Accountant job description template

What a accountant does

Accountants make sure the numbers leadership, lenders, and tax authorities see are right. In a company, that means closing the books, reconciling accounts, and producing financial statements. In a firm, it means serving clients through tax season and audits. The description should say which world the role lives in, which standards apply, and whether you'll support a CPA license, because many early-career candidates are still working toward one.

Accountant job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Accountant

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Exempt
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per year]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're hiring an accountant to own key parts of our monthly close, keep our ledger accurate, and produce reliable financial reports.

What you'll do
- Prepare journal entries, accruals, and account reconciliations.
- Own assigned parts of the monthly, quarterly, and annual close.
- Prepare financial statements and variance analysis.
- Maintain fixed asset, prepaid, and accrual schedules.
- Support external audits and tax filings with schedules and documentation.
- Improve accounting processes and internal controls.
- Ensure records follow GAAP and company policy.
- Work with operations and finance teams on accurate cost reporting.

What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field.
- [Two] or more years of accounting experience.
- Solid knowledge of GAAP and reconciliation.
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with [ERP or accounting system].

Nice to have
- CPA license or progress toward it.
- Public accounting or audit experience.
- Experience in [industry].

Skills
GAAP, Reconciliation, Financial reporting, Excel, Attention to detail, Process improvement.

Physical demands and work environment
Office, hybrid, or remote setting, with extended hours during close and audit periods.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per year], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Say whether the role is in industry or public accounting.
• List the close timeline and system used.
• Say whether you pay for CPA exam costs or study time.
• Describe busy season expectations honestly.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a accountant

Half of US accountants and auditors earned more than $40.23 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Usually exempt. Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

Accountants with a bachelor's degree who perform professional accounting work usually qualify for the learned professional exemption when paid on a salary basis above the threshold. Accounting clerks, bookkeepers, and technicians who handle routine work don't. CPA licensing is set by each state board of accountancy, and most require 150 semester hours of education, passing the CPA exam, and qualifying experience.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. Walk me through how you'd reconcile an account with an unexplained difference.
2. How do you prepare for an audit?
3. Tell me about a process you improved during close.
4. Explain an accrual to someone outside finance.

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions