How to hire an accounting internship

How to hire an accounting internship, step by step

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

What does an accounting internship do?

Post an accounting internship job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your accounting internship 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 internship 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

   Hiring the perfect accounting internship also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of accounting interns.

   Type of Accounting Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Accounting Internship	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks produce financial records for organizations. They record financial transactions, update statements, and check financial records for accuracy.	$11-18
   Bookkeeper	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... Show more	$14-25
   Finance Clerk	Finance clerks are financial professionals who are responsible for performing various administrative tasks such as keeping financial records, preparing bills, and delivering excellent customer service. These clerks are required to process bills, checks, receipts, and other documents to ensure that they are all properly signed and distributed... Show more	$12-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reconciliations
   • Data Entry
   • Payroll
   • First Hand
   • Work Ethic
   • Account Reconciliations
   • Internal Audit
   • General Ledger Accounts
   • Individual Tax Returns
   • QuickBooks
   • CPA
   • GAAP
   • Fixed Assets
   • Financial Data

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Acquire training on the automated ADP payroll system which lead to a recommendation for the payroll manager position.
   • Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
   • Prepare and process accounts payable checks and ACH payments.
   • Code diagnosis and add appropriate modifiers to CPT codes.
   • Prepare and maintain monthly departmental reports to maintain SOX compliance.
   • Demonstrate knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9 codes, and CPT codes.

   More accounting internship duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average accounting internship salary

   $14.73hourly

   $30,642 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level accounting internship salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average accounting internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$40,331	$19
   2	Washington	$37,023	$18
   3	Colorado	$36,690	$18
   4	District of Columbia	$34,165	$16
   5	Minnesota	$33,514	$16
   6	Connecticut	$32,425	$16
   7	Nevada	$31,556	$15
   8	Texas	$31,483	$15
   9	Montana	$31,402	$15
   10	Massachusetts	$31,311	$15
   11	Utah	$30,967	$15
   12	New York	$30,867	$15
   13	Idaho	$30,333	$15
   14	Arizona	$29,841	$14
   15	Wisconsin	$29,705	$14
   16	Georgia	$28,910	$14
   17	Nebraska	$28,690	$14
   18	Illinois	$28,318	$14
   19	Indiana	$27,808	$13
   20	Missouri	$27,461	$13

   Average accounting internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BWX Technologies	$61,221	$29.43	9
   2	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$59,056	$28.39	18
   3	National Grid plc	$49,604	$23.85
   4	CBIZ	$48,936	$23.53	9
   5	Avid	$47,848	$23.00
   6	Arrow Electronics	$44,806	$21.54	1
   7	LG&E and KU	$43,990	$21.15
   8	Spencer Stuart	$43,753	$21.04
   9	Control Risks	$43,341	$20.84
   10	Idaho Central Credit Union	$42,482	$20.42
   11	KPMG LLP	$40,808	$19.62	61
   12	Wayfair	$40,248	$19.35	1
   13	Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health System	$39,960	$19.21
   14	Raytheon Technologies	$39,775	$19.12	3
   15	Sinclair Broadcast Group	$39,663	$19.07	4
   16	Ball	$38,515	$18.52
   17	Meridian Bioscience	$38,286	$18.41
   18	East Penn Manufacturing	$38,218	$18.37
   19	BNSF Railway	$37,691	$18.12	7
   20	American Enterprise Institute	$37,501	$18.03

4. Writing an accounting internship job description

   An accounting internship job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an accounting internship job description:

   Accounting internship job description example

   ManpowerGroup is the largest public company based in Wisconsin. We are the leading global workforce solutions company, helping organizations stay agile in a fast-changing environment by sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that enables them to win. Our expert family of brands - Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions - creates value for candidates and clients across more than 75 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. We are recognized consistently for maintaining high ethical standards and employing diverse talent - named one of 2022's World's Most Ethical Companies for the 13 th year along with accolades for the best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality, and Disability.
   
   The ManpowerGroup Internship provides an educational 10-week, paid experience for current Sophomore or Junior standing students, seeking to jumpstart their career in a high-performing environment.
   
   This role will work collaboratively within the accounting department at ManpowerGroup. The internship will include professional development, classroom, and online learning, and leadership development coupled with hands-on training in the desired field of study.
   Students will need to provide their own housing in the Milwaukee area.
   
   Key responsibilities:
   Perform data analysis related to balance sheets areas and provide concise feedback on trends, unusual items, and key drivers of balance changes Help source necessary support from sub-systems, internal owners, and third parties to comply with internal and external audit requirements Assist in monthly and/or quarterly activities to support key financial cycle Lead a key project supporting the accounting team and work across relevant functions to ensure project success - develop a project plan, execute steps within designated timeline, manage dependencies, solve obstacles that arise, provide status updates Intern group will deliver an end of internship presentation in front of the Finance Leadership team; providing an opportunity to practice presentation skills and highlight accomplishments in the program Surface process improvement ideas Navigate multiple finance functional areas, understanding their role in a large multinational corporation to support business growth while adhering to company policy
   
   Practical Experience and Skill Development offered:
   Access to business leadership with line of sight to their career journey and success factors Exposure to critical management meetings, team updates, and collaborative working sessions germane to key responsibilities Knowledge sessions to share ManpowerGroup's employee experience and benefits Business acumen strengthening through exposure to financial results, key levers available to management, cost controls, investment decisions, and operational needs Professional interaction within both in-office and remote settings and across various communication platforms Schedule management and prioritization: managing multiple active projects on different timetables and potential for variable workflow Practice with accounting systems and analytical tools, real-time application of continuous automation efforts, and sourcing various data needs
   
   Qualifications:
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   Pursuing a bachelor's or higher degree at an accredited college or university (Junior standing preferred) Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.9 or greater Availability to work full-time for the 10-week program Strong technical aptitude and ability to navigate Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook Strong Communication skills Organized, Creative, and Flexible Ability to be self-motivated and disciplined Must be legally authorized to work in the United States
   
   This position is based in our Global Headquarters located in downtown Milwaukee. Employees can enjoy an onsite cafeteria, coffee shop and gym along with beautiful views of the Milwaukee river, Deer District, and historic downtown architecture. ManpowerGroup is proud to support a flexible working environment. Employees may work virtual some of the time depending on role (1-2 days per week). ManpowerGroup puts our employee's safety first and requires all individuals working or visiting our Headquarters to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right accounting internship 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 interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit accounting interns 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 internship job on Zippia to find and recruit accounting internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit accounting interns, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 internship

   Once you've found the accounting internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new accounting internship 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an accounting internship?