What Is a Staff Accountant? - Salary, Job Description & Duties

<h2 id="section---CareerInformationAtAGlance">Career Information at a Glance</h2> <p>Staff accountants are hired by businesses to do bookkeeping, organize financial records and perform the calculations required to file taxes. A bachelor's degree in accounting is generally required to land a job in the business, and some employers prefer candidates who are working on becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Check out the table that follows for more facts about this career. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Degree Required</b> </td><td> Bachelor's degree</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Education Field of Study</b> </td><td> Accounting</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Key Skills</b> </td><td> Math, detail-oriented, analytical</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Licensure Preferred</b> </td><td> Working toward becoming a CPA</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b> </td><td> 7% (for all accountants and auditors)*</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Median Salary (2020)</b> </td><td> $73,560 (for all accountants and auditors)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatDoStaffAccountantsDo">What Do Staff Accountants Do?</h3> <p>Staff accountants perform a wide range of duties related to financial records and taxation. Some staff accountants work under a CPA, helping them with organizing financial documents, staying compliant with government regulations and preparing tax returns for clients. Others work for companies, usually under a senior accountant, doing things like payroll, receivables and financial statements. </p> <h3 id="section---HowDoYouBecomeAStaffAccountant">How Do You Become a Staff Accountant?</h3> <p>Staff accountant is an entry-level position in the accounting profession, so many start out in this role. Most employers will look for candidates who hold at least a bachelor's degree in accounting, though sometimes bookkeepers and clerks can work their way up to a staff accountant position by showing they have the necessary skills. Other employers may be pickier, preferring applicants who are working toward becoming a CPA (more on this below). </p> <h3 id="section---DoYouNeedAnyCertification">Do You Need Any Certification?</h3> <p>Staff accountants don't necessarily need to be CPAs, though many choose to pursue certification because it enhances their knowledge and marketability in the industry. Some of the requirements to become a CPA vary from state to state, but every state requires accountants to complete 150 hours of coursework -- that's 30 hours more than a typical bachelor's degree. There are schools out there that offer a 5-year track that ends in a bachelor's and a master's degree (and satisfies the 150-hour requirement). </p> <p>Accountants must pass the Uniform CPA Examination, a test overseen by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), to become certified. The test includes four different parts that can be completed one at a time. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatKindOfSalaryDoStaffAccountantsEarn">What Kind of Salary Do Staff Accountants Earn?</h3> <p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gives a median annual salary for all accountants and auditors of $73,560 in May 2020, but this figure includes more than just staff accountants, so it may be skewed a little higher. <i>PayScale.com</i> uses self-reported salaries from people who work in the business, and its estimates say that an entry-level staff accountant's median salary in 2021 was $48,725. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatSTheProjectedEmploymentGrowthInTheField">What's the Projected Employment Growth in the Field?</h3> <p>According to the BLS, employment for all accountants and auditors is expected to grow by 7% between 2020 and 2030 to 1,392,200. By comparison, the average growth for all occupations is 7%. Applicants who are CPAs or hold a master's degree in business administration (MBA) will have the best job prospects.</p>