14 Accounting Resume Examples and Guide for 2025
Written By
Samuel Johns
Reviewed By Geoffrey Scott
A strong accounting resume demonstrates your ability to manage finances and ensure accuracy in reporting. Employers look for accounting professionals who can showcase technical skills and a solid understanding of industry regulations.
Our accountant resume examples will help you create a polished resume to pair with your accounting cover letter examples to make a strong first impression.
Accounting resumes by experience level
Want a different resume template design? View our full collection of resume samples.
Accounting resume template (text format)
- Oracle
- SAGE
- Microsoft Office
- Oracle Essbase
- SAP ERP
- Mosaic
- Create 10+ financial reports per week and support all areas of responsibility within a 5-person finance team
- Manage a $350,000 budget, with a reduction of costs totaling 15% over 2 years
- Analyze, examine, and interpret 500+ records per month; compile financial information; and reconcile reports and financial data
- Perform process analysis and communicate recommendations to management
- Process journal entries and correct records to ensure accuracy
- Conducted thorough reviews of potential business partnerships and strategies, and performed risk analysis using Facilitated Risk Analysis Process (FRAP)
- Trained and supervised 2 new employees, ensuring they maintain high attention to detail
- Forecast losses and earnings using quantitative/qualitative analyses to a high degree of accuracy, allowing the company to intelligently manage and invest resources valued at $14 million
- Adhered to departmental controls and regulations and maintained ethical conduct at all times
11 accounting resumes for different experience levels and specializations
Accounting is a broad industry with many specializations. No matter what kind of accounting you do, we have a vast array of resume samples that you can browse to see how an effective resume for your specific role looks like.
Accounting internship resume
You might be searching for an accounting internship during summer vacation or after graduation. Here’s what companies will expect to see in an accounting internship resume:
Accounting intern resume example highlights
- Uses a resume objective: A resume objective is perfect when you don’t have much accounting-related work experience. An objective explains why accounting is your dream career and links your personal goals with the work your target company is doing.
- Shows prior internship experience: This candidate has previous internship experience, which they format like regular work experience entries. They also use strong bullet points with action verbs and numbers to put their accomplishments into context.
Accounting assistant resume
If you’re unsure how to write a standout accounting assistant resume, learn now by looking at our example:
Example highlight
- Has a bold resume header: Sometimes all it takes is a resume header with a bold background color to make sure your resume stands out to employers, especially given that many of your fellow accounting applicants will use traditional black-and-white resumes.
Accounts payable resume
Look no further than our accounts payable resume example to see how one should be written:
Example highlight
- Uses a simple template: Accounting is a traditional industry, so we recommend using a basic resume template (as opposed to one with bright colors and graphics).
Accounts receivable resume
Write an excellent accounts receivable resume by paying attention to the strategies used in this example:
Example highlight
- Makes good use of page space: This unique resume layout features a one-column design up top where you need more words to explain your work history, but two columns down below where fewer words are needed in the education and skills sections.
This template is good for senior accountant roles where you won’t need to emphasize your educational background.
Bookkeeper resume
A strong bookkeeper resume makes employers realize the full extent of your skills, qualifications, and experience. Here’s an example to draw inspiration from:
Example highlight
- Highlights accounting skills: This resume design highlights accounting skills by placing them inside skills “bubbles” that pop off the page so employers immediately see them.
Certified public accountant (CPA) resume
Next, we have a solid CPA resume sample you can use to get to grips with writing yours:
Example highlight
- Uses icons to draw attention to your contact details: Subtle use of resume icons can help attract the attention of recruiting managers in the accounting field — in this case, to the contact details section, so employers can quickly find it.
Debt collector resume
It’s time to write your debt collector resume. We provide this sample so you can see how to compose your own:
Example highlight
- Integrates numbers into bullet points: Each bullet point on your resume should include hard numbers. This data helps employers understand what you accomplished in previous roles so they have a good idea about what you can achieve in a new debt collector job one.
