Accounting Assistant Salary

An accounting assistant supports a company in its day-to-day accounting duties. One of the main differences between an accountant and an accounting assistant is that an accounting assistant focuses on administrative, clerical, and data-entry duties. For example, the accounting assistant may upload and scan documents for entry into the company's document-tracking software. The accounting assistant may perform other duties such as processing invoices; filing, sorting, and faxing documents and correspondence; answering phone calls; reviewing documents for accuracy and completeness; tracking inventory; and working on spreadsheets.

The accounting assistant may report directly to a senior accountant or controller. Accounting assistants work in indoor office environments where they deal mostly with computers and office equipment. An accounting assistant will most likely not be called upon to exert significant physical effort, though on some occasions the accounting assistant may be called upon to lift boxes or perform similar tasks. These professionals will most likely work standard office hours, though some companies may occasionally require extra hours on nights and weekends.

Accounting assistants usually must have at least a high school degree, though some positions may require some college experience or prior work experience. Typically, they are expected to have some bookkeeping knowledge or experience, especially in generally accepted accounting principles. An accounting assistant will also most likely be expected to be proficient with standard office software such as Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as accounting and bookkeeping software such as Quickbooks. (Copyright 2017 PayScale.com)

Accounting Assistant Tasks

• Monitor and follow up on outstanding claims every 14 days.
• Perform billing-related duties as necessary.
• Compile reports for insurance billings.
• Update phone numbers and addresses, and keep payers up to date.

For Accounting Assistants, San Francisco provides a pay rate that is 25 percent greater than the national average. Accounting Assistants will also find cushy salaries in New York (+15 percent), Milwaukee (+9 percent), Seattle (+9 percent), and Chicago (+8 percent). Those in the field find the lowest salaries in Miami, 7 percent below the national average. Not at the bottom but still paying below the median are employers in St. Louis and Houston (3 percent less).