How to hire a project accountant

How to hire a project accountant, step by step

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

What does a project accountant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a project 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 project accountant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, project 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.

   Here's a comparison of project accountant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Project Accountant	Description	Hourly rate
   Project 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	$22-37
   Accounting Analyst	An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables... Show more	$20-37
   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
   • Project Management
   • Contract Terms
   • Purchase Orders
   • Deltek
   • Revenue Recognition
   • GAAP
   • Project Cost
   • Accruals
   • Account Reconciliations
   • Construction Projects
   • Subcontractor Invoices
   • Sage
   • Strong Analytical

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Serve as major contributor in system conversion to new web-base ERP system.
   • Identify and rectify accounting errors that have incurred in the past and ensure adherence to IFRS.

   More project accountant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the project accountant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A project accountant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a project accountant in Maine may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level project accountant. Additionally, a project accountant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average project accountant salary

   $60,467yearly

   $29.07 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project accountant salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average project accountant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$73,941	$36
   2	California	$69,773	$34
   3	New York	$67,573	$32
   4	North Carolina	$65,820	$32
   5	Virginia	$64,516	$31
   6	Louisiana	$61,658	$30
   7	Oregon	$60,779	$29
   8	Georgia	$60,685	$29
   9	Pennsylvania	$60,556	$29
   10	Massachusetts	$60,307	$29
   11	Washington	$59,920	$29
   12	Illinois	$59,708	$29
   13	Colorado	$59,564	$29
   14	Texas	$59,322	$29
   15	Florida	$56,565	$27
   16	Nevada	$56,463	$27
   17	Wisconsin	$56,420	$27
   18	Michigan	$56,050	$27
   19	Arizona	$55,398	$27
   20	Missouri	$54,461	$26

   Average project accountant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Perficient	$70,010	$33.66	2
   2	CDM Smith	$68,963	$33.16	84
   3	TechnipFMC	$68,957	$33.15
   4	Donohue & Associates	$68,878	$33.11
   5	Cp&y, Inc.	$68,609	$32.99
   6	Sherpa	$68,087	$32.73	10
   7	TranSystems	$67,971	$32.68
   8	West Yost Associates	$67,758	$32.58
   9	Merrick & Co	$67,611	$32.51
   10	Clear Channel Airport	$67,079	$32.25	2
   11	Powers & Sons Construction Company, Inc.	$66,973	$32.20
   12	POWER Engineers	$66,951	$32.19	2
   13	Trc Engineering	$66,862	$32.15
   14	Farnsworth Group	$66,575	$32.01
   15	Moss & Associates	$66,479	$31.96
   16	Fugro	$66,362	$31.90
   17	Huitt-Zollars	$66,070	$31.76
   18	Jacobs Engineering Group	$66,019	$31.74
   19	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$65,832	$31.65	30
   20	HDR	$65,688	$31.58	12

4. Writing a project accountant job description

   A job description for a project accountant 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 project accountant job description:

   Project accountant job description example

   Do you have a servant’s heart? Do you want to work in a beautiful, family-oriented community that promotes integrity and kindness? More importantly, do you want to know that every day you are making a difference in a resident’s life? Then come join our team!
   
   We offer stability in consistent schedules, generous PTO to help encourage your work-life balance, career development and advancement opportunities nationwide, perks and programs that will contribute to a fulfilling career.
   Highlights of the Project Accountant Position: • Review and organize capital project approvals and invoices to manage and track budgets and expenses • Monitor capitalizing and recording of asset activity records and expenditures • Prepare and maintain capital and fixed asset accounts, reporting, and schedules • Monthly preparation/review of general ledger for accuracy and completeness in accordance with GAAP including posting reclassifications and accruals as necessary. • Full cycle accounting closing multiple communities on a monthly basis • Monthly explanation of variances budget within predefined thresholds. • Record depreciation and amortization for all operating projects. • Preparation of monthly reporting package • Accounting for property acquisitions and dispositions, including review and summarization of related documents and preparation of journal entries, in accordance with GAAP. • Complete SOX testing and reporting monthly to parent company • Support communities with requests and financial information • Ad hoc requests and special projects • Assist in budget review with communities
   Employee Perks, Programs, and Benefits:
   • Consistent Scheduling
   • Access to various Travel, Restaurant, and Retail Discounts through HR Partners
   • Unlimited employee referral bonuses! Tell your friends!
   • Regular Training and Promotion Opportunities
   • CEU Reimbursement Program for All Associates
   • Competitive Paid Time Off, Health, Dental, Vision, and More!
   • Great Place to Work Certified – come make it greater!! Our Mission: We Celebrate and Enhance All Lives with Kindness & Integrity
   PSL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, PSL will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages prospective associates and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with PSL.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   During your first interview to recruit project 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 project accountant

   Once you've decided on a perfect project 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new project accountant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 project accountant?