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What is a project accountant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.
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Project accounting of a company allows keeping a track record of all the financial documents of the company, such as billings, bookings, budgets, costs, and estimates. This team is handled by none other than a project accountant. As a project accountant, you need to maintain the project records with the approval of incomes and expenditures, analyze the project buildings which are issued to the customers.

For this position, you need to have a minimum bachelor's degree in accounting, business management, or finance. Also, you must gain some additional requirements such as excellence in analytical skills, project management skills, communication skills, and maintaining strong relationships with staff and clients. The collected payments provide assistance for the development of financial aspects and more.

Project accountants generally work in the office for about 8 to 9 hours a day, for which they get paid up to $57,000 per annum or $27.82 per hour. You must feel comfortable to move countryside for any work related to the project.

What general advice would you give to a Project 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.
ScoreProject AccountantUS Average
Salary
4.7

Avg. Salary $60,467

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.4

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%

Asian 12.27%

Black or African American 8.72%

Hispanic or Latino 11.06%

Unknown 3.97%

White 63.53%

Gender

female 63.15%

male 36.85%

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

Project Accountant career paths

Key steps to become a project accountant

  1. Explore project accountant education requirements

    Most common project accountant degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.2 %

    Associate

    13.3 %

    Master's

    10.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific project accountant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Reconciliations7.96%
    Project Management6.26%
    Contract Terms4.55%
    Purchase Orders4.35%
    Deltek4.07%
  3. Complete relevant project accountant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project 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 project accountant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project accountant resumes.
  4. Gain additional project accountant certifications

    Project accountant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific project accountant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for project accountants include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research project accountant duties and responsibilities

    • Maintain general ledgers, manage cash flow, prepare financial statements and bank reconciliations for multiple development and construction projects.
    • Assure timely accurate filing of all Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance claims.
    • Review the collection of Medicare, Medicaid and other receivables to ensure monthly goals are met.
    • Used DelTek to find discrepancies in employee charge hours.
  6. Prepare your project accountant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project accountant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a project accountant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Project Accountant Resume templates

    Build a professional Project Accountant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Project Accountant resume.
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    Project Accountant Resume
  7. Apply for project accountant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a project 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 Project Accountant Job

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Average project accountant salary

The average Project Accountant salary in the United States is $60,467 per year or $29 per hour. Project accountant salaries range between $46,000 and $79,000 per year.

Average Project Accountant Salary
$60,467 Yearly
$29.07 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do project accountants rate their job?

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Based On 1 Ratings

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Project Accountant reviews

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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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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Provides appropriate leadership to effectively deliver on accounting activities and business objectives.

Cons

Unnecessary involvement of other people in accounting activities.


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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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