The role of a staff accountant varies widely by the company, employers, and experience of the employees.
This carefully written article on the staff accountant job description indicates the major skills, requirements, and career qualifications you have that match the job description.
Some typical staff accounting tasks are; Intact ERP jobs, NetSuite ERP, bookkeeping, understanding of laws pertaining to tax, tax returns, month-end closures, budgeting, etc.
Soft skills are also required because they enable recruiters to understand how you’ll handle your jobs, such as teamwork skills, analytical skills, leadership skills, and the ability to obey or adhere to strict confidentiality of the office.
Article Road Map
About Staff Accountants
A good staff accountant maintains all the accounting procedures of their company and sustains a very healthy vendor financial profile company’s accounting procedures ensuring adherence with state, federal, and local finance principles.
All aspiring staff accountants should make sure they’re acquainted with all the laws and regulations pertaining to finance that apply in their /state/city of residence and are specific to their company.
Staff Accountants are given the tasks of preparing and reviewing vendors’ banking statements, documents, and reports. They are in charge of all accounting procedures (e.g., tax returns, month-end closures, budgeting) and advise on general financial matters.
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Career And Educational Qualifications For The Job Of A Staff Accountant
There are mandatory career and educational degrees that individuals who want to acquire staff accounting jobs need, some of which are;
- A Certified public accounting license (CPA)
- A Certified management accounting license (CMA)
- An MSc degree in accounting
- A Bachelor’s degree in accounting, banking & finance, commerce, business management, or an adjacent field
- Extensive knowledge of the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)
- Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Excel or Google spreadsheets
One can qualify as a staff accountant with at least four of any of these educational qualifications; most accounting firm employers offer training to entry-level employees, and advanced staff accountants do not require any training.
In addition, Proficiency in multiple accounting software packages is a plus.
Age Requirements For Staff Accountants
The last recruiting age requirement for these entry or mid-level employees is 18 years old.
Although, adults between the age of 30 – 45 are at more advantage for the hiring opportunity as they would be more sophisticated to handle the job and do not require training.
Staff Accountant Personality Traits & Skills
A Staff Accountant Must Have The Following Soft Personality Traits/Skills
- Attentive Listening
- Effective Communication Skills
- Attention To Details
- Enthusiasm And Optimism
- Organizational Skills
- Ability to compromise
- Ability to Work Effectively Under Stress
- Efficiency
- Ability to collaborate and finish job independently
- Well Spoken
- Neat, Tidy, Organized, and Presentable
- Reliable personality And Accountability
- Professionalism
- Multitasking Abilities
- Proficiency in Planning, Critical thinking, Problem-solving
Technical Skills And Knowledge Expected Of A Staff Accountant
- Ability to solve ledger account discrepancies
- Accounting Software Proficiency
- Data Analysis
- Microsoft Excel and spreadsheet skills
- Financial reporting skill
- Data Verification
- Financial reporting
- Asset management
- Accounting analysis
- GAAP
- Quickbooks
- Auditing
Staff Accountant Work Experiences
Aspiring Staff accountants with several working experience(s) are more advantageous to be employed because this means that they have engaged themselves in accounting roles which have enabled them to obtain knowledge and skills on how to be more efficient with the job.
In order to satisfy recruiters and please them enough to recruit you, the staff accountant job description demands that you have a working experience in professions similar to an accounting job or a banking & finance job. You must have at least 5 of these experiences mentioned below;
- A minimum of one-year working experience in a corporate accounting firm
- A minimum of one year of experience working for a public trading company
- Working experience as a certified public accountant
- Experience in certified management accounting
- Bookkeeping Experience
- A Bachelor’s degree or above in accounting, finance, or an adjacent field
- Extensive knowledge of GAAP
- Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
- Prior experience with QuickBooks (or whatever accounting software that you use)
- Experience with financial ERP solutions
Key Duties And Responsibilities Of Staff Accountants
- Process incoming checks: Staff accountants oversee all payable accounts and cash disbursement functions, including weekly check runs.
