If you like to solve problems, crunch numbers, and help make financial decisions for businesses then an accounting manager role might be the right job for you.
As an accounting manager, you might be creating business budgets one day and helping junior accountants with the rules and regulations the next day.
Accounting Manager Information
| Official Job Title | Accounting Manager |
| Average Salary | $118,996 |
| Stress Level | Average to high |
| Work/ Life | Average |
| Job Satisfaction | Average to high |
| Career Advancement | High |
Accounting Manager Job Description
What is an Accounting Manager?
An accounting manager has years of accounting and financial experience.
They oversee accountants and help make major financial decisions that can make or break a company.
Accounting managers also supervise accountants.
What Does an Accounting Manager Do on a Daily Basis?
On a daily basis, an accounting manager is responsible for yearly budgets, managing debt, predicting company finances, and correcting any inconsistencies in financial reports.
They are also in charge of hiring and training accountants.
Accounting managers also make sure that the employed accountants are following business rules and protocols so that the company does not become liable for any broken laws.
Responsibilities, Duties & Roles of an Accounting Manager
One of the main roles of an accounting manager is preparing financial statements.
The accounting manager keeps track of all business transactions in journals.
There are different journals for different transactions.
These journals can include sales and cash receipts journals, cash disbursement journals, and general journals.
The journals are then transferred to ledgers at the end of an accounting cycle (fiscal year, quarterly month) to have all transactions tracked in one place.
Ledgers can also help track financial discrepancies.
If there are discrepancies, an accounting manager must track down where an error occurred.
An accounting manager also oversees the hiring and training of junior accountants.
They have a hiring process that abides by the company policy and looks for qualified employees who fit the business’s mission goal and statement.
Other responsibilities that accounting managers have is researching and keeping up to date with all rules and regulations that accountants have to follow.
Accounting Manager Salary
Average Salary
The average salary for an accounting manager in the United States is $118,996.
The average salary can vary based on experience and the company that you work for.
Starting Salary
The starting salary for an accounting manager will still be higher than that of many other managerial positions.
Starting salaries are around $86,957 for an accounting manager.
Senior Salary
As you work up the ranks and gain experience as an accounting manager your salary can be very lucrative.
The average salary for senior accounting managers is $156,825.
How to Become an Accounting Manager
The Entry Level: Certification, Training & Degree
The first step to becoming an accounting manager is to get a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
After you get your bachelor’s degree it is also recommended to get an MBA.
Getting an MBA will help make you stand out from other potential candidates.
Other Skill Sets, Requirements & Qualifications
- Detailed oriented:
- A skill that can be helpful for accounting managers is to be detail-oriented as some many numbers and calculations need to be crunched and looked over.
- You will also need to keep track of many systems and spreadsheets, such as ledgers, excel sheets, journals, and financial statements.
- Time management skills:
- With many monthly and quarterly deadlines and new incoming transactions, you will need to be able to keep up with every changing dynamic of the job to keep up.
- Leadership skills:
- An accounting manager is responsible for supervising and hiring other employees.
- Leadership experience will make an accounting manager’s job much easier, and it is often required.
- CPA certification:
- The Certified Public Accountant certification is one of the major certifications that an accounting manager needs.
- While they can still get a job without it, they will have limited tasks that they can do compared with having a CPA.
How Long Does it Take to Become an Accounting Manager?
Most individuals who become accounting managers have about 5-8 years of relevant experience before being promoted or hired as an accounting manager.
Is it Hard to Become an Accounting Manager?
Becoming an accounting manager is not difficult as long as you have the education, experience, and leadership skills.
It also helps to be analytical and organized and love crunching numbers.
Accounting Manager Career Paths
The Road Map
- Bachelor’s degree:
- The first step in becoming an accounting manager is to get a bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting.
- CPA:
- Once you have your bachelor’s degree, it is recommended that you get your CPA.
- Having a CPA allows you to use your full potential as an accounting manager.
- Without a CPA, accounting managers cannot prepare audited or reviewed statements.
- Master’s Degree:
- Getting a master’s degree in accounting, finance, or business management is recommended as it helps prospective accounting managers become more proficient at their job and gives them more knowledge of accounting systems.
- Experience:
- Accounting managers have, on average, 5-8 years of accounting experience before being promoted or hired as accounting managers.
- However, you do not have to wait to get your master’s degree to gain experience.
