Accounting Director: Job Description, Salary, Duties & More (2024)

Accounting Directors – the Leaders of the Finance/Accounting Team

If you love numbers, have a background in finance/accounting education, are a CPA, and have a passion for overseeing a team of type-A people, being an Accounting Director could be an extremely rewarding career for you!

From managing a team to checking for tiny errors, the Accounting Director really does it all. 

Accounting Director Job Information

Official Job Title	Accounting Director
Average Salary	$165,039
Stress Level	Average
Work / Life	Average
Job Satisfaction	High
Career Advancement	High

Accounting Director Job Description 

What Is An Accounting Director?

As the job title suggests, Accounting Directors generally direct the accounting efforts of their companies.

Essentially, they run the accounting operations from a supervisory level.

They oversee teams of accounting professionals to ensure the work is being done and that it is being done well. 

Accounting Directors meet with their team, with other company leaders, and sometimes with government bodies to keep things running smoothly.

They provide insight into the numbers part of the business.

They also are viewed as the key accounting resource for other members of the company. 

What Does An Accounting Director Do On A Daily Basis?

On a day-to-day basis, the Accounting Director is overseeing the rest of the accounting staff.

The Director will ensure that accountants, auditors, budget analysts, bookkeepers, payroll staff, and other accounting staff are doing their jobs correctly. 

When it comes to their workload, Accounting Directors can be tasked with things like reviewing budgets, checking ledgers for errors, researching new industry information, reviewing reports, and brainstorming new accounting processes. 

You can bet the Accounting Director takes several meetings and phone calls daily to answer questions and provide new data to fellow staff and potentially outside parties.

There is likely a lot of collaboration between the Accounting Director and other supervisory staff. 

Responsibilities, Duties & Roles Of An Accounting Director?

Some essential responsibilities of an Accounting Director include the following: 

• Overseeing accounting team members; 
• Reviewing accounting reports, ledgers, and datasets for accuracy; 
• Providing information to other departments; 
• Keeping up with industry standards and best practices; and
• Always be ready to innovate. 

Accounting Director Salary

Average Salary 

An accounting director’s average yearly salary is about $165,039.

On top of that, there may be bonuses, paid time off, and other benefits (like insurance).

Accounting Directors generally reach a median salary in about 5 to 10 years. 

Starting Salary 

The lowest-paid 10% of Accounting Directors make roughly $132,126 yearly.

Remember, this is a high-level position, and most professionals spend time in other accounting roles before landing a Director job. 

Senior Salary 

The highest-paid 10% of Accounting Directors could make up to $222,000 annually, depending on the company and industry.

Accounting Directors receive raises at a pretty significant rate throughout their careers.

Remember, this is a national average salary estimate for senior-level Accounting Directors, not the absolute limit! 

How To Become An Accounting Director

The Entry Level: Certification, Training & Degree 

Accounting Directors have to go through quite a bit of schooling to land their position.

For starters, if you want to be an Accounting Director, you’ll need a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business admin, or a related field.

Technically, you only need a Bachelor’s degree.

However, since this field is growing fast, pays a high salary, and is competitive, most Accounting Directors have a Master’s degree in Finance or Accounting or an MBA in Accounting and Finance. 

Getting your Master’s kills two birds with one stone since you’ll need to be a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) to be qualified for an Accounting Director position.  

Other Skill Sets, Requirements & Qualifications 

In addition to having a Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree, and being a CPA, some Accounting Directors are also CMAs (Certified Management Accountants. 

Some general skills that would help you become an Accounting Director are: 

• Understanding financial information; 
• Analytical thinking; 
• Fraud detection; 
• Leadership; 
• Risk Management; and
• Innovation. 

How Long Does It Take To Become An Accounting Director? 

Besides schooling, getting some accounting experience is key to eventually landing an Accounting Director role.

While getting your Bachelor’s, do some internships with different accounting firms or even just accounting departments. 

If you can handle it, take a part-time job as a bookkeeper, accountant’s assistant, or auditing clerk (maybe while you’re working toward that Master’s degree).

Pretty much any company looking for an Accounting Director will want their new hire to have five to seven years of experience in the accounting world.

If you work those years into your schooling years, you could land an Accounting Director gig in about seven years from the day you start undergrad! 

Suppose you’re unable to work during school. In that case, you may be looking at the time it takes to get your degrees and certifications plus several years of getting some job experience under your belt, and it could take ten years or more before you’re in the Accounting Director’s seat. 

Is It Hard To Become An Accounting Director? 

The path to being an Accounting Director is not an easy one.

For example, finance degrees are some of the toughest collegiate studies!

The exam to become a CPA has a passing rate of less than 50%. 

But if you owned a company, you’d want the guy or gal managing your money to know their stuff, right? 

Accounting Director Career Paths

The Accounting Director Roadmap

Step one, get a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance (Business Administration is also an acceptable degree, but many companies prefer accounting or finance for their educational background). 

Step two, preferably get a Master’s degree in Accounting or Finance (again, an MBA in Accounting and Finance is also acceptable).

While all employers don’t technically require this, the field is so competitive that you’ll likely need this to be considered for an Accounting Director position. 

Step three, become a CPA!

Study hard, as less than half of the people who take the test pass it. 

Try to get some accounting-related job experience under your belt while you’re in school.