Payroll specialist resume
If you’re seeking out a payroll specialist role, you can find some good ideas for what to include in your resume on our payroll specialist resume example:
Example highlight
- Effectively uses white space: The design of this resume template means the lower-right side doesn’t look busy, making your resume overall look uncramped. This means it’ll seem less overwhelming to recruiters so that they prioritize looking over your payroll specialist resume.
Staff accountant resume
As a staff accountant, a top-tier resume will help you land the job you want. Here’s our strong staff accountant resume to glean ideas from and use in your own:
Example highlight
- Uses lines to effectively break up content: Lines can be used on your resume to break it up and help hiring managers quickly find the resume section they’re looking for.
Tax preparer resume
Prepare your tax preparer resume following the ideas from our sample:
Example highlight
- Uses an eye-catching color: Using color on your resume can help make it stand out among its competitors. Pick a resume color that’s appropriate for the traditional accounting sector, like dark greens, blues, and maroons.
Claims adjuster resume
Here’s an example of a well-written claims adjuster resume:
[Your Name]
[Your Address], [City, State]
[Your Email Address] | [Your Phone Number]
[LinkedIn Profile] (optional)
Professional Summary
Diligent and detail-oriented professional with 4+ years of experience coordinating complex claims processes in compliance with regulatory requirements to reach fair and equitable settlements. Adept at determining proper course of action for coverage and disposition of claims through effective judgment, analytical, and decision-making skills. Skilled in delivering high-quality customer service while building profitable relationships. Poised to showcase claims adjustment excellence at SUPRA Insurance as a Senior Claims Adjuster.
Professional Experience
Central Mutual Insurance, Alpharetta, GA
Claims Representative, November 2020–Present
- Collaborate with 5 senior claims specialists to fix 10+ historically troublesome claims weekly while determining company liability
- Oversee multiple pending commercial and personal claims, maintaining customer service satisfaction level of 92%
- Design, plan, and implement training sessions for regional claims personnel, resulting in an 8% decrease in payouts
- Address and respond to customer concerns in pleasant manner while managing 300+ calls per month
- Compile client data with discretion and formulate detailed reports to meet KPIs
Liberty Mutual Insurance, Columbus, GA
Claims Adjuster, June 2018–November 2020
- Evaluated extent of company liability during investigations of 10+ insurance claims per month
- Settled claims, decreased claim payouts, and researched to gather information and prepare 5 annual claims reports
- Consulted with authorities to supervise property loss claims of moderate-to-high severity
- Facilitated appeals of denied claims containing errors/issues and lack of prior authorization
- Provided superior customer service by accompanying clients to appropriate departments for timely query identification and resolution, securing a 90% client satisfaction rate
Education
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, June 2018
- Honors: cum laude (GPA: 3.6/4.0)
Skills & Certifications
- Certified Insurance Examiner (CIE), Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES)
- Computer Skills: Xactimate, Audatex, Microsoft Word, Excel
- Fluent in English and Spanish
Example highlight
- Relevant certification: The skills section includes a certification to prove the applicant has the hard skills required for the job.
How to write an accounting resume
An effective accounting resume is one that impresses employers and makes them call you in for an interview. We’re here to help you write this kind of resume.
@resumegenius Thinking of getting a job in accounting? 💰 Here are some tips on how to land a job in this industry, including required education, necessary skills, and resume writing advice. If you’re looking for an accounting resume template, we have 10 examples of resumes for this industry here: 🔸 resumegeniusDOTme/accounting-resume And if you’re already preparing for your job interview, check out our profile. We have a video on how to answer the top 3 most common accounting interview questions #accounting #resumetips #resumegenius #jobsearchtips #jobsearching #careeradvice #accountant #cpa ♬ SHIPWRECK SHORELINE – SEDVTED
1. Highlight your accounting successes
A good work history bullet point should highlight work-based achievements rather than duties so that you can impress hiring managers with your accomplishments instead of just listing your daily duties.
