Finance & Accounting
A senior accountant handles complex accounting tasks, reviews junior work and supports the close and audit. The role takes on journal entries, reconciliations and financial statement preparation with limited supervision, and often trains newer team members.
Median pay
$83,680a year
Accountants and auditors, U.S. BLS, May 2025
The role
Companies hire one when the close needs more review capacity, when accounting grows complex, or when the controller wants a dependable second pair of hands.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
Typically a bachelor's degree in accounting and three to six years of experience; a CPA license is common or in progress.
At a glance
The essentials for planning the hire: level, background, how you can hire and what the role typically pays.
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FAQ
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A senior accountant handles complex accounting tasks, reviews junior work and supports the close and audit. The role takes on journal entries, reconciliations and financial statement preparation with limited supervision, and often trains newer team members. Typical responsibilities include: prepare complex journal entries, accruals and account reconciliations; review the work of staff accountants and clerks; assist with preparing monthly and annual financial statements.
Look for GAAP, account reconciliations, financial statements, month-end close, audit support and reviewing work. Experience with NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, SAP and Excel is common in this role.
Yes. A senior accountant is one of the roles employers most often hire on contract, for projects, busy periods, leave cover and vacancies. Contract-to-hire is also an option if you want to work together before making a permanent offer.
A staff accountant works on routine entries and reconciliations under review. A senior accountant handles complex items, reviews others and needs less supervision. If no one can review the close or answer accounting questions, hire senior.
It is not legally required for most private-company roles, but many employers prefer it. A candidate working toward the CPA with strong close and audit experience is often a good fit. State your preference so candidates can respond accurately.
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Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
