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Staff accountant/auditor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Alex Yen Ph.D.,

Dr. Jennifer Thayer

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical staff accountant/auditor skills. We ranked the top skills for staff accountant/auditors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.4% of staff accountant/auditor resumes contained cpa as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a staff accountant/auditor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 staff accountant/auditor skills for your resume and career

1. CPA

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use cpa:

Performed audit, compilation and review of various company's financial statements * Passed all parts of New York CPA exam.
Obtained CPA designation in the state of Virginia.

2. Audit Procedures

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use audit procedures:

Performed audit procedures of client's financial statements to evaluate and verify accuracy of internal controls.
Informed audit manager of all discrepancies found and recommended additional audit procedures as necessary.

3. Analytical Procedures

Through analytical procedures, auditors access and evaluate the financial information showcased by the financial statements, keeping in mind the concept that the provided financial information has a plausible relationship with the other's financial or non-financial data. It helps auditors pay more attention to sensitive areas and help them detect the risks of material misstatement.

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use analytical procedures:

Audited client controls, performed analytical procedures, and prepared work papers documenting compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Reviewed and tested client systems of internal controls and functions using substantive and analytical procedures.

4. Income Tax Returns

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use income tax returns:

Examined financial statement accounts and prepared income tax returns for manufacturing, retail and non-profit organizations.
Compiled financial statements and supporting schedules for corporate, partnership, exempt, and individual federal & state income tax returns.

5. Journal Entries

Journal entries can be defined as an act of keeping or making records of any transactions either economic or non-economic. The journal entries are made in the accounting systems of an organization. The entries are filled with two main fields; debit and credit. The debit and credit must be equal at the end of a journal entry else it is not considered correct. The journal entries also keep the date of transactions and the names of the accounts that were affected by the transactions.

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use journal entries:

Analyze accounts, make adjusting/ reclassification journal entries and applies accounting and analytic procedures.
Prepared adjusted journal entries in conjunction with audited financial statements as necessary.

6. Reconciliations

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use reconciliations:

Trained, motivated and partnered with associates at 95 retail locations to manage separate receivable accounts and associated monthly account reconciliations.
Collected and evaluated contract requirements for 33 sites through Excel while auditing and analyzing financial statements and bank reconciliations.

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7. Compliance Audits

A compliance audit is a report on the assessment of a company and its adherence to policies and regulatory guidelines. They evaluate the strength, policy adherence, user access, and risk and complex issue management.

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use compliance audits:

Performed financial statement audits, compliance audits and electronic submission of HUD financial statements.
Conducted internal compliance audits, implemented internal controls and policy adherence.

8. Payroll Tax Returns

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use payroll tax returns:

Prepare quarterly and annual payroll tax returns and initial reports for filing payroll taxes.
Performed payroll tasks to include submission of federal and state payroll tax returns.

9. Real Estate

Real estate is land that has buildings on it. This kind of property consists of permanent improvements either natural or man-made, which include, houses, fences, bridges, water trees, and minerals. There are 4 types of real estate namely; residential real estate, commercial real estate, industrial real estate, and vacant land.

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use real estate:

Performed audits, reviews, and compilations for not-for-profit government-funded organizations, manufacturing companies and real estate companies.
Audited operational and financial statements of medium and large manufacturing firms, real estate firms and municipalities.

10. General Ledger Accounts

A general ledger account is a practice to keep a record of a company's total financial accounts. The accounts included in a general ledger lists the assets, liabilities, owners' equity, expenses, and income or revenue. It forms the basis of reporting a business's financial statements.

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use general ledger accounts:

Reviewed general ledger accounts to verify account balances.
Oversee related general ledger accounts and reconciliation.

11. Audit Reports

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use audit reports:

Prepared and presented audit reports and provided recommendations on internal control improvements and implementation of best practices.
Prepared and submitted audit reports to upper management regarding on-site audit results to achieve agreement requirements.

12. Non-Profit Organization

A non-profit organization (NPO) is a business that has been granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) because it serves a social cause and provides a benefit to the public. The organization must serve a social cause whether it is through services, goods, or both.

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use non-profit organization:

Perform audits and prepare financial statements for governmental entities, non-profit organizations, corporations, partnerships and individuals.
Performed financial audits of government agencies, non-profit organizations, grant receiving entities and small business corporations.

13. Internal Control Systems

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use internal control systems:

Helped clients evaluating and improving internal control system.
Established internal control system for the monitoring and auditing of hundreds of the title companies approved settlement agents and settlement attorneys.

14. GAAS

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use gaas:

Applied applicable accounting and auditing standards while performing audits and reviews, under U.S. GAAP and GAAS standards.
Gained a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.

15. Financial Reports

Here's how staff accountant/auditors use financial reports:

Prepared financial reports monthly, including daily reports transmitted to managing company for disbursement while leveraging technology to execute improvement activities.
Examined and analyzed accounting records to determine financial status of establishment, and prepared financial reports concerning operating procedures.

