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What is a head accountant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.
The average head accountant salary is $119,485. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an accounting major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a head accountant. Head accountants with a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 81,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a head accountant?

Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.Stephen Moehrle Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

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.
ScoreHead AccountantUS Average
Salary
8.1

Avg. Salary $119,485

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 16.04%

Black or African American 8.11%

Hispanic or Latino 10.43%

Unknown 3.94%

White 61.04%

Gender

female 48.88%

male 51.12%

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

Head accountant career paths

Key steps to become a head accountant

  1. Explore head accountant education requirements

    Most common head accountant degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.2 %

    Master's

    13.7 %

    Associate

    10.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific head accountant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Account Management31.57%
    Client Relationships10.26%
    Business Development5.17%
    National Accounts5.13%
    General Ledger3.66%
  3. Complete relevant head accountant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New head 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 head accountant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real head accountant resumes.
  4. Research head accountant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage complex pricing structure and maintain SalesForce CRM funnel for forecasting accuracy.
    • Handle A/P, A/R, accruals, fix assets, and prepay items.
    • Analyze, audit and/or prepare monthly financial records for individual schools, monthly payroll liability reconciliations and account analysis.
    • Complete various questionnaires require by GAAP (e.g.
  5. Apply for head accountant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a head accountant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first head accountant job

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Average head accountant salary

The average head accountant salary in the United States is $119,485 per year or $57 per hour. Head accountant salaries range between $73,000 and $194,000 per year.

Average head accountant salary
$119,485 Yearly
$57.44 hourly

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Head accountant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

all finance transactions preparing finance reporting and presenting the yearly report to the managers

Cons

I don't like to work as a nonprofessional accountant


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Reporting to a CPA Controller or CFO, always learning and not micromanaged. Treated as a professional always.

Cons

Business owners that do not know or understand compliance and GAAP, or the patience to follow the rules... generally common in small companies.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

It's an office job.

Cons

Everything else. Too much anxiety, debts, low sallary (€700/month).


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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