What does an accounts assistant do?

Accounting assistants help accounts departments to perform precise accounting operations every day.

The major tasks of an accounting assistant revolve around managing payments to and from vendors. Additionally, these professionals ensure error-free collections, audits, billings, and journal entries.

Approximately 1,201,203 accounting assistants are working in the United States, which is a massive workforce. Yet the number of vacancies posted on online job portals like Indeed does not seem to stop.

Looking for an accounting assistant job in 2022? You need to get clear answers to these interesting questions:

• What does an accounting assistant do?
• What are the entry level accounting assistant duties?
• What are the senior accounting assistant responsibilities?
• What are the qualifications for accounting assistants in the United States?
• What are the essential accounting assistant skills?

What Does an Accounting Assistant do?

Accounting assistants ensure the smooth execution of every account-related task.

Some fundamental accounting assistant responsibilities are as given below:

• Track everyday communications and answer account related queries
• Prepare statutory accounts if required
• Work with sales and purchase ledgers, spreadsheets, and journals
• Ensure error-free statements, records, and amounts
• Cash debt and control credits
• Record and sile cash transactions
• Process expense requests for approval from the senior accountant
• Process and file invoice
• Update and maintain procedural documentation

Here are some accounts assistant job description examples for you:

Also Read: How to build an assistant accountant resume in 2022?

Entry Level Accounting Assistant Job Description

You can start your accounting assistant journey after completing your bachelor’s degree.

Here is a real-time entry level accounting assistant job description, for you:

We are looking for an entry level finance professional capable of assisting our accounts department with their financial and administrative work. The accounting assistant will also address the bookkeeping requirements of the organization. As an accounting assistant, you will have to review the financial statements and make required corrections. A perfect fit for this position must use the company's in-house software to collect data into financial documents.

Additional accounts assistant job duties at our company are:

• Provide required support to the accounts department
• Perform office duties such as answering phones, filing, data entry, email processing, etc.
• Handle communications at different locations via email, phone, and in-person
• Issue checks, process transactions, update ledgers & budgets, etc.
• Prepare monthly financial reports
• Assist with fast checks, audits, and resolve discrepancies
• Maintain smooth communication with upper management
• Ensure the generation of error-free daily reports

Mid Level Accounting Assistant Job Description

The accounting assistant responsibilities increase with work experience like any other profession. Here is a mid level accounting assistant job description for your reference:

We are looking for an accounting assistant to manage our Athletics business accounts. As an accounts assistant, you will report to the Assistant AD of Finance. The perfect fit for this role must be capable of managing general accounting tasks and procurement functions for all the sports, including invoices, vendor management, processing purchase orders, facilitating credit card payments, etc.

The major responsibilities you will address as an accounting assistant at our company are:

• Working closely with vendors like dining services, apparel providers, etc.
• Handling all one-time payments requests for the department and working closely with Accounts Payable to do that
• Handling policy enforcement and P2P of medical services for athletic teams and the department
• Using the Student Assistant Fund/Student Athlete Opportunity Fund distributed by the NCAAto all the member institutions
• Facilitating student scholarship and student insurance transactions by working closely with the Office of Athletic Compliance

Senior Accounting Assistant Job Description

Generally, accounting assistant responsibilities do not vary much at mid-level and senior-level positions. Here is an example of a real-time senior accounting assistant job description:

We seek a senior accounting assistant to work full-time at the UHealth Campus. As a senior accounting assistant, you must apply accounting procedures and principles to analyze the financial information and develop error-free statements and reports to ensure proper accounting control procedures in the given division. A perfect fit for this position should also be capable of mentoring junior staff members to develop their accounting skills and ensure compliance with the fundamental regulations of the company.

As a senior accounting assistant at our company you will be:

• Assisting in the development of the department’s annual operating budget
• Assisting in the development of monthly variance reports between planned and actual amounts
• Investigating differences between actual and planned amounts
• Monitoring and reconciling accounts to verify accurate payment and expenses allocation
• Creating ‘contract’ & ‘standing’ purchase orders as required
• Submitting invoices via Workday for payment
• Reviewing purchase order requests by complying with department standards

Also Read: How to build an Administrative Assistant Resume in 2022?

Accounting Assistant Qualifications

To be eligible for an accounting assistant job, you will need a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, mathematics, statistics, or economics.

Recruiters prefer candidates with specialized accounting certifications in the United States. Hence, we recommend you get a specialized certification to prove your worth as an accounting assistant.

Accounting Assistant Certifications

Here are some accounting certifications that will enhance your value and help you beat your competitors:

• Certified Management Accountant | Institute of Management Accountants
• Certified Public Accountant | American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• International Accredited Business Accountant | Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation

Apart from these certifications, you can also try other accounting certifications issued by ACCA, ATT, CIMA, and QBE in America.

Accounting Assistant Skills

As an accounting assistant, you will have to keep upgrading your skills and accuracy level to grow professionally.

Here are some accounting assistant skills that will help you impress the recruiter in 2022:

Fundamental Accounting Assistant Duties

Have a look at the fundamental duties you will have to perform as an accounting assistant in the United States:

• Prepare statutory accounts
• Monitor everyday communications and answer queries
• Work with spreadsheets, purchase & sales ledgers, and journals
• Ensure correct amounts, payments, and records
• Chase debt and control credit
• Record and file cash transactions
• Process expense requests
• Process and file invoices
• Update and maintain procedural documentation

Average Accounting Assistant Salary in The US

The average accounting assistant salary in the united states is $20.27 per hour. However, the location of the company and the experience of a professional also play a vital role in determining the accounting assistant salary in the US.

You can see the salary different in different parts of the country:

Accounting Assistant Salary in Different US Regions

We have listed salaries of accounting assistants in different cities of the United States to give you an idea of salary differences based on the company location:

Key Takeaways

The guide will help you understand modern accounting assistant job duties. You can align your skills with these duties in the resume to prove your worth in the recruitment process. Moreover, you can follow these steps to initiate your accounting assistant professional journey:

• Get a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, finance, statistics, accounting, or economics
• Apply for specialized certification as an accounting assistant
• Analyze accounts assistants job descriptions at your targeted company
• Prepare a job willing accounting assistant resume and apply with a cover letter

You can use Hiration’s 360-degree Career Service Platform to craft an impeccable resume for your next job application.

With a 24/7 chat support, you will get professional assistance with all job & career-related queries.

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