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What skills help Staff Accountant/Auditors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on staff accountant/auditor resumes?

Alex Yen Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Stonehill College

As mentioned above, the ability to work with "big data" is highly valued by CPA firms these days. So recruiters are looking (on resumes) for experience working with "big data" and experience with the tools to analyze data and communicate results, like Excel, Power BI, SAS, Python, and Tableau.

But public accounting is also a people business and CPA firms also value leadership, communication skills, leadership, and the ability to work in teams. Resume items like having a leadership position in a campus organization or having a customer-facing position in retail or food service will signal to recruiters that a student is developing these skills. But having the position is just the start. Once in a formal interview, recruiters will want to hear anecdotes and specifics from students about how they leveraged a leadership position into success for the organization or how students worked with others to overcome challenges in their organization or work.

Finally, and I am not sure how it can be communicated on a resume, CPA firm recruiters are looking for students who are eager to learn more and want to continue to expand their skill set. The idea that a student is fully formed and has learned everything s/he will ever need to know for their job while they were in college is a faulty assumption. Students cannot feel that now they have their degree that they can coast. The economy is constantly changing in terms of technology, new industries being created, globalization, and changing tax and regulatory laws, and accountants will need to keep up with these developments to be able to audit companies and to advise their clients. For example, in technology, the programs mentioned above that are in vogue today could be obsolete in 3 to 5 years, requiring accountants to learn new programs. The openness and ability to adapt and be a lifelong learner is critical for accountants entering the profession and recruiters are looking for graduates with that mindset.

What soft skills should all staff accountant/auditors possess?

Dr. Jennifer Thayer

Assistant Professor of Accounting, Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching Recipient, Clarksville Chamber of Commerce APSU Distinguished Faculty Award for Community Service Recipient, Accounting Society at Austin Peay Advisor, Austin Peay State University

From speaking with employers in the industry, the number one soft skill seems to be written and spoken communication. Many current students need to hone their written communication skills to avoid "text speak" when communicating with potential employers and/or clients. Other important soft skills include problem-solving, collaboration, adaptability, and willingness to deal with failure and/or criticism. Especially in the world of COVID and ever-changing work environments, the importance of adaptability and problem-solving have only been highlighted. Since most work environments involve people working in teams, effectively collaborating with others and accepting criticism are vital skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for staff accountant/auditors?

Dr. Jennifer Thayer

In addition to general accounting knowledge, critical thinking, data analytics, and advanced Microsoft Excel abilities are some of the most important skills. Clearly, having a solid foundation in general accounting knowledge is necessary to be a candidate for a job in the accounting field. However, possessing the ability to critically think and analyze data and use Microsoft Excel beyond the basics, such as pivot tables, will only improve a candidate's chances.

What staff accountant/auditor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.

Professor and Chairman of Accounting, University of Missouri - St. Louis

In the spirit of continuing education I would recommend the following: First and foremost, successfully complete the cpa exam. This is a huge difference-maker in the marketplace. If the young professional has already accomplished that, I would consider developing expertise consistent with their long-term career goals. Potential areas of expertise include data analytics, information systems controls and security, taxation, SEC reporting, or management accounting. There are certificate programs in each of these skills at universities across the country. The internet is also replete with free or relatively inexpensive materials for self-starters.

What type of skills will young staff accountant/auditors need?

Elizabeth Gordon

Chair and Professor, Temple University

Preparing accounting students for their future means focusing their education on developing their critical thinking, decision making, and judgment, and truly thinking like an accountant requires critical thinking skills to be able to make judgments, to create and to use the information to solve problems and make good decisions. After all, accounting is not about rote memorization or data processing - tasks that do not require a university education. A university accounting education should foster curious and adaptive problem solvers with strong analytical skills and technical knowledge of accounting.

Do you want to know more?

List of staff accountant/auditor skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a staff accountant/auditor resume and required skills for a staff accountant/auditor to have include:

CPA
Audit Procedures
Analytical Procedures
Income Tax Returns
Journal Entries
Reconciliations
Compliance Audits
Payroll Tax Returns
Real Estate
General Ledger Accounts
Audit Reports
Non-Profit Organization
Internal Control Systems
GAAS
Financial Reports
Audit Process
Fixed Assets

Financial Statement Audits
Financial Institutions
Partnership Tax Returns
Audit Engagements
Agreed-Upon Procedures
Client Management
Audit Findings
Internal Audit
Corporate Tax Returns
Bank Reconciliations
QuickBooks
Forensic Accounting
Financial Data
Governmental Entities
Medicaid
Trial Balance
Account Reconciliations

Individual Tax Returns
Bank Accounts
Audit Programs
Account Analysis
Risk Assessments
SOX
Cost Reports
Bank Statements
IRS
Balance Sheet Accounts
Medicare
Financial Services
Financial Statement Preparation
Audit Planning
PowerPoint
Sales Tax Returns

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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