What does an accounting clerk lead do?
Accounting Clerk Leads are professionals who are responsible for leading a team of junior-level clerks to maintain a record of a wide range of financial transactions for an organization. These clerks are required to settle and update general ledger accounts by reviewing the month-end process. They are required to develop and implement accounting policies and procedures by following the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to ensure external financial statements and internal management reports. Accounting clerk leads must also coordinate all accounting activities related to internal controls.
Accounting clerk lead responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real accounting clerk lead resumes:
- Manage weekly, monthly, and quarterly accruals and SOX reporting.
- Lead the conversion to new trading software that enhance cash management and treasury reporting.
- Prepare monthly trust experience reports, including reconciliations of trust contributions and disbursements.
- Prepare adjusting journal entries, reconcile general accounts, and conduct bank reconciliations.
- Conduct internal control testing and provide controllership operating framework data metrics for SOX compliance.
- Establish feasibility of payroll function consolidation from individual facilities to single location, resulting in reduction of headcount and cost savings.
- Create and establish monthly Medicaid billing procedures and bill governmental agencies for project-base funding.
Accounting clerk lead skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Accounting Clerks Lead are proficient in General Ledger, HR, and GAAP. They’re also known for soft skills such as Computer skills, Integrity, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Accounting Clerks Lead that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- General Ledger, 13%
Reconciled various bank and general ledger accounts accurately and timely.
- HR, 13%
Prepare Policy and procedures for Accounting department Work with HR leader on various projects.
- GAAP, 9%
Provided guidance to department on complex accounting issues and gave insight on applying internal accounting practices and related US GAAP.
- Reconciliations, 9%
Managed Accounts Payable, oversaw administrative budget, prepared expense reports and credit card/bank reconciliations.
- Invoice, 5%
Conducted daily invoice reconciliation/problem solved discrepancies to ensure timely payments.
- Internal Controls, 5%
Coordinated and oversee the accounting activities relative to internal controls i.e.
Common skills that an accounting clerk lead uses to do their job include "general ledger," "hr," and "gaap." You can find details on the most important accounting clerk lead responsibilities below.
Computer skills. One of the key soft skills for an accounting clerk lead to have is computer skills. You can see how this relates to what accounting clerks lead do because "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks need to be comfortable using computer spreadsheets and bookkeeping software." Additionally, an accounting clerk lead resume shows how accounting clerks lead use computer skills: "performed a computer conversion from an ibm36 system to an as400 saving the company thousands of dollars. "
Integrity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling accounting clerk lead duties is integrity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks have control of an organization’s financial documentation, which they must use properly and keep confidential." According to an accounting clerk lead resume, here's how accounting clerks lead can utilize integrity in their job responsibilities: "prepared monthly trust experience reports, including reconciliations of trust contributions and disbursements. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of accounting clerks lead is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday accounting clerk lead duties, as "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are responsible for producing accurate financial records." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provide adequate and accurate balance sheet detail as related to period end closing. "
Math skills. A big part of what accounting clerks lead do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to accounting clerk lead responsibilities because "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks deal with numbers daily and should be comfortable with basic arithmetic." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical accounting clerk lead tasks: "produced a quarterly management report with documentary and key statistics. "
The three companies that hire the most accounting clerk leads are:
- Brown & Brown19 accounting clerks lead jobs
- Kroger3 accounting clerks lead jobs
- Google3 accounting clerks lead jobs
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Accounting clerk lead vs. Manager/finance accounting
A manager of finance accounting's role is to oversee the financial activities in a company or organization. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with other departments to gather financial data, analyze the revenues and expenditures, and develop written reports and presentations. A manager of finance accounting must also maintain accurate financial records, identify any errors or inconsistencies, and perform support tasks for staff when necessary. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, accounting clerk lead responsibilities require skills like "invoice," "balance sheet," "purchase orders," and "wire transfers." Meanwhile a typical manager/finance accounting has skills in areas such as "customer service," "cpa," "due diligence," and "external auditors." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Managers/finance accounting tend to make the most money working in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $92,198. In contrast, accounting clerks lead make the biggest average salary, $83,645, in the manufacturing industry.The education levels that managers/finance accounting earn slightly differ from accounting clerks lead. In particular, managers/finance accounting are 13.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an accounting clerk lead. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Accounting clerk lead vs. Accounting administrator
An accounting administrator is responsible for reviewing and analyzing account statements, managing deposits, and resolving bank discrepancies and financial disputes. Accounting administrators handle the efficient and accurate cash flow within an organization, including payroll release and filing of petty cash. They maintain an organized record of payments and billing statements for reference and audit purposes to generate reports for the management. An accounting administrator must have extensive knowledge of the accounting principles, as well as excellent communication and analytical skills to perform duties effectively, even under minimal supervision.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that accounting clerk lead responsibilities requires skills like "general ledger," "hr," "invoice," and "internal controls." But an accounting administrator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "data entry," "journal entries," and "financial reports."
On average, accounting administrators earn a lower salary than accounting clerks lead. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, accounting administrators earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $49,796. Whereas accounting clerks lead have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $83,645.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Accounting administrators tend to reach similar levels of education than accounting clerks lead. In fact, they're 2.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Accounting clerk lead 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from accounting clerk lead resumes include skills like "invoice," "process improvement," "payroll processing," and "sarbanes-oxley," whereas an accounting associate is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "data entry," "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 clerks lead have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $83,645.When it comes to education, accounting associates tend to earn similar degree levels compared to accounting clerks lead. In fact, they're 2.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Accounting clerk lead vs. Accounting manager/controller
An accounting manager/controller is responsible for spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a company's accounting department. They monitor the company's budgets, including its costs and expenditures, and produce financial reports. It is also their duty to establish objectives and guidelines, manage accounting staff, monitor financial activities, review and assess financial statements, approve expenditures, and resolve issues promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as an accounting manager/controller, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of accounting clerk lead
Updated January 8, 2025