- As soon as you get your bachelor’s, you can start working.
Projections For Growth in Accounting Manager Jobs:
The current projected growth for accounting managers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a 6% increase through 2031, which is as fast as the average.
In Summary: Is an Accounting Manager a Good Career?
An accounting manager is definitely a good career choice.
There is job security since the market will always need accountants and accounting managers.
Accounting managers are also greatly compensated for their knowledge and experience.
Working Conditions for Accounting Managers
Can an Accounting Manager Work Remotely from Home?
While many accounting managers work in an office, working from home is very possible.
From your own home, you can do everything that you would do at your office.
Using budgeting programs and accessing financial statements over the internet is very easy these days.
You can also coach and hire accountants using services like skype or zoom.
This way, you don’t have to drive all the way to your office for a quick meeting.
How many hours does an Accounting Manager work?
As an accounting manager, you will mostly work 40 hours a week.
However, you might have to work weekends and late nights every once in a while–especially during tax season and the fiscal year.
However, the hours are usually 9-5, which is great if you have a family at home.
Can an Accounting Manager work Part-time?
There are not many part-time positions for accounting managers.
The reason is that accounting managers are the overseers of accountants and finances.
Therefore, an accounting manager must make sure that everything is in order and that mistakes are minimized.
For this reason, accounting managers often end up working full-time.
What are the Average Vacation Days of an Accounting Manager?
Accounting Managers get the standard vacation days.
This can range from 14 days to 20 days of paid vacation time.
Alternative Careers & Similar Jobs to an Accounting Manager
- Financial Analyst
- Market Research Analyst
- Finance Manager
- Business Development Manager
- Auditor
- Finance Director
- Communications Director
- Budget Analyst
- Accounting Director
- Financial Counselor
Accounting Manager Resume Tips:
List relevant experience:
One of the most important things to do on your resume is to list your relevant experience.
This is especially important for accounting managers since they need accounting experience before moving up in the chain.
Clubs:
If you are part of any relevant clubs, it is recommended to list them on your resume.
Being part of relevant clubs makes you stand out among other candidates.
It lets the interviewer know that you have experience and knowledge.
Certifications:
If you have any relevant certifications, it will help your hiring chances to list them.
Accounting Manager Interview Questions
Q1: How do you track errors in financial statements?
Why it works: This question can assess a potential accounting manager’s experience.
Q2: How do you feel about working as a team?
Why it works: since an accounting manager needs to hire junior accountants and delegate workload, they need to be able to work as a team.
If a potential candidate answers that they don’t enjoy working as a team, they would not be a good fit for the job.
Q3: What do you enjoy the most about this job?
Why it works: This question will be able to determine if the potential candidate is a right fit for the company.
Q4: How do you handle stress?
Why it works: Accounting managers may have to deal with more stress than usual on some days.
If they have stress management skills, they will be able to keep up their quality of work.
Jobs related to accounting Manager:
- Finance managers
- Business managers
- Senior Accountant
- Accountant supervisor
- Accounting director
- Controller
- Chief financial officer
- Comptroller
- Director of Finance
- Senior revenue accountant
- Senior operations manager
- Technical accounting manager
- Director of Accounting
- Property management accounting manager
For HR Manager: Tips for Hiring and Accounting Manager
Key Characteristics to Look for in an Accounting Manager
- Communication: An accounting manager should know how to communicate between his superiors and other accountants.
- Stress management: When things get hectic, an accounting manager should know how to manage stress to avoid stressing out those around them.
- Management skills: An accounting manager should know how to lead their employees so that work can get done efficiently and quickly while also reducing pressure on their employees.
Minimum Level of Education and Experience
The minimum level of education that an accounting manager should have is a bachelor’s degree with a CPA.
Potential accounting managers should also have the latest knowledge in the accounting world and should constantly be updating their certifications.
Article Sources
- Accounting Manager | Career Overview
- Accounting Manager Salary
- The Accounting System and Accounting Basics
- Accounting Manager: What Is It? and How to Become One?
- What Is Basic Accounting?
- How to Become an Accounting Manager
- Accounting Manager Resume Examples & Guide (20+ Tips)
- Accounting Manager Salary in Birmingham, AL
- Accountants and Auditors : Occupational Outlook Handbook : US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Career Outlook: How to Become an Accounting Manager