How to hire a fiscal specialist

How to hire a fiscal specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fiscal specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the fiscal specialist you need to hire. Certain fiscal specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 fiscal specialist 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.

   Here's a comparison of fiscal specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Fiscal Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Fiscal Specialist	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks produce financial records for organizations. They record financial transactions, update statements, and check financial records for accuracy.	$15-26
   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
   Accounting Internship	An accounting internship is a trainee who reports to an organization's accountant in order to learn about the accounting field, complete financial projects and files taxes, and financial reports. An intern should be a graduate of a Bachelor's or Master's in Accounting and should have an aptitude for mathematics and proficiency with computers... Show more	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Purchase Orders
   • Technical Assistance
   • Fiscal Management
   • Federal Regulations
   • Payroll Processing
   • Financial Data
   • Reconciliations
   • Fiscal Support
   • Financial Management
   • Journal Entries
   • Credit Card
   • Fixed Assets
   • Fiscal Operations
   • General Ledger

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage PO tracker in SharePoint adding the information including vendor name, PO number, amount and special instructions.
   • Perform monthly account reconciliations, journal entries and monitor general ledger transactions.
   • Facilitate the purchase of goods, equipment, including credit card reconciliations and council researchers in personnel management.
   • Follow all accounting procedures as required by GAAP.
   • Evaluate patient's financial circumstances to see if he/she qualify for Medicaid.
   • Compile and submit quarterly Medicaid expenditure reports.

   More fiscal specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fiscal specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A fiscal specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a fiscal specialist in Montana may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level fiscal specialist usually earns less than a senior-level fiscal specialist. Additionally, a fiscal specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average fiscal specialist salary

   $42,959yearly

   $20.65 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fiscal specialist salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average fiscal specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$55,826	$27
   2	California	$54,045	$26
   3	Arizona	$51,257	$25
   4	Massachusetts	$49,957	$24
   5	Pennsylvania	$49,462	$24
   6	Virginia	$48,135	$23
   7	Washington	$43,109	$21
   8	North Carolina	$42,494	$20
   9	Wisconsin	$41,231	$20
   10	Texas	$40,856	$20
   11	Missouri	$39,004	$19
   12	Florida	$38,399	$18
   13	South Carolina	$37,567	$18
   14	Ohio	$37,556	$18
   15	Montana	$36,713	$18

   Average fiscal specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mt. San Antonio College	$64,022	$30.78	1
   2	King County	$56,604	$27.21
   3	Polk County	$56,522	$27.17
   4	The Evergreen State College	$52,904	$25.43
   5	Howard County Government	$51,793	$24.90
   6	Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania	$51,201	$24.62	13
   7	University of California-Berkeley	$50,932	$24.49
   8	Prince William County	$50,708	$24.38
   9	Dublin City Schools	$50,480	$24.27
   10	Washington State University	$49,555	$23.82
   11	Central Washington University	$47,964	$23.06	4
   12	US Meat Animal Research Center	$47,780	$22.97
   13	Eastern Washington University	$47,000	$22.60	1
   14	The University of Texas at San Antonio	$45,340	$21.80	3
   15	S.C. Department of Commerce	$44,368	$21.33
   16	Boston College	$44,036	$21.17
   17	State of West Virginia	$43,979	$21.14	36
   18	Pennsylvania State Treasurer	$43,613	$20.97	13
   19	City of Norfolk	$43,555	$20.94
   20	Crystal Stairs	$43,070	$20.71	5

4. Writing a fiscal specialist job description

   A job description for a fiscal specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a fiscal specialist job description:

   Fiscal specialist job description example

   • Knowledge of governmental accounting and auditing principles, practices, procedures, methods, and theory.
   • Knowledge of computerized accounting systems to include automated accounting systems and their applications.
   • Knowledge of the specific accounting and reporting requirements and the complete accounting cycle of the organization to which assigned.
   • Knowledge of budgetary procedures and controls.
   • Ability to analyze and research accounting, fiscal, payroll and leave data, reports and statements.
   • Ability to prepare accounting and audit records, statements, and reports.
   • Ability to read, comprehend, interpret and apply job related laws, rules, policies and procedures.
   • Ability to develop computer based spreadsheets, graphs, summaries, and reports.
   • Proficient computer skills with Windows, Microsoft Office and Excel, and 10 key by touch.

   Required/Preferred Educations and Experience

   Education: A Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance . Experience in general ledger accounting required. Experience with MIP-ABILA accounting system a plus.

   Experience: An equivalent combination of education, training and experience that would reasonably be expected to provide the job-specific competencies noted below.

   Why work for LSF?

   LSF offers 60 programs across the state of Florida serving a wide range of populations in need. Mission Driven staff members become part of the LSF community while transforming the lives of those in need. Our staff additionally find growth opportunities as they explore areas of interest within the organization.

   Amazing benefits package including :

   • Medical, Dental and Vision
   • Teledoc (24/7 online access to Doctors)
   • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
   • Employer paid life insurance (1X salary)
   • 13 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday
   • Generous PTO policy (starting at 16 working days a year)
   • 403(b) Retirement plan with 3% discretionary employer match OR 3% student loan repayment reimbursement
   • Tuition reimbursement

   Lutheran Services Florida is an equal opportunity employer and a drug free workplace.

   Lutheran Services Florida Children & Head Start Services

   3230 Commerce Place, Suite A West Palm Beach, FL 33407

   EOE/DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

   EEO/AAP Statement

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right fiscal specialist 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 fiscal specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit fiscal specialists 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 fiscal specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit fiscal specialist 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 fiscal specialists, 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 fiscal specialist

   Once you've found the fiscal specialist 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new fiscal specialist 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.)

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