How to hire a general ledger accountant

How to hire a general ledger accountant, step by step

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

What does a general ledger accountant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The general ledger 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

   A general ledger accountant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, general ledger 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 general ledger accountant salaries for various positions.

   Type of General Ledger Accountant	Description	Hourly rate
   General Ledger 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	$22-36
   Accounting Manager/Controller	An accounting manager/controller is responsible for spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a company's accounting department. They monitor the company's budgets, including its costs and expenditures, and produce financial reports... Show more	$31-63
   Account Leader	Account leaders are assigned to work on specific client accounts and assist these clients with their needs. They should treat their clients as partners... Show more	$36-75

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reconciliations
   • GAAP
   • Balance Sheet Accounts
   • Payroll
   • Accruals
   • External Auditors
   • Fixed Assets
   • Strong Analytical
   • General Ledger Accounts
   • Asset System
   • CPA
   • SOX
   • Close Process
   • ERP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
   • Perform account analysis, cost accruals, bank reconciliations, inventory reconciliation and analysis; research and recommend transaction corrections.
   • Maintain ERP general ledger and data in sub module, and perform the expenditure review according to budgeting.
   • Prepare monthly, reconciliations of subsidiary ledgers to general ledger control accounts.
   • Reconcile general ledger accounts which including preparing journal entries and accruals in preparation of consolidate financial reports.
   • Prepare various monthly journal entries to record prepay insurance amortization, payroll deduction liabilities and other liability accruals.

   More general ledger accountant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, general ledger accountants' average salary in montana is 39% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level general ledger accountants 38% less than senior-level general ledger accountants.
   • Certifications. A general ledger 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 general ledger accountant's salary.

   Average general ledger accountant salary

   $60,034yearly

   $28.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level general ledger accountant salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average general ledger accountant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$72,481	$35
   2	California	$70,107	$34
   3	Minnesota	$64,451	$31
   4	Massachusetts	$64,240	$31
   5	New York	$64,011	$31
   6	Virginia	$63,393	$30
   7	Maryland	$60,786	$29
   8	Pennsylvania	$60,275	$29
   9	Texas	$59,673	$29
   10	North Carolina	$59,093	$28
   11	Florida	$58,900	$28
   12	Alaska	$58,820	$28
   13	Washington	$58,012	$28
   14	Illinois	$57,471	$28
   15	Colorado	$56,536	$27
   16	Nevada	$55,672	$27
   17	Missouri	$55,383	$27
   18	Arizona	$55,018	$26
   19	Utah	$53,087	$26
   20	Oklahoma	$52,539	$25

   Average general ledger accountant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$85,377	$41.05	5
   2	Amdocs	$80,224	$38.57
   3	Recorded Future	$79,969	$38.45
   4	SiFive	$77,054	$37.05
   5	Porch	$76,982	$37.01	1
   6	Zoom Video Communications	$74,397	$35.77
   7	Energy Transfer	$72,938	$35.07	2
   8	CDM Smith	$71,648	$34.45	31
   9	Gilead Sciences	$71,560	$34.40
   10	FireEye	$70,696	$33.99
   11	MicroStrategy	$68,759	$33.06
   12	Bob's Discount Furniture	$67,634	$32.52
   13	Services for the UnderServed	$67,627	$32.51	4
   14	B&H Photo Video	$67,315	$32.36
   15	Emerson	$66,654	$32.05	6
   16	Jacobs Engineering Group	$66,621	$32.03
   17	Fugro	$66,551	$32.00
   18	WageWorks	$66,484	$31.96	1
   19	Cenergy International Services	$66,409	$31.93
   20	DPR Construction	$65,900	$31.68	8

4. Writing a general ledger accountant job description

   A good general ledger 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 general ledger accountant job description:

   General ledger accountant job description example

   * Record non-complex transactions of the district. Participate in the development and production of the district non-complex account reconciliations. Coordinate the resolution and analysis of reconciling items. Participate in the development and implementation of new and revised financial systems, process, etc.
   
   * Identify the training, learning, and support needs of office managers/financial clerks in an assigned school division on activity funds procedures and processes.
   
   * Analyze, reconcile noncomplex accounts from supporting data to the general ledger and prepare reports for management as needed.
   * Promptly respond to calls from campuses, and satisfactorily addresses the queries and requests.
   * Review activity fund monthly reports and accounts on a monthly basis for assigned campuses.
   * Perform analysis of activity fund transactions and conduct thorough research of financial discrepancies identified during monthly report reviews and campus visits.
   * Review and evaluate assigned revenues and expenditure line codes to assess accuracy and obtain necessary documentation for any needed journal adjustments.
   * Prepare, examine or analyze accounting records to assess accuracy, completeness and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
   * Monitor the integrity and accuracy of general ledger transactions and communicate the need for research or corrections.
   * Create moderately complex Oracle and/or Excel reports for the purposes of reporting and analyzing information.
   * Provide direction and assistance to other departmental units regarding accounting policies and procedures and efficient internal controls.
   * Bachelors Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
   * Three years of experience in accounting, including experience in school districts or other governmental entities using Oracle or other major enterprise software solutions.
   * Proficient computer skills, specifically in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office Professional and Oracle.
   * Strong analytical and organizational skills.
   * Must have strong interpersonal and customer service skills.
   * Must have strong problem solving/research skills.
   * Ability to prioritize and solve problems and tasks of a routine degree of complexity under pressure.
   * Ability to perform basic functions with minimal supervisory assistance.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right general ledger accountant 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 general ledger accountants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit general ledger accountants 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 general ledger accountant job on Zippia to find and recruit general ledger accountant 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

   Recruiting general ledger 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 general ledger accountant

   Once you've decided on a perfect general ledger accountant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   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 general ledger accountant?