How to hire a certified public accountant

How to hire a certified public accountant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step certified public accountant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a certified public accountant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified public accountant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a certified public accountant do?

Post a certified public accountant job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a certified public accountant, 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

   A certified public accountant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, certified public accountants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents certified public accountant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Certified Public Accountant	Description	Hourly rate
   Certified Public Accountant	Accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records. They ensure that financial records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time... Show more	$23-57
   Tax Professional	A tax professional is responsible for conducting tax procedures, ensuring that all tax documents are filed timely and accurately. Tax professionals review financial statements, verify adjustments, and resolve account discrepancies... Show more	$14-55
   Tax Analyst	A tax analyst specializes in managing and filing tax forms and tax returns, all while devising strategies to reduce tax payments legally. A tax analyst may work as a member of a company or independently... Show more	$20-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPA
   • Customer Service
   • IRS
   • State Tax Returns
   • Payroll Tax Returns
   • Financial Statement Preparation
   • Audit Reports
   • Reconciliations
   • Income Tax Returns
   • QuickBooks
   • Partnership Tax Returns
   • GAAP
   • Journal Entries
   • Real Estate

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Mentor highly skil accounting and tax management team to achieve establish objectives including conformity with GAAP compliance.
   • Maintain monthly client bookkeeping including bank reconciliations, account payable and prepare preliminary financial statements for CPA review.
   • Conduct bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and generate general ledgers as well as raise concerns about expenditure classifications and revenue recognition.
   • Prepare and review month-end close, including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, and financial statement supporting documentation.
   • Gain a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.
   • Prepare and monitor audit programs, assist management in design and monitoring of SOX compliance programs.

   More certified public accountant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your certified public accountant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A certified public accountant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, certified public accountants' average salary in wyoming is 59% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level certified public accountants earn 59% less than senior-level certified public accountants.
   • Certifications. A certified public accountant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a certified public accountant's salary.

   Average certified public accountant salary

   $76,693yearly

   $36.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level certified public accountant salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average certified public accountant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$126,263	$61
   2	Massachusetts	$94,082	$45
   3	New York	$93,024	$45
   4	Pennsylvania	$91,088	$44
   5	Maryland	$90,545	$44
   6	North Carolina	$90,361	$43
   7	Ohio	$84,352	$41
   8	California	$81,956	$39
   9	Michigan	$81,536	$39
   10	Texas	$78,778	$38
   11	Indiana	$78,442	$38
   12	Georgia	$76,814	$37
   13	Washington	$76,511	$37
   14	Oregon	$75,669	$36
   15	South Carolina	$73,532	$35
   16	Florida	$72,895	$35
   17	Maine	$72,814	$35
   18	Illinois	$70,026	$34
   19	Arizona	$69,472	$33
   20	Missouri	$62,328	$30

   Average certified public accountant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Applied Materials	$123,927	$59.58	5
   2	Microsoft	$122,599	$58.94	7
   3	Ocean Tomo	$120,948	$58.15
   4	Intuit	$119,626	$57.51	12
   5	Ameriprise Financial	$105,144	$50.55	1
   6	Voya Financial	$104,902	$50.43
   7	Sherpa	$104,605	$50.29	6
   8	Coldwell Banker McMahan	$103,766	$49.89
   9	Herbein	$102,003	$49.04	16
   10	Schultheis & Panettieri	$101,146	$48.63
   11	KROST	$99,035	$47.61
   12	Hantz Group	$98,413	$47.31	8
   13	RGP	$97,806	$47.02	12
   14	Moneta Group	$97,700	$46.97
   15	NFP Ventures	$95,989	$46.15	2
   16	Jones & Roth CPAs and Business Advisors	$95,392	$45.86	1
   17	Club Car	$93,930	$45.16
   18	Empower Media Marketing	$92,104	$44.28
   19	National Railroad Passenger Corporation	$90,572	$43.54	1
   20	Jackson Hewitt	$89,262	$42.91	2,282

4. Writing a certified public accountant job description

   A good certified public accountant 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 a certified public accountant job description:

   Certified public accountant job description example

   Your Purpose: We are a small, locally owned, tax and bookkeeping firm focusing on individuals and small businesses.
   At Jackson Hewitt, we provide an invaluable service in guiding our clients through the tax codes, rules, and processes. The role you play is critical to our success and together we are “Working Hard for the Hardest Working Americans”. This is our mission and it’s a large part of why we work here. Together we are highly passionate about what we do, and how we can help our clients. What you’ll do here:

   • Individual and Business Tax Preparation
   • 1040NR Tax Preparation
   • IRS Correspondence
   • Tax Consultations
   • Bookkeeping

   Requirements:
   Candidate must be designated as CPA, Enrolled Agent, or have 10 + years experience preparing taxes.
   Flexible Schedules Available!
   This position is In-Office and not a Remote Position.
   Medical/Dental/Vision available after 90 days.

   By submitting this form, I hereby acknowledge that most Jackson Hewitt locations are operated by independent franchisees and not Jackson Hewitt or its affiliates. I further acknowledge that franchisees are independent employers and separate companies and employers from Jackson Hewitt Inc., and set their own employment policies and practices. Franchisees are the exclusive employer of their employees and as such are solely responsible for all employment-related matters and decisions in their locations. Specifically, with regard to employees of franchisees, such franchisees, and not Jackson Hewitt, will have exclusive control over all employment-related decisions, including decisions concerning hiring, firing, wages, conditions of employment, discipline, staffing, or any other day-to-day employment issue. Jackson Hewitt Inc. will have no obligation or right to control any franchise employment issue relating to employees of a Jackson Hewitt franchisee. By applying for a job at a franchise-operated location, I understand that the information I provide will be forwarded to the franchisee in order for that organization to reach out to me and process and evaluate my application. I acknowledge that Jackson Hewitt will not receive a copy of my employment application and will have no involvement in any employment decisions regarding me, including whether I receive an interview or whether I am hired to work for the franchisee. I understand that I need to contact the relevant franchisee for information about its privacy practices. Any communications opt-out that I submit in any franchisee’s job application process is specific to that franchisee and will not be communicated to any other entity.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find certified public accountants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any certified public accountants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level certified public accountants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your certified public accountant job on Zippia to find and attract quality certified public accountant candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting certified public accountants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 certified public accountant

   Once you've selected the best certified public accountant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 a certified public accountant?