Here’s a good example of a hard number–filled work experience entry:
Accounts Payable Clerk
Paramount Pictures, Los Angeles, CA
March 20XX – August 20XX
- Processed an average of 300+ invoices per month, ensuring accurate and timely payments to vendors and service providers
- Reduced invoice processing time by 25% by implementing automated workflow systems
- Managed weekly check runs and direct deposits, handling over $1 mil. in transactions each month
- Reconciled monthly financial statements and reports to verify the accuracy of transactions, impacting 200+ accounts monthly.
2. Demonstrate you’re certified
Certifications matter in the accounting industry because they show you’ve been trained to do the job, are clear on how to use certain software, know about accounting-related state and federal regulations, and keep on top of your continuous learning.
Here’s how a certifications section on an accounting resume should look:
CERTIFICATIONS
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
Awarded by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
Earned: June 20XX - Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
Awarded by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Earned: December 20XX
And here are 10 common accounting sector certifications you can add to your resume or look into getting:
10 certifications for an accountant resume
- CPA (Certified Public Accountant)
- CMA (Certified Management Accountant)
- CIA (Certified Internal Auditor)
- CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner)
- CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant)
- EA (Enrolled Agent)
- CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics)
- CITP (Certified Information Technology Professional)
- ABV (Accredited in Business Valuation)
- CFP (Certified Financial Planner)
3. Add accounting-related skills and keywords to your resume
We’ve analyzed 4900 real accountant job ads, and here are the top keywords to include in your resume:
DataKeywords Count Bachelor's Degree 2324 Accounting Degree 2203 General Ledger 1426 Attention to Detail 1363 Communication Skills 1356 Journal Entries 1327 Financial Statements 1314 Accounts Payable 1275 Accounting Experience 1246 Financial Reporting 1112
Additionally, listing technical skills will prove to employers that you’re up to date with the latest accountancy software and accounting techniques.
Here are additional technical skills to list if you have them:
- QuickBooks
- Microsoft Excel
- SAP
- Oracle Financials
- Xero
- FreshBooks
- Wave Accounting
- Accounts payable and receivable management
- Financial reporting
- Budget forecasting
- Tax preparation
- Audit software (e.g., ACL, IDEA)
- Payroll software
4. Sum up your resume in its introduction
Although you might be tempted to write your resume introduction first, hold up. Finish the rest of your accounting resume first and then come back to your resume summary.
You can now write it with all of your skills, achievements, and certifications in front of you, which allows you to select the best content and put it into your summary.
Here are three examples of good accounting resume summaries:
Recent accounting graduate with internship experience in financial analysis and compliance. Proficient in financial reporting, tax preparation, and ledger management. Eager to apply analytical skills in a professional setting at Brookfield Finance.
Experienced Accountant with 3+ years of experience managing full accounting cycles and enhancing financial processes to increase efficiency. Proficient in QuickBooks and Excel, skilled in financial analysis and report preparation.
CPA with 8 years of experience, including 5 as Accounting Manager. Expert in financial management, process improvement, and team leadership. Proven ability to oversee financial operations and implement effective financial controls.
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Resources for aspiring accountants
Looking for advice on how to land your first accounting job? Certified public accountant Eddy from Gramajo Consulting shares his top tips on TikTok:
@gramajoconsulting Break into accounting! #accounting #accountingstudent #accountant #accountant ♬ original sound – Eddy, CPA | CPA Career Tips
Average accountant salaries in the US
After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.
The following table includes information from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report (May 2024). Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for accountants, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.
Top 10 states by average accountant salary
| State | Salary / Year |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $116,580 |
| New York | $115,490 |
| New Jersey | $113,110 |
| California | $104,710 |
| Massachusetts | $102,030 |
| Washington | $101,380 |
| Rhode Island | $97,210 |
| Maryland | $95,950 |
| Connecticut | $95,930 |
| Virginia | $95,650 |
| National Average | $93,520 |
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14 Accounting Resume Examples and Guide for 2025
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