what is an accountant?
Being an accountant is a great job for those who like a practical, hands-on application of mathematics. If you become an accountant, you monitor the financial health of both individuals and businesses. Your job includes a blend of keeping records and considering what these numbers mean. You'll do things like help a company stay under a budget or identify when a business has made a mistake on their taxes. If you have a private practice, you can work on tax preparation, investment strategies, and wealth management. If you're employed by a business, you can play several roles in maintaining records, analyzing costs, and presenting financial reports. Accountants are a part of everything from fashion to science and construction. Since accountants are involved in just about every industry, it's easy to find a job in a field you like. This is a great way to support very interesting organizations with your mathematical and organizational skills. Especially in higher-level careers, your input has a direct impact on a company's goals and actions.
Would working in accounting and finance as an accountant suit your passion for logic, analysis, and math? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in an accountant role.
accountant jobs near youaverage accountant salary
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the annual salary of an accountant should be around $83,000 per year. Those who get paid an hourly wage usually make roughly $40 per hour. Keep in mind that this salary estimate is simply the average salary for all accountants in the United States. Accountant salaries cover a wide range based on the type of accountant and the role the employee plays in an organization. Those who participate in industries like government accounting, accounting for stockbrokers, tech industry accounting, and accounting for oil production make especially high salaries. If you work for a big business and handle massive accounts, your salary is larger. Accountants also make more in areas where competition for a good accountant is high. California, New York, Washington, and Colorado have a lot of very high-paying accountant jobs. Experience is also a factor in determining an accountant’s wages. An entry-level bookkeeper may make about $47,900. Meanwhile, an experienced certified public accountant (CPA) with a large company can receive $128,900 or more.
Would you like to know what an accountant earns? Where the highest salaries are paid for an accountant? Then check out this accountant salary page and find out all about the salary of an accountant in the USA.
types of accountant
When you scan an accountant's job description, you will often see a distinction between senior and junior accountants. The title refers to the duties of the employee. In this arrangement, junior accountants do more of the day-to-day data entry and book balancing. Senior accountants then analyze the work and present the reports to management. Experienced accountants can apply directly for senior positions. After a few years, a junior accountant could receive a promotion to a senior position. Some common positions for accountants include:
- certified public accountant
- cost accountant
- tax accountant
- forensic accountant
- bookkeeper
- investment accountant
- auditor
- ledger accountant
working as an accountant
Your duties depend on the size of the company and your level within it. However, some expectations are standard for accountants at all levels.
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accountant job description
Here are examples of common things you will do during the average workday.
- maintain accurate financial records
Keeping track of the financial health of a department, business or other organization is central to an accountant’s job. This task will involve performing or overseeing data entry. In businesses that use integrated software that automatically enters transactions, the accountant will still need to make certain that everything is working properly.
- reconcile accounts
An accountant must confirm that the numbers on reports match the actual assets held by the company. If a bank statement does not indicate the same value as the in-house report, the accountant needs to track down the source of the discrepancy.
- tax preparation
Businesses file taxes every year. It will fall on the accounting department to prepare the forms and submit the tax return properly while taking advantage of tax laws. Failure to perform this duty well can trigger a federal audit and result in expensive fines.
- audit preparation
An audit is an investigation into a company’s financial practices. In nonprofit organizations, an annual external audit may be a requirement. Other businesses choose to perform audits as a way to follow the best financial practices. Government agencies like the IRS may also perform a tax audit if there are issues with a company’s tax filing. An accountant will play a central role in this event. This professional will need to make records available and explain financial decisions.
- prepare financial reports
One of the tasks of an accountant is sharing financial information. You'll prepare financial reports on things like month-end closings. An accountant must take the information from the financial records and turn it into a clear report. The employee may submit a report for review, or company leadership may ask a senior accountant to make a formal presentation of the report.
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accountant work environment
If you enjoy peacefully sitting at a desk in an air-conditioned environment, this is a great job for you. The typical accountant works indoors in an office. The time of the written ledger has faded away, so accountants can expect to spend many of their hours in front of a computer screen. Cost accountants will periodically go to warehouses to verify material and product inventories. You also end up leaving the office regularly if you are a forensic accountant who visits other businesses or individuals to check their finances.
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who are your colleagues?
Many accountants end up working in a financial department. You'll have fellow team members like financial analysts, bookkeepers, and payroll coordinators. You should also expect to spend a lot of time with office support staff. People like receptionists, accounts-receivable clerks, and administrative assistants all assist you. If you're a higher-level accountant, you also end up spending time with managers and executives who need your input on financial matters.
