Finance & Accounting
A general ledger accountant maintains the chart of accounts, posts journal entries and reconciles balances. The role keeps the core books accurate so financial statements and audits rest on reliable data.
Median pay
$83,680a year
Accountants and auditors, U.S. BLS, May 2025
The role
Companies hire one when the close is slow, account reconciliations are behind, or the books need cleanup before an audit or system change.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
Typically a bachelor's degree in accounting and two to five years of general ledger or close experience.
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 general ledger accountant maintains the chart of accounts, posts journal entries and reconciles balances. The role keeps the core books accurate so financial statements and audits rest on reliable data. Typical responsibilities include: prepare and post recurring and adjusting journal entries; reconcile balance sheet accounts to supporting detail; maintain the chart of accounts and account mappings.
Look for journal entries, account reconciliations, chart of accounts, month-end close, GAAP and accruals. Experience with NetSuite, SAP, Oracle ERP, BlackLine and Excel is common in this role.
Yes. A general ledger 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 handles a mix of tasks across payables, receivables and reconciliations. A general ledger accountant concentrates on journal entries, reconciliations and the close. Larger teams separate them, while smaller ones often use staff accountants for both.
Contract help works well for a backlog of unreconciled accounts, a system conversion or year-end cleanup. Give the contractor a defined account list and deadline, and keep a permanent employee in charge of reviewing their work.
Related roles
Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
