions to the submission of financial reports. Accounting assistants' duties include performing data entry and clerical tasks, maintaining a safe record of account statements, updating and analyzing transactions, verifying the accuracy of financial records, and managing customers and vendors' inquiries as immediate as possible. An accounting assistant must have a broad knowledge of the accounting principles and processes, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills, especially on meeting strict deadlines and doing complex tasks as needed.
Accounting Assistant Responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real accounting assistant resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.
- Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
- Participate in weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly audits to ensure SOX compliance and propose opportunities for improvement.
- Meet with account teams to discuss job structure, new projects, client requests, billing procedures, and SOX requirements.
- Reconcile departmental report cash against banking ACH transactions.
- Process mortgage portfolio monthly payments and interest accruals.
- Utilize online system for calculating payroll and family tuition payments.
- Prepare corporation financial statements by compiling annual business transactions into QuickBooks.
- Upload reconciled receipts into QuickBooks for easier access and detail information on expenses.
- Prepare PowerPoint presentations, displays and marketing materials for project interviews and conferences.
- Assist accountants in completing tax returns while simultaneously entering payroll taxes into accounting program
- Retrieved/Process ACH files of customer transactions for payroll deposits and withdrawals impacting credit union accounts.
- Generate weekly PowerPoint productions of material, payroll and equipment maintenance expenses for executive and sales meetings.
- Process Canadian payroll for approximately 20 full-time and contract employees including maintaining all benefit accruals and tracking.
- Support senior leadership, preparing financial and administrative reports while completing monthly, quarterly and annual bank reconciliations.
- Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
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Accounting Assistant Skills and Personality Traits
We calculated that 13% of Accounting Assistants are proficient in Data Entry, Customer Service, and Reconciliations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Computer skills, Detail oriented, and Integrity.
We break down the percentage of Accounting Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Data Entry, 13%
Processed weekly reimbursements for employees Other responsibilities: data entry, alphabetical and numerical filing, photocopying, administrative duties.
- Customer Service, 11%
Provided quality customer service to external/internal customers
- Reconciliations, 8%
Supported senior leadership, preparing financial and administrative reports while completing monthly, quarterly and annual bank reconciliations.
- Purchase Orders, 7%
Reviewed supporting documentation including purchase orders for accuracy, completeness and required approvals and entered data into accounting system.
- Credit Card Payments, 6%
Consolidate credit-card payments and refunds * Prepare payroll documents including associate hours worked and gratuity payments.
- General Ledger Accounts, 5%
Reconcile several daily key and high risk general ledger accounts identifying differences and providing supporting documentation to the Accountants for certification.
The three companies that hire the most prestigious accounting assistants are:
- Deloitte146 Accounting Assistants Jobs
- Robert Half85 Accounting Assistants Jobs
- Northpoint16 Accounting Assistants Jobs
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What Bookkeepers Do
Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.
In this section, we compare the average accounting assistant annual salary with that of a bookkeeper. Typically, bookkeepers earn a $768 higher salary than accounting assistants earn annually.
While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both accounting assistants and bookkeepers positions are skilled in data entry, customer service, and reconciliations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. An accounting assistant responsibility is more likely to require skills like "credit card payments," "quickbooks," "account reconciliations," and "tax returns." Whereas a bookkeeper requires skills like "payroll tax returns," "journal entries," "credit card accounts," and "quickbooks pro." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.
Bookkeepers really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $42,063. Whereas accounting assistants tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $41,823.
On average, bookkeepers reach similar levels of education than accounting assistants. Bookkeepers are 1.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.
What Are The Duties Of an Assistant Account Executive?
An assistant account executive is responsible for managing customer accounts, under the supervision of an account executive. Assistant account executives develop processes and techniques to execute projects based on clients' specifications. They assist account executives with clients' presentations for project updates and status reports. They also manage client requests to increase brand awareness, including maximizing sales strategies and resources and advertising promotions within the budget goals. They must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, especially when managing the clients' expectations and marketing the clients' brands to all available platforms for customers' recognition.
The next role we're going to look at is the assistant account executive profession. Typically, this position earns a higher pay. In fact, they earn a $10,484 higher salary than accounting assistants per year.
Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Accounting assistants and assistant account executives both include similar skills like "customer service," "purchase orders," and "quickbooks" on their resumes.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that accounting assistant responsibilities requires skills like "data entry," "reconciliations," "credit card payments," and "general ledger accounts." But an assistant account executive might use skills, such as, "press releases," "account management," "account executives," and "journal entries."