Most Accounting Directors need 5-7 years of experience to be considered. 

Projections For Growth In Accounting Director Jobs

The outlook for growth as an Accounting Director is 17%, which is faster than average.

Each year, more companies need more accounting staff.

The growth from the starting salary to the senior salary of this job is also high. 

Not to mention, some Accounting Directors go on to enter the C-Suite of their companies (think CFO)! 

In Summary: Is Being An Accounting Director A Good Career? 

Overall, being an Accounting Director looks excellent on paper!

If you can complete all the schooling, you’ll be compensated well for your hard work.

Once you’ve made it, you have much room to grow, and you can expect regular raises! 

Working Conditions

Can An Accounting Director Work Remotely From Home?

Typically, Accounting Directors work in an office setting.

However, after 2020, many Accounting Directors are finding their positions more flexible.

Whether or not you can work from home as an Accounting Director heavily depends on the company you work for! 

How Many Hours Does An Accounting Director Work?

Most weeks of the year, an Accounting Director will put in 40 hours and go home!

However, during peak times, they may find themselves putting in overtime – like tax season.

So, most of the year, Accounting Directors have an outstanding work/life balance, but there will likely be a few months each year when things are a little crazy. 

Can An Accounting Director Work Part-Time?

Accounting Directors mostly do not work part-time.

Overseeing and managing a company’s accounting and financial staff takes full-time attention!

If you need part-time work, you may look at different jobs in the accounting world. 

What Are The Average Vacation Days Of An Accounting Director?

An accounting director generally accrues more than one day per month of paid leave, averaging about five weeks a year (sick and annual combined). 

Some companies may be more generous or lenient than others, so this benefit will largely depend on where you work.

However, most supervisory staff get more PTO than non-supervisory staff. 

Alternative Careers & Similar Jobs to an Accounting Director

• Accounting Manager
• Financial Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Finance Manager
• Business Development Manager
• Auditor
• Finance Director
• Communications Director
• Budget Analyst

Accounting Director Resume Tips 

Since an Accounting Director position is an executive-level position, you’ll want to use an executive resume when applying.

Here are the basic difference between a traditional resume and an executive resume: 

• An executive resume starts with an Executive Summary, which differs from the traditional, short, and basic resume objective.
• The executive summary is your chance to describe yourself as a highly sought-after professional with many assets to bring to the table. Include a list of your most applicable hard skills at the end. 
• An executive resume will only include relevant job history: focus on your current job and its transferable skills and duties.
• Provide only a few sentences for other previous jobs. 
• An executive resume will be more than one page: you can get away with 2-4 pages when using an executive resume.
• You want to include everything relevant to an Accounting Director role.
• Look up some examples of executive resumes for more info. 

Accounting Director Interview Questions 

Here are some common questions you’ll want to prepare for before an interview for an Accounting Director position:

Q1: What makes a good leader?

Why it works: As an Accounting Director, you’ll be overseeing a team of anywhere from a handful to hundreds of employees.

It’s important that you have a firm grasp of what it takes to lead well.

Do some research on leadership strategies so you can reference professional sources in your interview. 

Q2: How do you stay organized?

Why it works: An Accounting Director wears many hats on a day-to-day basis.

It’s important for you to be able to keep your ducks in a row without much effort.

Discuss your routines for maintaining a productive schedule and work area, as well as how you organize deadlines and team management. 

Q3: How do you expect your career to progress in the next 5 years?

Why it works: A company hiring an Accounting Director is likely looking for someone innovative, not someone complacent.

This is not the type of job where you’re offered the position then you kick your feet up for years to come.

Discuss how you’re excited to innovate and improve Accounting processes and software, as well as your desire to keep learning and growing. 

Jobs Related To Accounting Director

Professions that are similar to being an Accounting Director: 

• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
• Corporate/Financial Controller
• Finance Manager
• Senior Accountant
• Accounting Manager
• Senior Financial Analyst
• Senior Auditor
• Tax Accountant
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

For HR Managers: Tips For Hiring An Accounting Director

Key Characteristics To Look For In An Accounting Director

If you’re an HR manager looking to hire the perfect Accounting Director, there are some hard skills, soft skills, and degrees and certifications you should look for. 

Hard Skills: 

• Procedures;
• Knowledge of GAAP;
• Internal and External Audit; 
• Financial Statements; 
• Ledgers; 
• Compliance; and
• Payroll. 

Soft Skills: 

• Leadership; 
• Organization; 
• Critical/Analytical Thinking;
• Deadline Management; 
• People Skills; and
• Innovation. 

Minimum Level Of Education & Experience

You’ll want to be sure your applicants have Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, finance, or business.

In most states, they’ll need to be licensed CPAs as well.

A Master’s degree in finance or accounting or an MBA in Finance and Accounting is icing on the cake.

Resources: 

• https://www.zippia.com/accounting-director-jobs/skills/
• https://www.ziprecruiter.com/g/10-Most-Popular-Types-of-Accounting-Jobs
• https://www.accounting.com/resources/top-jobs-masters-in-accounting/
• https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Accounting_Director/Salary
• https://www.master-of-finance.org/job-profiles/accounting-director/
• https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/accounting-director-salary
• https://www.myperfectresume.com/career-center/interviews/questions/5-common-questions-for-accounting-director