How to hire a portfolio accountant

How to hire a portfolio accountant, step by step

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

What does a portfolio accountant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a portfolio accountant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A portfolio accountant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, portfolio 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 shows salaries for various types of portfolio accountants.

   Type of Portfolio Accountant	Description	Hourly rate
   Portfolio 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	$22-49
   Finance Analyst/Accountant	In a company setting, a finance analyst/accountant is in charge of handling and monitoring financial activities, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Their responsibilities revolve around preparing financial reports, performing audits and risk assessments, and identifying any errors and inconsistencies, resolving them promptly and efficiently... Show more	$22-40
   Accountant/Consultant	Accountants/consultants perform accounting tasks for organizations or companies. The accountants improve accounting practices and prepare financial statements at the end of every year... Show more	$22-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reconciliations
   • Financial Reports
   • Real Estate
   • Journal Entries
   • Yardi
   • Accruals
   • GAAP
   • Balance Sheet
   • Securities
   • General Ledger Accounts
   • External Auditors
   • Corporate Actions
   • NET Asset Value
   • Fixed Income

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
   • Verify accrual parameters against Bloomberg.
   • Utilize Bloomberg to research information regarding different financial instruments.
   • Record equity, derivative and corporate action transactions in an accurate and timely manner.
   • Perform fund management for financial services institutions, including cash position reconciliations link to trade executions.
   • Prepare recoverable income reconciliations, which include understanding tenant lease provisions as well as ensuring accurate calculations.

   More portfolio accountant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your portfolio accountant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A portfolio accountant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, portfolio accountants' average salary in montana is 51% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level portfolio accountants earn 54% less than senior-level portfolio accountants.
   • Certifications. A portfolio accountant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a portfolio accountant's salary.

   Average portfolio accountant salary

   $69,877yearly

   $33.59 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level portfolio accountant salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average portfolio accountant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$94,594	$45
   2	Connecticut	$89,674	$43
   3	California	$86,177	$41
   4	Maryland	$77,770	$37
   5	North Carolina	$72,545	$35
   6	Washington	$72,425	$35
   7	Massachusetts	$68,010	$33
   8	Illinois	$67,377	$32
   9	Texas	$67,057	$32
   10	Georgia	$66,051	$32
   11	Pennsylvania	$64,521	$31
   12	Florida	$64,254	$31
   13	Colorado	$63,233	$30
   14	Alaska	$61,619	$30
   15	Missouri	$59,854	$29

   Average portfolio accountant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AQR Capital Management	$106,189	$51.05
   2	UBS	$102,899	$49.47
   3	MUFG EMEA	$100,692	$48.41
   4	State Street	$93,925	$45.16	6
   5	Conning	$90,271	$43.40
   6	Morgan Stanley	$89,311	$42.94	6
   7	Clarion Partners	$88,713	$42.65
   8	Starwood Capital Group	$87,743	$42.18
   9	BlackRock	$83,930	$40.35	8
   10	Canyon Partners	$83,039	$39.92
   11	EisnerAmper	$76,158	$36.61	37
   12	Psg	$72,709	$34.96	7
   13	Hr International	$71,701	$34.47	4
   14	Delta Solutions & Strategies	$70,306	$33.80
   15	Kforce	$70,170	$33.74	126
   16	Addison Group	$69,915	$33.61	37
   17	The RMR Group	$69,637	$33.48	1
   18	Unifi Manufacturing	$68,624	$32.99
   19	Life Storage	$68,386	$32.88
   20	Randstad North America, Inc.	$67,521	$32.46	28

4. Writing a portfolio accountant job description

   A portfolio 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 portfolio accountant job description:

   Portfolio accountant job description example

   • Manage multiple fund relationships, including scheduling and meeting all client deliverables
   • Maintain/manage client expectations and coordinate deliverables timelines with staff
   • Demonstrate strong knowledge of accounting, specifically with respect to alternative investment funds, with a focus on private equity funds
   • Participate in new business discussions with prospects and existing clients
   • Company is very encouraging of movement between groups (Valuations, Accounting, Asset Management, Portfolio Management, Acquisitions, or Investor Relations) - this is essential for building leaders that understand the business structure inside and out.
   • Position will report to Controller and play a vital role in the financial close and performance procedures (monthly, quarterly & annually) including: monitoring and reviewing financial reports for real estate assets; preparing investment acquisition and disposition forecasts; completing period desk top audits; calculating management fees and preparing forecasts; and various ad hoc projects
   • Friendly and capable team in place providing mentorship & day-to-day guidance. The company has a great onboarding training plan for anyone new joining the group.
   • Strong Compensation Package (Competitive Base, Annual Bonus, Profit Sharing)
   • Hybrid in-office / work from home structure

   
   Qualifications :
   
   1) Bachelor of Accounting (required)
   
   2) 1-3 years of applicable experience - relevant experience may come from Corporate Accounting / Finance, Public Accounting (External Audit / Assurance), Real Estate Accounting or a combination of the above.
   
   3) Any exposure to Real Estate is a plus, but not required. Appreciation (even if it s for personal real estate investments) of the industry is a consideration
   
   4) Desire to work cross-functionally, interact with other teams & learn the business - required
   
   About Infinity Consulting Solutions
   
   At Infinity Consulting Solutions our mission is to cultivate successful long term relationships with candidates and clients matching the right candidate with the right client. We believe technology cannot replace the real personal relationships we cultivate. We reject the notion that technology alone is the answer to staffing which is why we our successful partnerships rely on collaboration NOT automation. ICS has been providing flexible staffing solutions for over 20 years in Information Technology, Compliance, Accounting / Finance and Corporate Support. Our staffing solutions include Contract, Temp to Perm and Permanent Placement.
   
   ICS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find portfolio accountants for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your portfolio accountant job on Zippia to find and attract quality portfolio accountant candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit portfolio accountants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 portfolio accountant

   Once you've found the portfolio 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new portfolio accountant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 portfolio accountant?