Assistant account executives may earn a higher salary than accounting assistants, but assistant account executives earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $50,936. On the other side of things, accounting assistants receive higher paychecks in the finance industry where they earn an average of $41,823.
When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, assistant account executives tend to reach similar levels of education than accounting assistants. In fact, they're 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.
What Technology Do You Think Will Become More Important And Prevalent For Accountants In The Next 3-5 Years?
Dr. N.Leroy Kauffman Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting, Western Carolina University
I don't think it is as much of an issue of new technologies to learn but learning how to use better and combine the existing technologies. Business Analytics is gaining much momentum these days, and our students are learning how to do new things with and better utilize known technologies. There are some new platforms and technologies, but much is learning how to better the existing tools to "talk" to one another.Show more
How an Accounts Payable Clerk Compares
An accounts payable clerk is responsible for supporting the accounting department by performing clerical duties to file financial reports timely and accurately. Accounts payable clerks manage and verify invoices documents, reconcile balance spreadsheets, process payments for suppliers and vendors, resolve billing discrepancies, confirm and post account statements, record outstanding credits, and maintain an organized record of transactions. An accounts payable clerk must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles to deliver high-quality services and help the business minimize excessive financial loss.
The third profession we take a look at is accounts payable clerk. On an average scale, these workers bring in lower salaries than accounting assistants. In fact, they make a $1,236 lower salary per year.
While looking through the resumes of several accounting assistants and accounts payable clerks we discovered that both professions have similar skills. These similarities include skills such as "data entry," "customer service," and "reconciliations," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.
As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from accounting assistants resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "credit card payments," "accounts receivables," "balance sheet," and "powerpoint." But a accounts payable clerk might have skills like "payroll," "credit card," "journal entries," and "vendor inquiries."
Accounts payable clerks make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $41,570. Whereas accounting assistants are paid the highest salary in the finance industry with the average being $41,823.
Accounts payable clerks typically study at similar levels compared with accounting assistants. For example, they're 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.
Description Of an Accountable Clerk
The duties of an accountable clerk vary in one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the financial aspects of a company, including revenue and budget. They mostly process payments and income, ensuring accuracy in every detail and transaction. An accountable clerk may also have clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, answering calls and correspondence, coordinating with various department personnel, and maintaining a database of information. Should there be any issues, it is essential to report to a manager right away.
Accountable clerks tend to earn a lower pay than accounting assistants by about $1,449 per year.
According to resumes from both accounting assistants and accountable clerks, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "data entry," "customer service," and "purchase orders. "
Each job requires different skills like "reconciliations," "credit card payments," "account reconciliations," and "tax returns," which might show up on an accounting assistant resume. Whereas accountable clerk might include skills like "office equipment," "payment vouchers," "journal entries," and "ledgers."
Now, let's take a closer look at the financials in each career. The government industry tends to pay more for accountable clerks with an average of $40,489. While the highest accounting assistant annual salary comes from the finance industry.
In general, accountable clerks reach similar levels of education when compared to accounting assistants resumes. Accountable clerks are 1.9% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.
Types Of Accounting Assistant
Accounts Payable Clerk
Average Salary: $38,333
Bachelor's Degree
Available Jobs: 125,307
How To Become an Accounts Payable Clerk
Bookkeeper
Average Salary: $40,337
Bachelor's Degree
Available Jobs: 101,416
How To Become a Bookkeeper
Accounting Clerk
Average Salary: $38,683
Bachelor's Degree
Available Jobs: 83,359
How To Become an Accounting Clerk
Accountable Clerk
Average Salary: $38,120
Bachelor's Degree
Available Jobs: 10,206
How To Become an Accountable Clerk
Accounting Technician
Average Salary: $41,337
Bachelor's Degree
Available Jobs: 8,961
How To Become an Accounting Technician
Accounting Analyst
Average Salary: $58,399
Bachelor's Degree
Available Jobs: 7,060
How To Become an Accounting Analyst
What an Accounting Assistant Does FAQs
Do You Need A Degree To Be An Accounting Assistant?
No, accounting assistants do not need a degree. This entry-level position can be achieved without formal educational qualifications.
However, it is becoming less common to hold this position without an associate's degree and, more preferably, a bachelor's degree. Though an accounting assistant is an entry-level position within the accounting department or firm, there is not much room for growth within the field without a degree.
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.