How To Become A Chief Accountant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chief accountant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.

A company that manages a lot of money will probably need a lot of accountants to keep track of spending, file taxes, make investment decisions, and more. A chief accountant is a person that's in charge of the whole accounting department. They make sure that every dollar and cent is accounted for and keep track of a company's financial health.

The primary duties of a chief accountant include supervising other accountants in their department and making sure that they do their jobs. However, they also get involved with the ledgers themselves. Chief accountants look at the big picture of a company's revenue and expenses and help develop financial strategies.

To become a chief accountant, a person must first prove their worth as an accountant. Most chief accountants have a bachelor's degree in accounting and are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). They also have years of practical experience working as accountants before they can lead their departments. On average, chief accountants make about $64,581 a year.

What general advice would you give to a chief accountant?

Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.

Professor and Chairman of Accounting, University of Missouri - St. Louis

It was a great time to be entering the accounting industry, before the pandemic. Our students were serving in internships in huge numbers and our graduates were enjoying 100% placement, usually with multiple offers. The entry-level professionals were entering a profession marked by emerging and evolving technologies that made even the entry-level duties especially interesting. Further, our tech-comfortable young professionals were experiencing quick advancement because of their ability to employ the new technologies.

Most of the above remains true so the only open question is job availability. It would be unrealistic to say things are great. However, it seems that job prospects for accounting majors will be better than for those of virtually every other entry-level profession during difficult times. I have been speaking with firm leaders across the spectrum of firms and most do intend to be on campus in the fall recruiting season. Of course, they have a lot of time to learn more about the economy over the next few months, but we are cautiously optimistic. Again, I am confident that whatever the state of job availability for young CPAs-to-be, prospects will be better for accounting graduates than virtually any other profession.

They will be entering the profession at a fascinating moment in time. Of course, the technological advances assure this regardless of economic conditions. However, there are business disruption-related issues that will provide rich opportunities for making a difference. For example, audit staff will be working with clients to see them through these troubling times. Lamentably, I fear that these young professionals will learn more about the going concern determination than they desire to know. Tax staff will help clients to optimally use the tax loss carrybacks and carryforwards that are arising by the day. Entry level professionals in corporate accounting will get a day-to-day front row seat in business management through crisis. While lamentable times, these are times when young professionals can make a difference that saves jobs.

ScoreChief AccountantUS Average

Salary

4.8

Avg. Salary $61,481

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.45%

Asian 15.27%

Black or African American 8.21%

Hispanic or Latino 10.54%

Unknown 3.94%

White 61.58%

Gender

female 42.98%

male 57.02%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chief accountant

Explore chief accountant education requirements

Most common chief accountant degrees

Bachelor's

69.4 %

Master's

15.7 %

Associate

7.2 %

Start to develop specific chief accountant skills

Skills	Percentages
External Auditors	13.16%
Reconciliations	9.90%
General Ledger Accounts	8.92%
Balance Sheet Accounts	6.85%
Financial Reports	4.98%

Complete relevant chief accountant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chief accountants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chief accountant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chief accountant resumes.

Gain additional chief accountant certifications

Chief accountant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific chief accountant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for chief accountants include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

More About Certifications

Research chief accountant duties and responsibilities

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Prepare monthly trial balance, balance sheets, and profit and loss statements according to GAAP.
Prepare monthly account reconciliations (bank reconciliation, accounts receivable reconciliation, accounts payable reconciliation, and general ledger reconciliation).
Research, advise and resolve accounting and business issues, ensuring compliance with U.S. GAAP and head office requirements.

Prepare your chief accountant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chief accountant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chief accountant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable chief accountant resume templates

Build a professional chief accountant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chief accountant resume.