What does a senior accounting associate do?
A senior accounting associate is in charge of assisting the accounting department by performing clerical support tasks. Among their duties include preparing and processing financial reports and other documentation, answering calls and correspondence, preparing forms and presentations, and help in processing payrolls, taxes, deductions, and receivables. Furthermore, as a senior accounting associate, it is essential to lead and serve as a role model to junior associates while enforcing the company's policies and regulations, including state laws and rules.
Senior accounting associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior accounting associate resumes:
- Lead the conversion to new trading software that enhance cash management and treasury reporting.
- Manage payroll and all taxation matters, coordinate independent audit; communicate with outside organizations and agencies.
- Adhere to SOX control by ensuring trends in income, accruals, and amortization/accretion are in line with forecasts.
- Review accounting documents to ensure accuracy, completeness and compliance of information and calculation to company policy and GAAP.
- Guarantee financial accuracy by preparing monthly journal entries, reconciling general ledger accounts, and preparing financial reports and reconciliations monthly.
- Train accounts payable/receivable clerks company-wide on new ERP software.
- Perform monthly bookkeeping duties for small business accounts using QuickBooks.
- Maintain QuickBooks files for individual, partnership, and fiduciary clients.
- Prepare presentations in PowerPoint in support of annual budget and other executive meetings.
- Maintain all AR records, including current and paid accounts and monthly reports.
- Work closely with SOX and PWC auditors on regular basis and provide the information as needed.
- Assist with the Hyperion integration by providing validation testing, creation of new reports and establishing new closing procedures.
- Play major role in implementation of ERP AS400 software application for manufacturing planning, inventory control, and costing purposes.
- Authorize wire transactions through treasury.
- Create budget presentation using powerpoint.
Senior accounting associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Senior Accounting Associates are proficient in Reconciliations, GAAP, and Fixed Assets. They’re also known for soft skills such as Computer skills, Integrity, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Senior Accounting Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Reconciliations, 12%
Guaranteed financial accuracy by preparing monthly journal entries, reconciling general ledger accounts, and preparing financial reports and reconciliations monthly.
- GAAP, 10%
Set the direction for quarterly and annual GAAP and Statutory Reporting on investments including all supplementary audit and management reporting.
- Fixed Assets, 8%
Worked with internal and external auditors to gather information requested related to Fixed Assets.
- Payroll, 5%
Established feasibility of payroll function consolidation from individual facilities to single location, resulting in reduction of headcount and cost savings.
- Senior Accounting, 4%
Served concurrently as a Senior Accounting Specialist and Mobility Services Specialist for 3 years without diminished performance in either capacity.
- Account Reconciliations, 3%
Completed month-end journals and reports, account reconciliations, warehouse audits, monthly inventory analysis report and corresponding presentation to management.
"reconciliations," "gaap," and "fixed assets" are among the most common skills that senior accounting associates use at work. You can find even more senior accounting associate responsibilities below, including:
Computer skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a senior accounting associate to have is computer skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks need to be comfortable using computer spreadsheets and bookkeeping software." Senior accounting associates often use computer skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "performed analysis of computer procedures and implemented benchmarking measurers for company's enterprise resource planning software (erp). "
Integrity. Many senior accounting associate duties rely on integrity. "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks have control of an organization’s financial documentation, which they must use properly and keep confidential," so a senior accounting associate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways senior accounting associate responsibilities rely on integrity: "calculated and booked company-wide monthly bonus and severance accruals/related payroll taxes as designated agent trusted with highly confidential data. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for senior accounting associates to perform their duties. For an example of how senior accounting associate responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are responsible for producing accurate financial records." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a senior accounting associate: "enter penny tests for potential vendors in sap and forward ach remittance details to vendor. ".
Math skills. For certain senior accounting associate responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a senior accounting associate rely on this skill, as "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks deal with numbers daily and should be comfortable with basic arithmetic." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what senior accounting associates do: "checked figures and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes using journals and ledgers. "
The three companies that hire the most senior accounting associates are:
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Compare different senior accounting associates
Senior accounting associate vs. Manager/finance accounting
A manager of finance accounting's role is to oversee the financial activities in a company or organization. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with other departments to gather financial data, analyze the revenues and expenditures, and develop written reports and presentations. A manager of finance accounting must also maintain accurate financial records, identify any errors or inconsistencies, and perform support tasks for staff when necessary. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, senior accounting associate responsibilities require skills like "payroll," "real estate," "irs," and "securities." Meanwhile a typical manager/finance accounting has skills in areas such as "customer service," "cpa," "due diligence," and "erp." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Managers/finance accounting tend to make the most money working in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $92,198. In contrast, senior accounting associates make the biggest average salary, $96,545, in the technology industry.The education levels that managers/finance accounting earn slightly differ from senior accounting associates. In particular, managers/finance accounting are 8.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a senior accounting associate. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior accounting associate vs. 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. It is also their duty to establish objectives and guidelines, manage accounting staff, monitor financial activities, review and assess financial statements, approve expenditures, and resolve issues promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as an accounting manager/controller, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that senior accounting associate responsibilities requires skills like "payroll," "shared services," "securities," and "sr." But an accounting manager/controller might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cpa," "payroll taxes," "journal entries," and "oversight."
Accounting managers/controller earn a lower average salary than senior accounting associates. But accounting managers/controller earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $89,839. Additionally, senior accounting associates earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $96,545 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Accounting managers/controller tend to reach similar levels of education than senior accounting associates. In fact, they're 4.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for senior accounting associates in the next 3-5 years?
Marty LaBarge
Associate Professor of Accounting, Hope College
Senior accounting associate vs. Accounting director
An Accounting Director supervises the general accounting and financial reporting functions, as well as financial services within a company or organization. They also ensure that all transactions and financial policies for their organization meet federal regulations and standards.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, senior accounting associates are more likely to have skills like "securities," "sr," "invoice," and "client facing." But a accounting director is more likely to have skills like "cpa," "oversight," "customer service," and "strong analytical."
Accounting directors earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $128,951. Senior accounting associates earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $96,545.When it comes to education, accounting directors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to senior accounting associates. In fact, they're 4.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior accounting associate vs. Accounting supervisor
Account supervisors are in charge of the accounting and financial operations within an organization's accounting department. They supervise the account team and provide feedback about their performance and recommend improvements when necessary. It is their responsibility to review the company's financial statements for accuracy. They even reconcile the enterprise's general ledger accounts and oversee the communications and marketing plans of the clients. Also, they maintain profitable and long-term customer relationships to keep the trust of the clients.
Types of senior accounting associate
Updated January 8, 2025