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work schedule
In most cases, accountants work a regular daily schedule as full-time employees. The accounting department must be available to consult with management for decision-making purposes. Therefore, night shifts or weekend jobs are rare. If you work a typical job, you'll usually be in the office between Monday and Friday. Accountants often work a standard workday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an hour-long lunch break. Just keep in mind that some extra effort is required during certain times of the year. At the end of the month, quarter, or year, it's common for accountants to have some overtime. In manufacturing settings, this might include overtime to assess inventory outside of normal workday hours.
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job outlook for accountant
Choosing to be an accountant gives you access to a very stable career field. Accountants are a necessity in just about every industry. Any business or person that makes money needs accountants to help them manage their funds. BLS statistics report that the accounting field is projected to grow by 6% in the next 10 years. On average, roughly 136,000 new jobs are projected for each year. This means you are likely to find listings for accountants and related jobs like tax accountants, collections specialists, financial analysts, bookkeepers and auditors. Unlike many other fields, the development of new technology has not reduced accounting jobs. Even with automation software and artificial intelligence, human accountants are still a necessity. Though new software helps you be more efficient, it cannot replace your ability to oversee a company's finances and turn vast amounts of records into easily analyzed reports.
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benefits of working for randstad as an accountant
Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:
- being paid weekly
- flexibility
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as an accountant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
accountant skills and education
You cannot apply for a job as an accountant without some level of education and training. At a minimum, people who apply for an entry-level accounting position will need a bachelor’s degree. If your degree is not in accounting, you will need extra training in areas like financial reporting and tax preparation. You could also consider the benefits of getting a master’s degree in accounting. It is possible to take an entry-level bookkeeping position without a degree, but it will be difficult to advance your career without one. In addition to a college degree, you'll also need the following training options.
- CPA training
Many accounting job descriptions either require or give preference to certified public accountants. The requirements for receiving your CPA vary from state to state. You will need some advanced training as well as practical experience in the accounting field. Once you have accomplished the base requirements, you must pass your state’s CPA exam. This test has a reputation for being challenging, so you'll need to study if you want to be in the 55% of people who pass each year.
- continuing education
As a CPA, you are required to take a certain number of continuing education hours to maintain your certification. This ensures you stay up to date on tax laws, which can change every year. Other accountants will also require continuing studies to keep their skills relevant. An independent accountant will need to handle the cost of this additional education. If you're a staff accountant, your employer may cover the cost of these classes.
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skills and competencies
To succeed as an accountant, you need to be intelligent, motivated, and driven. Employers prefer accountants who have these skills.
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math skills
People who enjoy a career in accounting often have a natural affinity for mathematics. You need to be able to manipulate numbers quickly and correctly, but the good news is that you don't need complex, abstract math skills. Most accounting math is a matter of basic addition and subtraction. Accountants should be comfortable with the language of statistics to create and interpret reports.
- attention to detail
If you can pay attention to detail, you are a strong asset to your company. Part of a cost accountant’s job is to look for ways to lower costs and increase profits. Small things like saving a few cents on a manufacturing process can add up to big savings for a company’s bottom line.
- computer skills
Accountants do most of their work on computers. They must be able to create spreadsheets and work with accounting software programs. You should also be comfortable with online communication methods like email and video conferencing tools.
- organizational skills
The record-keeping aspect of an accountant’s job requires a high level of organization. For tracking purposes, the accountant must maintain digital files so that an outside auditor can quickly find necessary data.
- communication skills
You need to be able to translate complex financial information into easily-understood summaries. Company managers depend on clear communication for making decisions. Your communication skills help leaders understand the financial health of their organization.
FAQs about working as an accountant
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about accountants
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do you need to be a CPA to work as an accountant?
Many employers prefer to hire accountants with advanced certifications. However, there are plenty of accountants who have excellent careers without becoming CPAs. Receiving your CPA can open up new career opportunities, but it's not required for every job in the accounting field.
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is it difficult to enter accounting as a second career?
Switching to an accounting career is simple, but you usually need some extra education. People who did not major in finance or accounting in college often choose to either get a master's in accounting or get another bachelor's degree in accounting. There are a growing number of online programs available for this degree.
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what positions are available to someone with little or no accounting experience?
People who are just starting their accounting careers often begin with a bookkeeping or junior accounting position at a large company. This type of job will give you the experience you need to take the next career step. Other new accountants find it easier to start out as private consultants offering affordable accounting to individuals and small businesses.
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do accountants make good money?
Yes, accountants make a fairly high salary for the amount of education they need to have. You usually only need a bachelor's degree yet make upwards of $80,000 per year. If you have experience or work in high-paying industries, you can even make over six figures as an accountant.
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is there a difference between accounting and bookkeeping?
Both of these jobs handle finances for organizations, but accounting is more complex. While bookkeepers spend their time keeping track of day-to-day transactions, accountants look at the big picture. If you enjoy analyzing finances and providing opinions on how to manage money, being an accountant is the better choice for you.
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how do I find a job as an accountant?
Applying for an accountant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our accountant jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state-of-the-art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!
