How to hire a finance reporting accountant

How to hire a finance reporting accountant, step by step

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

What does a finance reporting accountant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The finance reporting accountant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 a finance reporting accountant 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 a finance reporting accountant that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of finance reporting accountants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Finance Reporting Accountant	Description	Hourly rate
   Finance Reporting 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	$24-43
   Corporate Finance Analyst	Corporate finance analysts make significant business decisions based on the data they gather. Typically, corporate finance analysts work within an organization and support management decisions through actionable financial information... Show more	$25-52
   Accounting Analyst	An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables... Show more	$20-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GAAP
   • Reconciliations
   • External Auditors
   • Account Reconciliations
   • Financial Data
   • Internal Controls
   • SOX
   • Process Improvement
   • Hyperion
   • Financial Analysis
   • XBRL
   • Variance Analysis
   • Income Statement
   • Close Process

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage derivative accounting at global level and ensure accounting and economic hedging objectives are align.
   • Conduct trend analysis and other research to determine accuracy of various payroll accruals.
   • Prepare and submit budgets and latest estimates into Hyperion Essbase.
   • Maintain financial reporting system (HFM account mapping/data loads).
   • Maintain supporting files/binders for all external/ internal reporting (Hyperion- HFM).
   • Act as primary contact for external financial auditor during financial audit and SOX audit.

   More finance reporting accountant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your finance reporting accountant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A finance reporting accountant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, finance reporting accountants' average salary in montana is 49% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level finance reporting accountants 44% less than senior-level finance reporting accountants.
   • Certifications. A finance reporting accountant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a finance reporting accountant's salary.

   Average finance reporting accountant salary

   $67,545yearly

   $32.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level finance reporting accountant salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average finance reporting accountant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$90,537	$44
   2	California	$82,328	$40
   3	Massachusetts	$81,156	$39
   4	New York	$76,441	$37
   5	New Jersey	$76,301	$37
   6	Connecticut	$73,697	$35
   7	Virginia	$71,669	$34
   8	Maryland	$71,442	$34
   9	Georgia	$70,002	$34
   10	Washington	$69,323	$33
   11	Oregon	$69,135	$33
   12	Texas	$68,177	$33
   13	North Carolina	$66,700	$32
   14	Arizona	$65,829	$32
   15	Nevada	$65,648	$32
   16	Pennsylvania	$65,015	$31
   17	Colorado	$61,493	$30
   18	Michigan	$60,261	$29
   19	Kansas	$59,060	$28
   20	Illinois	$59,022	$28

   Average finance reporting accountant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Western Alliance Bank	$102,240	$49.15	13
   2	Icma-rc	$100,275	$48.21	17
   3	Bloomberg	$96,823	$46.55	15
   4	The TJX Companies	$94,243	$45.31	8
   5	F5	$93,113	$44.77	1
   6	Nuveen Investments	$90,653	$43.58	1
   7	Retail	$90,540	$43.53
   8	Tucson Electric Power	$90,251	$43.39
   9	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$90,232	$43.38	105
   10	State Street	$89,627	$43.09	6
   11	Skadden	$89,265	$42.92	3
   12	ICAP	$89,020	$42.80
   13	Allison Transmission	$88,872	$42.73	1
   14	Daimler Trucks North America	$88,604	$42.60	4
   15	Collabera	$87,538	$42.09	87
   16	HollyFrontier	$87,470	$42.05
   17	Ventas	$86,615	$41.64	11
   18	Colorado PERA	$85,132	$40.93
   19	Energy Transfer	$84,392	$40.57	7
   20	Credit Suisse	$83,369	$40.08

4. Writing a finance reporting accountant job description

   A finance reporting accountant 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. Below, you can find an example of a finance reporting accountant job description:

   Finance reporting accountant job description example

   Zions Bancorporation is one of the nation's premier financial services companies operating as a collection of great banks under local brands and management teams in high-growth western markets. Zions is regularly recognized by American Banker as one of the "Best Banks to Work For" and as having a top banking team in its list of "The Most Powerful Women in Banking." Our customers consistently vote us as the best bank in our local markets., We value our employees, and we are committed to search out, recognize and create fulfilling opportunities for outstanding people within our organization, rewarding them for their contributions to our success. We recognize that banking is a "local" business, and that to be successful, we must have very strong ties to the communities we serve and strong relationships with our customers.
   
   With benefits starting on day one, 12 bank holidays, profit sharing and company-matched 401(k) contributions, Zions is dedicated to being an employer of choice in our communities. At Zions, the possibilities are endless. You bring the talent; we bring the opportunity
   Zions Bancorporation has just opened an opportunity for Accountant on our SEC Reporting & Accounting Policy team. Position is based in our downtown Salt Lake City office and is eligible to work from home Mondays and Fridays to align with the flexible department schedule (subject to periodic review).
   
   Ideal candidates will have the skills and experience necessary to:
   
   Ensure the appropriate application of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to all transactions, including complex and non-routine transactions and structures. Responsible to draft and maintain the Company's accounting policies and to deliverer accounting training across the company. Identify potential accounting consequences of new business proposals, changes in market conditions, and new accounting interpretations from bank regulators. Assist in addressing regulatory accounting policy questions and issues. Work with operational accounting, finance, and various departments, to implement new accounting guidance and improvements to existing accounting practices. Provide accounting guidance for existing, new, and proposed accounting pronouncements. Direct the resolution of non-standard accounting issues. Ensure proper documentation of all accounting related matters and application of related controls. Analyze and assist with the preparation of SEC required financial statements and disclosures. Other projects and duties, as assigned.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Requires a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Accounting. CPA, or in process of obtaining license, is strongly preferred. 1-2+ years of Big 4 or other public accounting experience is preferred. Alternative, relevant work experience is acceptable. Foundational knowledge of US GAAP, including basic experience with the FASB codification, and understanding of accounting practices, principles, processes, and procedures. Knowledge of financial analysis, financial statements, or other SEC reporting requirements. Strong attention to detail. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Ability to be a team player and work in a group atmosphere. Reside in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area of Utah or be willing to relocate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right finance reporting accountant 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.

   To find finance reporting accountant candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit finance reporting accountants, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 finance reporting accountant

   Once you've found the finance reporting accountant 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a finance reporting accountant?