What Is a Staff Accountant?

Staff accountants perform a variety of technical, analytical, and strategic tasks for their employers. They typically hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, along with many years of professional experience. However, unlike certified public accountants (CPAs) and certified management accountants (CMAs), staff accountants do not need a license or certification.

Staff accountants typically complete the following job duties:

If you enjoy accounting but are unsure whether you want to pursue a CPA or CMA credential, the staff accounting path might appeal to you. Learn more about the role, how to prepare for it, and what to expect.

Staff accountant responsibilities primarily revolve around:

In this capacity, they may perform job duties, including:

Some staff accountants develop specialized expertise in targeted practice areas. Examples include taxation, internal auditing, and serving small businesses. Explore these specialization profiles to learn more.

Staff accountants who specialize in taxation have a thorough knowledge of tax laws and compliance requirements. They also offer advanced insights and strategies for managing and reducing tax burdens and liabilities within the confines of all applicable laws. In some cases, this expertise helps tax specialists save their employers significant sums of money.

To prepare for this specialization, you can take taxation courses in your elective slots as you complete an undergraduate or graduate accounting degree. Many schools also offer concentrated master’s programs in taxation.

Larger organizations and businesses with more complex accounting needs may employ accountants with specializations in internal auditing. Internal audits ensure that all recorded transactions and financial documents are accurate, complete, and legally compliant.

You have several options for developing an auditing specialization. First, you could earn an undergraduate or graduate accounting degree with an auditing concentration. Alternatively, you could complete a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as finance, business, or mathematics. From there, you can proceed into an auditing-focused graduate program.

Staff accountants often work for small businesses, whose accounting needs vary in size, industry, and annual revenues.

Small businesses with straightforward needs may only employ bookkeepers who apply postsecondary education with on-the-job training in performing basic accounting duties. In other cases, businesses require accountants with deeper, broader knowledge and more technical and analytical skill. Accounting degree programs can prepare you to fill these roles.

As a small business accountant, your staff accountant duties may extend to tax returns, compilations, spending projections, audits of benefit plans, and other related responsibilities.

For most staff accountants, the journey begins with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. You can also earn a related undergraduate degree, such as a bachelor’s in finance, then enroll in a master’s program in accounting.

A master’s degree may be a good option if you want to develop advanced skills or qualify for specialized credentials like licenses or certifications.

Employers filling vacancies for staff accountants and similar roles generally prefer candidates with experience. You can earn this experience by working in entry-level and supporting positions, such as bookkeeper, accounting assistant, or accounting clerk.

Network as you build experience. Look for positions that offer mentorship and the chance to develop new or more advanced accounting skills.

Some staff accountants choose to obtain a CPA license or certification as a CMA or tax preparer. These credentials signal expertise in targeted areas and may help boost your employability.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups accountants and auditors together in tracking salary and job growth projections. According to BLS data from May 2023, these professionals earn a median salary of $79,880 per year. From 2023-33, the BLS projects 6% job growth, which is faster than average.

Specialized credentials, such as a CPA license, can also impact your staff accountant salary. Payscale data from September 2024 reported an average CPA salary of about $78,370 per year. However, keep in mind that employers may not offer CPA-level salaries to staff accountant roles for which a CPA license is not required.

I became an accountant because I liked the wide range of career opportunities that it made available. It’s not only public accounting; you can also work in any industry as an accountant in a variety of ways.

I needed a bachelor of science in accounting, but I continued on to get my master’s in accounting and my CPA license. Continuing to get your master’s isn’t necessary, but I found it helped me to get a deeper understanding of accounting. I would say if you go into public accounting, a CPA license is needed. But even if you don’t, the amount you learn studying for the exams is a big help.

I did most of my job search while pursuing my degree through networking and interning. When I finished my master’s, I had a full-time offer, so it wasn’t a traditional job search.

I started off interning at Ernst & Young (EY) and working as a bookkeeper for my university during my undergraduate. During my graduate year, I worked as an internal auditor for my university, which became my full-time job after completing my master’s.

I then started at EY full time for a year before joining Concannon Miller, where I have worked for about three years. I think each of these steps along my journey helped me find where in accounting I wanted to work. I was able to gain a lot of experience and ask questions to people with varied experiences.

There is a lot of variety in my day-to-day work. I usually work on small business tax returns, reviews, and compilations. I also work on employee benefit plan audits, projections, and 990s throughout the year.

I like helping small business owners succeed by giving them a clear picture of their business through financial statements. The most challenging aspect is juggling the needs of multiple clients and managers. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to balance it all, but it is easier with practice, and it keeps things interesting.

Organization is key to keeping track of all of your work. There are often open items causing you to put work down and go back to it. Staying organized is key to having a smooth transition back into the work after not looking at it and making sure the client is getting the information to you on time.

Get your CPA exams done during college if possible, or as soon as you can. It is a huge help to have it done, since it takes so much time and dedication.