- Support vendors businesses: Staff accountants work to track and process all payments for outgoing referral businesses of vendors
- Staff Accountants are responsible for maintaining vendor files and acting as primary intermediaries to vendors.
- All staff accountants compile credit card banking statements and document cardholders’ information.
- They Prepare account payable aging reports for weekly check disbursements and review payment run proposals with approval from VP and finance.
- They oversee the maintenance of accounts payable files and records and act as primary liaisons to vendors.
- Staff accountants take responsibility for all vendors and employee inquiries regarding invoices, expenses, and check requests; resolve invoice discrepancies.
- They Prepare bi-weekly payrolls for associates.
- Month-end analysis: Staff accountants Prepare month end reconciliations and journal entries
- Assist the accounting manager with additional month-end tasks.
Positions Staff Accountants Hold
There are three positions that staff accountants hold, which are; Mid-level accounting position, Entry-level accounting position, and Senior-level accounting position.
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Staff Accountant Salaries
Salary earnings for a staff accountant job vary, depending on important factors like; accounting positions, educational qualifications, financial accounting skills, employers, and years of work experience.
The majority of Entry-level staff accountants earn salaries in the range of $41,000 (25th percentile) to #54,000 (75th percentile), with an average based salary of $60,200.
In the United States, the average mid-level staff accountant salary is $64,402 annually, while the salary range of senior-level staff accountant employees in the United States is between $79,581 – $97,091, but the average salary is $87,711.
FAQ
What Is A Staff Accountant Vs. An Accountant?
Accounting professionals are more credentialed and trained for more specific or higher-level tasks. Entry-level accountants may focus more on balance sheets, budgeting, and tracking expenses, while an accountant may complete larger projects, such as helping expand a budget or planning large purchases.
What Is The Difference Between A Staff Accountant And CPA?
An accountant is usually a professional with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. A Certified Public Accountant is a recognized professional who has earned a CPA license through a combination of education, experience, and exams.
What Position Is A Staff Accountant?
A staff accountant is an entry or mid-level accounting professional responsible for maintaining a business’s financial records, usually as part of a team
What Is Another Name For A Staff Accountant?
They may be referred to as accountants, accountants, assistant accountants, staff accountants, chief accountants, or chief accountants, depending on their level of managerial responsibilities and their position in the corporate hierarchy.
What Comes After A Staff Accountant?
After about 7 years in accounting, you can expect to move into a middle management position such as an accounting manager. You will manage professional-level accounting functions and report preparation, including earnings, profit/loss, cash balances, and cost accounting.
What Is Above A Staff Accountant?
A senior accountant in any firm has additional years of experience than an accountant and uses the experience gained to take on additional accounting responsibilities within the organization.
Is A Staff Accountant The Same As A Bookkeeper?
Accountants handle the day-to-day tasks of recording financial transactions, while bookkeepers provide insight and analysis of that data and generate accounting reports.
What Is The Role Of A Staff Accountant In EY?
As a staff accountant, you will contribute technically to client audit engagements and internal projects. As part of your role, you will actively establish, maintain and strengthen internal and external relationships, perform complex verification procedures, and help define the audit strategy.
What Is The Difference Between A Staff Accountant And An Accounting Manager?
Professional accountants take on more complex duties, such as preparing tax returns and creating financial models. Managers supervise employees and oversee the accounting department, while senior accountants provide strategic guidance for the company’s financial goals.
Conclusion
After reading this staff accountant job description article, your major aim should be to appease employers of accounting firms and grasp their attention from the beginning of your job interview to the end.
Disclose your best skills, work experiences, accomplishments, and experiences to fit into the job description of the accounting profession.
To make the best impression, just be yourself, keep it simple, and be concisely detail-oriented.
We hope this article came in handy and we wish you the best of luck with your job search.