How to hire an accounting director

How to hire an accounting director, step by step

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

What does an accounting director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an accounting director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an accounting director to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an accounting director that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of accounting directors.

   Type of Accounting Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Accounting Director	Financial managers are responsible for the financial health of an organization. They produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	$42-92
   Finance Vice President	The vice president of finance is one of the highest-ranking executives in a company. He/She or she works under the chief financial officer, and both have similar duties that are often interchangeable... Show more	$47-106
   Finance Manager	A finance manager is responsible for monitoring the financial system of a company. Their tasks include handling their organization's financial status, generating cost estimates and budget goals, identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and profitability, improving financial strategies, reducing costs, analyzing account statements, processing invoice as needed, analyzing market trends, searching potential partnerships, and presenting reports... Show more	$34-69

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPA
   • GAAP
   • Internal Controls
   • Reconciliations
   • External Auditors
   • Payroll
   • Oversight
   • SOX
   • Customer Service
   • Account Reconciliations
   • Process Improvement
   • Strong Analytical
   • Close Process
   • Treasury

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and coordinate ACH preparation, positive pay and execution activities.
   • Manage and review annual preparation of work papers for CPA firm to coordinate federal returns and state franchise returns.
   • Manage daily receipts, payment reversals, adjustments, ACH and wire payments, and other accounts receivable activity.
   • Lead finance team in major ERP implementation project in the areas of inventory, accounts payable, and general ledger.
   • Lead the effort to establish accounting policy, streamline operating procedures and implement Sarbanes-Oxley compliance processes.
   • Manage foundation accounting and establish internal accounting controls and accounting procedures to ensure contributions are accounted for in accordance with GAAP.

   More accounting director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the accounting director job description is a good way to get more applicants. An accounting director 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 director in Iowa may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level accounting director. Additionally, an accounting director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average accounting director salary

   $132,126yearly

   $63.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level accounting director salary

   $89,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 31, 2025

   Average accounting director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$159,137	$77
   2	California	$157,250	$76
   3	New York	$142,758	$69
   4	Pennsylvania	$134,112	$64
   5	Nevada	$133,260	$64
   6	North Carolina	$132,215	$64
   7	Maryland	$131,010	$63
   8	Virginia	$128,025	$62
   9	Illinois	$127,579	$61
   10	District of Columbia	$122,785	$59
   11	Indiana	$122,739	$59
   12	Colorado	$121,483	$58
   13	Georgia	$120,065	$58
   14	Arizona	$119,531	$57
   15	Hawaii	$119,338	$57
   16	Washington	$115,824	$56
   17	Texas	$115,560	$56
   18	Ohio	$111,908	$54
   19	Missouri	$111,815	$54
   20	Minnesota	$106,687	$51

   Average accounting director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Yuma Regional Medical Center	$173,507	$83.42
   2	Databricks	$172,295	$82.83	14
   3	DoorDash	$167,585	$80.57
   4	Zurich	$160,877	$77.34	9
   5	Vox Media	$158,583	$76.24
   6	Oculus	$158,459	$76.18
   7	Harley-Davidson	$158,093	$76.01	3
   8	Kemper	$157,641	$75.79	25
   9	Bed Bath & Beyond	$155,005	$74.52
   10	ACDI/VOCA	$153,817	$73.95
   11	House of Blues	$152,226	$73.19
   12	99 Cents Only Stores	$151,875	$73.02
   13	NantHealth	$151,774	$72.97
   14	Amyris	$151,195	$72.69
   15	Bunge	$150,106	$72.17	8
   16	Amgen	$149,322	$71.79	4
   17	Model N	$148,703	$71.49
   18	Rubrik	$147,760	$71.04	4
   19	Automation Anywhere	$147,231	$70.78
   20	Cost Plus World Market	$147,222	$70.78

4. Writing an accounting director job description

   A good accounting director job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an accounting director job description:

   Accounting director job description example

   Senior Manager-level financial consultants will work closely with ‘C-level’ management of Fortune 500, mid-cap and start-up companies. CFGI Senior Managers lead project teams and interact with clients and their Big 4 auditors on all aspects of engagements, including report writing, developing and managing relationships with client management, and business development.

   Take ownership of your career:

   Gain exposure to a wide range of industries and/or projects.

   Make a true business impact with your clients.

   Own projects from start to finish.

   Experience client interaction and thrive in a client-facing role.

   Be consistently challenged and learn through a collegial environment created from top tier experts hired within the firm.

   Enjoy the flexibility of office/remote/client site work locations (engagement specific).

   Create your own path.

   Enjoy what you do!

   What you might expect:

   Interact with clients’ executive team and auditors, serving as a subject matter expert, leading clients through complex accounting issues and driving conclusions.

   Lead client engagement and own client delivery on operational due diligence for complex transactions (i.e. – IPO’s, acquisitions & divestitures, stock offerings and debt raises).

   Drive client deliverables of financial and regulatory information in accordance with SEC and regulatory requirements (i.e. – 10K’s, 10Q’s, S-1 and S-4 filings, audit coordination).

   Serve as an expert matter on projects related to new ASC accounting standards (i.e. – ASC 842, ASC 606).

   Lead process improvement projects and implementation of changes.

   Mentor managers and consultants, acting as a moral and ethical model, fostering engagement team professional growth, and providing constructive and actionable feedback.

   Lead firm initiatives and identify areas for improvements.

   Play an active role in the firm’s recruiting efforts, client relationship building and business development efforts.

   Who you are:

   Undergraduate degree in Accounting – CPA and/or MBA combined with solid accounting experience will be considered in lieu of a degree in Accounting.

   8+ years’ experience in public accounting and/or industry accounting/finance.

   Outstanding interpersonal, written and oral communication skills and ability to assimilate easily into teams.

   Strong technical skills and a working knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting.

   Proactive in identifying client needs and effective in building a strong relationship with clients.

   Highly organized and focused and demonstrates the ability to set overall engagement expectations and direction.

   Effective analytical and critical thinking abilities.

   Entrepreneurial nature, self-motivated, ethical and dependable.

   High energy with commitment to quality client service, focusing on ensuring positive resolutions to conflicts.

   Consistently seeks opportunities to enhance your skills by attending higher-level training, develop firm training materials and enhance overall firm knowledge base.

   CPA, CPA Designation, Big 4 Accounting Firm, Business Development, Business Development Skills, SEC Financial Reporting, SEC Regulations, SEC Reporting, Sarbanes Oxley Audit, Public Accounting Audit, Internal Audit, Internal External Audit, Process Improvement, Process Improvement, Process Improvement Initiatives, Process Improvement Projects, Communication, Entrepreneurial, Entrepreneurship, Critical Thinking

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right accounting director 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.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit accounting directors, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 director

   Once you've decided on a perfect accounting director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new accounting director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 director?