How To Become A Staff Auditor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a staff auditor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Richard Chambers

A staff auditor is responsible for analyzing an organization's financial activities, ensuring compliance with regulations, and auditing accounts as needed. Staff auditors work under senior auditors' supervision, and they perform similar roles, albeit at a lower level.

A staff auditor may examine and verify an organization's finances or focus on hiring practices and procedures. Staff auditors focus on identifying risks in a company like financial mismanagement, fraud, and other questionable practices. To do this, they often comb through large spreadsheets to dig up information.

Some staff auditors may also review communications and staff actions during an audit. After the review, they create reports containing their findings and recommendations and submit them to upper management staff.

To become a staff auditor, you need a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. You may also need to become a Certified Public Accountant, even though it's not a requisite for many employers.

What general advice would you give to a staff auditor?

Richard Chambers

President and Chief Executive Officer, The Institut of Internal Auditors

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created numerous challenges across industries and professions, it also has created opportunities for internal auditors at all levels, including those new to the profession, to step up and play a role in helping their organizations navigate through the issues to ensure positive outcomes.

"Based on our research, accounting/finance remains the most recruited academic degree, but the evolving nature of business and risks demands having individuals who bring a broader array of skills into the internal audit workplace. There's also an accelerated movement for what I call "Uber" auditors, those who may not be on staff but whose experience in, for example, cybersecurity or AI, are sorely needed. Graduates may find the first critical step in their career is specialization rather than generalization, so an education - perhaps even a dual degree - in technology, for example, may make you more appealing.

Additionally, internal audit employers are demanding strong soft skills, such as effective verbal and written communications, relationship acumen, critical thinking, and an eye for detail.

Early during the pandemic, we saw some tightening among internal audit departments, as most organizations were making adjustments overall due to the economic impact of COVID-19. Based on additional research, however, we know opportunities still exist in this environment and when we return to 'normal.' In this year's Pulse of Internal Audit survey, of the respondents who filled positions in the preceding 12 months, 47% reported they hired professionals who had not been internal auditors previously. A notable 28% of respondents had hired students or recent graduates, as well.

The IIA has begun a new program, in collaboration with AuditBoard, to provide existing internal auditors and those pursuing a career in the profession, including college students and graduates, access to training and educational courses provided by The IIA for those who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic pressures. The $500,000 'Elevate Internal Audit Scholarship Program' is providing scholarships that can be used to participate in IIA training and certification programs regardless of their professional level or ability to pay. More information on the scholarship program, including how to apply, can be found on The IIA's website at www.theiia.org.

ScoreStaff AuditorUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,431

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%

Asian 13.33%

Black or African American 8.68%

Hispanic or Latino 11.02%

Unknown 3.96%

White 62.55%

Gender

female 40.74%

male 59.26%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a staff auditor

Explore staff auditor education requirements

Most common staff auditor degrees

Bachelor's

82.1 %

Master's

13.4 %

Associate

3.1 %

Start to develop specific staff auditor skills

Skills	Percentages
Audit Procedures	12.33%
CPA	11.54%
Internal Audit	7.26%
Audit Reports	5.35%
Audit Findings	4.73%

Complete relevant staff auditor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New staff auditors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a staff auditor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff auditor resumes.

Research staff auditor duties and responsibilities

Manage accounting operations, accounting close, account reporting and reconciliations for internal corporate and bank transactions.
Review consolidated GAAP financial statements, inter-company eliminations and fluctuations between budget verses actual results.
Ensure engagements are in compliance with generally accept accounting principles (GAAP) and generally accept auditing standards (GAAS).
Conduct financial audits in accordance with GAAS to establish compliance with policies and procedures and to determine effectiveness of internal controls.

Prepare your staff auditor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your staff auditor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a staff auditor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable staff auditor resume templates

Build a professional staff auditor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your staff auditor resume.