How to hire a senior corporate accountant

How to hire a senior corporate accountant, step by step

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

What does a senior corporate accountant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior corporate accountant you need to hire. Certain senior corporate accountant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect senior corporate accountant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

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

   Type of Senior Corporate Accountant	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Corporate 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	$27-44
   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... Show more	$24-44
   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... Show more	$31-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reconciliations
   • GAAP
   • SOX
   • External Auditors
   • Internal Controls
   • Strong Analytical
   • Close Process
   • Balance Sheet Accounts
   • General Ledger Accounts
   • Financial Data
   • Fixed Assets
   • Payroll
   • ERP
   • Hyperion

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage CAPEX and Hyperion reporting.
   • Manage Sarbanes-Oxley documentation and perform the related testing in accordance with policy.
   • Manage all treasury activity for corporate entities including daily cash management, monthly earn fee calculations, and property relate reimbursements.
   • Prepare documentation in support of financial statements for SOX regulations, internal and external auditors.
   • Initiate financial analysis, budgeting, management planning, capital expenditure monitoring, and revenue recognition according to GAAP.
   • Research and implement functionality within ERP system.

   More senior corporate accountant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior corporate accountant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior corporate accountant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a senior corporate accountant in Nebraska may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level senior corporate accountant usually earns less than a senior-level senior corporate accountant. Additionally, a senior corporate accountant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average senior corporate accountant salary

   $73,008yearly

   $35.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior corporate accountant salary

   $57,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average senior corporate accountant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$84,358	$41
   2	New York	$84,025	$40
   3	Rhode Island	$79,851	$38
   4	Massachusetts	$76,110	$37
   5	Texas	$75,798	$36
   6	Georgia	$75,411	$36
   7	Connecticut	$74,678	$36
   8	North Carolina	$71,702	$34
   9	Arizona	$69,525	$33
   10	Florida	$68,871	$33
   11	Pennsylvania	$68,756	$33
   12	Illinois	$66,588	$32
   13	South Carolina	$66,324	$32
   14	Colorado	$65,712	$32
   15	Michigan	$64,191	$31
   16	Ohio	$63,792	$31
   17	Alabama	$63,520	$31
   18	Tennessee	$63,078	$30
   19	Wisconsin	$62,956	$30
   20	Utah	$56,320	$27

   Average senior corporate accountant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$100,702	$48.41	116
   2	Cheniere Energy	$99,321	$47.75	2
   3	Ziff Davis	$96,369	$46.33	1
   4	NetSuite	$92,184	$44.32
   5	Celanese	$91,748	$44.11	3
   6	CNA Insurance	$88,001	$42.31
   7	Lithia Motors	$86,443	$41.56
   8	AccentCare	$85,587	$41.15
   9	Benchmark Electronics	$85,037	$40.88
   10	Digital Guardian	$84,179	$40.47
   11	Kemper	$83,856	$40.32	4
   12	Acadia Healthcare	$80,225	$38.57	9
   13	Idaho Forest Group	$80,076	$38.50	1
   14	Madison Capital Funding	$79,825	$38.38
   15	Staffing.com	$79,547	$38.24
   16	Dunkin Brands	$79,276	$38.11	2
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$78,321	$37.65	37
   18	Professional Staffing Group	$78,247	$37.62	1
   19	Sensata	$78,156	$37.58	1
   20	Boston Scientific	$78,109	$37.55	8

4. Writing a senior corporate accountant job description

   A good senior corporate accountant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a senior corporate accountant job description:

   Senior corporate accountant job description example

   Mattson Resources has an amazing Sr. Accountant Direct Hire full-time opportunity for our client located in Anaheim, Ca.
   
   They are a growing manufacturer company and looking to allow someone to grow with them and within the company.
   
   This position will assist and help the accounting department including the CFO. The Senior Accountant will not only learn all general accounting tasks but will play a huge role in dealing with all things related to accounting.
   Job Responsibilities
   Handle general Ledger and Month End Closing Handle all financial reporting and analysis Cost Analysis and Inventory Reconciliation Handle taxes and property tax filing Assist and Handle with budgeting, payroll, reconciliation, etc.
   
   Requirements and Skills
   Bilingual in Mandarin is preferred Bachelor’ s Degree in Accounting or something similar. 3-5 years of Accounting experience Knowledge of Microsoft Office and the ability to learn other software' s such as any accounting software' s or EPR systems Good written and verbal communication skills Great organization and the ability to learn and handle tasks Strong problem-solving skills Ability to work independently with little supervision
   Companies Amazing Benefits:
   Company pays 100% of medical and dental benefits and matches 5% of 401k!
   H1B transfers and sponsorship for the right employee if needed
   PTO & Sick Time & Vacation
   Long Term Disability
   Frequent team lunches/snacks/team building, etc.
   HSA & FSA
   Salary:
   
   $ 65k - $75k + DOE annually with an 8-10% annual bonus.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior corporate 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 senior corporate accountants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior corporate 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 senior corporate accountant job on Zippia to find and recruit senior corporate accountant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior corporate accountant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 senior corporate accountant

   Once you've selected the best senior corporate accountant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior corporate 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 senior corporate accountant?