Accounting assistants play a vital role in professional accounting firms. Without them, the business simply cannot function. Additionally, the job of an accounting assistant can provide invaluable experience towards becoming a CPA. They do basic bookkeeping, fact-checking, handle money, file accounting documents, and other related tasks. On the other hand, an accounting assistant can even make for a stable, successful career. When considering a career as an accounting assistant, you will be curious about the average salary. You may wonder how experience and skills will affect how much money you can make.
Job Description
If you’re interested in becoming an accounting assistant, it’s vital to know what the job entails. This can give you insight, not only into the nature of the job, but also whether or not the field in general appeals to you. A typical job description for an accounting assistant might look like this…
Our company is looking for a dependable Accounting Assistant to add to our team. Ideal traits include:
- Self-starter
- Excellent time management skills
- Well organized
- Team player
- High integrity
- Consistency
We’ll also need this person to work overtime come tax season. The applicant will report directly to the department head. If you want a reliable job with a great team, apply today.
In addition to some of the traits and tasks we mentioned above, the job might also include preparing invoices for customers, distributing checks, process paperwork for new vendors, process wire transfers, and maintaining a sales journal. If that sounds interesting to you, then you may have found your calling!
Notice: as with any “assistant” job description, pay attention to any phrases that function as a catch-all for any time of work. Often with these types of jobs, the description may seem vague or contain a broad clause that indicates they’ll put work on you that’s barely nominally related to everything else you do. It’s important to pay attention to those details as you might not want to act as the personal butler for the office!
Typical Salary for an Accounting Assistant
What degree of compensation do you think an accounting assistant gets? You’ll find different information depending on where you go. According to glassdoor.com, the average pay for an accounting assistant stands at $50,351. However, in general, you can expect a salary between 35-65k, depending on the size of the firm and the level of your experience.
Typically, accounting assistants perform mostly administrative tasks, but most have their associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. Compare this to financial clerks, who usually only have a high school diploma, who make on average $37,000 per year.
As you can see, if you’re working towards your CPA, an accounting assistant job can provide the ideal experience. Not only will you work alongside professional accountants, but you’ll be able to see the overall environment and culture that comes with the field. If you perform well, you might be able to leverage your position into a full-time accounting job at the firm or department.
Which States Have the Highest Salary for an Accounting Assistant?
A lot of the rules and regulations for the accounting business depends on the state in which you work. For example, continuing education requirements for CPAs differ wildly depending on the state. It should come as no surprise that differences might exist regarding which states have the highest salary for an accounting assistant. According to accounting.com, the top five states with the highest average salary for an accounting assistant include:
- District of Columbia – $54,970
- Alaska – $48,640
- Connecticut – $47,890
- California – $47,750
- Massachusetts – $47,020
Accountants need to have tremendous skills in predicting the future. That comes with the territory because people count on them to help companies make wise choices about their financial futures. Highest salary serves only as one piece of the pie. Another element to consider is projected career growth. The top five states with the highest projected career growth through 2026 include:
- Arizona
- Utah
- Georgia
- Nevada
- Washington
Although you might find a higher average salary in DC or Alaska, you might have better luck finding a position in general in Arizona or Utah. Consider the information, weigh your options, and then make a decision based on what’s right for you.
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Finally, we’ve covered accounting assistant job description, the typical salary for an accounting assistant, and which states have the highest salary for an accounting assistant.
DQ Staff
February 2020
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- What Are the Typical Duties for an Accounting Assistant?
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- What is a Typical Salary for an Accounting Controller?
- What is the Typical Salary for an Auditor?