How to hire a senior project accountant

How to hire a senior project accountant, step by step

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

What does a senior project accountant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   The following list breaks down different types of senior project accountants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Project Accountant	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior 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	$23-40
   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
   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
   • GAAP
   • Financial Reports
   • Payroll
   • Accruals
   • Real Estate
   • Account Reconciliations
   • Internal Controls
   • Revenue Recognition
   • Project Cost
   • ERP
   • Work Breakdown Structure
   • Variance Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage daily operations of the accounting department to include contract billing, accounts receivable, and monthly backlog/accrual reconciliations.
   • Manage the review, enhancement, and creation of department policy and procedure documentation require for Sarbanes-Oxley auditing and compliance.
   • Produce financial reports on a timely basis for building construction decision making using various job cost methods in conformity to GAAP.
   • Provide recommendations and assist with development, documentation, and implementation of agree process improvement procedures according to GAAP and SOX.
   • Audit and approve the supporting documents of all invoices of the company in accordance with the requirements regulations by SOX.
   • Prepare schedules for recurring accruals and deferrals and amortize monthly.

   More senior project accountant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior project accountant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior project accountant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior project accountants' average salary in north dakota is 48% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior project accountants 44% less than senior-level senior project accountants.
   • Certifications. A senior project accountant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior project accountant's salary.

   Average senior project accountant salary

   $64,388yearly

   $30.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior project accountant salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average senior project accountant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$85,146	$41
   2	Massachusetts	$73,560	$35
   3	California	$71,911	$35
   4	New Jersey	$70,772	$34
   5	New York	$70,687	$34
   6	Rhode Island	$69,075	$33
   7	Georgia	$67,176	$32
   8	Maryland	$66,560	$32
   9	Texas	$66,261	$32
   10	Arizona	$63,349	$30
   11	New Hampshire	$63,252	$30
   12	Washington	$62,295	$30
   13	North Carolina	$62,118	$30
   14	Oregon	$60,154	$29
   15	Louisiana	$59,695	$29
   16	Florida	$59,068	$28
   17	Colorado	$58,382	$28
   18	Nevada	$57,057	$27
   19	Michigan	$56,213	$27
   20	Kansas	$55,773	$27

   Average senior project accountant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Dahl Consulting	$81,863	$39.36	7
   2	Amazon	$79,959	$38.44	28
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$77,444	$37.23	11
   4	Shawmut	$77,334	$37.18
   5	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$77,110	$37.07	29
   6	CDM Smith	$76,212	$36.64	116
   7	Ecs Federal	$75,540	$36.32
   8	Kforce	$75,331	$36.22	125
   9	Mastercard	$75,330	$36.22	2
   10	The AES	$72,974	$35.08	10
   11	Tews	$71,170	$34.22	3
   12	Randstad North America, Inc.	$70,832	$34.05	25
   13	Creative Financial Staffing	$70,036	$33.67
   14	The Walsh Group	$69,987	$33.65	11
   15	Stellar Solutions - Stainless Steel Passivation	$69,758	$33.54
   16	Turner Construction	$69,492	$33.41	29
   17	Scientific Games	$69,394	$33.36
   18	Hines Corporation	$68,943	$33.15
   19	Child Trends	$68,720	$33.04
   20	ACDI/VOCA	$68,234	$32.80

4. Writing a senior project accountant job description

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

   Senior project accountant job description example

   Sr. Project Accountant
   
   Location: Fort Mill, South Carolina
   
   Position Status: Direct Hire
   
   Position Description:
   
   Our client is looking for Sr. Project Accountant candidates for a position located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The Senior Project Accountant provides support in all aspects of project accounting including month-end close, cost and revenue accruals, cost review, profitability analysis, resource utilization, and effectively communicating projects progress to the business line finance analyst.
   
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
   Ensure proper revenue and cost recognition on projects in accordance with company policies, including accruals. Lead month-end close activities while being a resource to project accounting team members when knowledge sharing opportunities arise. Perform monthly account reconciliations. Maintain an understanding of current corporate allocations and be a resource for operations with any inquiries relating to them. Maintain overall knowledge of projects for assigned area. Perform a high-level project analysis to highlight the main factors impacting project performance for the current period, while communicating financial risks. Provide research and support on inquiries from operations. Serve as liaison between corporate accounts payable/accounts receivable and operations as needed. Assist with inquiries from external auditors while maintaining adequate supporting documentation for the business units. Collaborate with team members to identify reporting issues/challenges from operation side. Identify potential areas of improvement as it relates to project accounting, while presenting ideas to direct management for further exploration. Prepare reporting on operating cost data, including contract labor accruals, per diem spend, and other items that may arise from time-to-time. Support process documenting while executing training of new team members where appropriate or assigned by manager. Support inquiries on monthly operating results. Perform other duties as assigned by management.
   Education and Experience:
   Preferred A Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or University in Accounting or experience equivalent to 5 years. 3-5 Year(s) Experience in Accounting
   
   Language Skills:
   Ability to read and interpret documents such as procedure manuals, operational procedures, etc. Ability to write reports, Business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information in one-on one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
   
   About Seneca Resources:
   
   Seneca Resources is a client driven provider of strategic Information Technology consulting services and Workforce Solutions to government and industry. Seneca Resources is a leading IT services provider with offices in Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Texas that service clients throughout the United States.
   
   We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and value the benefits of diversity in our workplace.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior project 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 senior project accountant job on Zippia to find and attract quality senior project 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 senior 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 senior project accountant

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior 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 senior 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 senior project accountant?