What is a bank accountant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a bank accountant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.07 an hour? That's $52,142 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 81,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Bank Accountant?

Stephen Moehrle Ph.D.Stephen Moehrle Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Professor and Chairman of Accounting, University of Missouri - St. Louis

It was a great time to be entering the accounting industry, before the pandemic. Our students were serving in internships in huge numbers and our graduates were enjoying 100% placement, usually with multiple offers. The entry-level professionals were entering a profession marked by emerging and evolving technologies that made even the entry-level duties especially interesting. Further, our tech-comfortable young professionals were experiencing quick advancement because of their ability to employ the new technologies.

Most of the above remains true so the only open question is job availability. It would be unrealistic to say things are great. However, it seems that job prospects for accounting majors will be better than for those of virtually every other entry-level profession during difficult times. I have been speaking with firm leaders across the spectrum of firms and most do intend to be on campus in the fall recruiting season. Of course, they have a lot of time to learn more about the economy over the next few months, but we are cautiously optimistic. Again, I am confident that whatever the state of job availability for young CPAs-to-be, prospects will be better for accounting graduates than virtually any other profession.

They will be entering the profession at a fascinating moment in time. Of course, the technological advances assure this regardless of economic conditions. However, there are business disruption-related issues that will provide rich opportunities for making a difference. For example, audit staff will be working with clients to see them through these troubling times. Lamentably, I fear that these young professionals will learn more about the going concern determination than they desire to know. Tax staff will help clients to optimally use the tax loss carrybacks and carryforwards that are arising by the day. Entry level professionals in corporate accounting will get a day-to-day front row seat in business management through crisis. While lamentable times, these are times when young professionals can make a difference that saves jobs.
ScoreBank AccountantUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $52,142

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.4

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%

Asian 14.15%

Black or African American 8.44%

Hispanic or Latino 10.77%

Unknown 3.95%

White 62.23%

Gender

female 63.07%

male 36.93%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress Level
5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.7

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Bank Accountant career paths

Key steps to become a bank accountant

  1. Explore bank accountant education requirements

    Most common bank accountant degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.2 %

    Associate

    12.7 %

    Master's

    8.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific bank accountant skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Reconciliations17.16%
    General Ledger16.41%
    Financial Statements15.48%
    Financial Reports5.09%
    Reconcile General Ledger4.93%
  3. Complete relevant bank accountant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bank accountants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bank accountant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bank accountant resumes.
  4. Research bank accountant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage accounting operations, accounting close, account reporting and reconciliations.
    • Assist in the creation, verification, and transmission of ACH files.
    • Collaborate with payroll conversion process from ADP to PeopleSoft; performing parallel testing and confirming accuracy of payroll information in PeopleSoft.
    • Review of contract documentation to determine billing requirements, reporting requirements and ERP setup for automate invoicing.
  5. Prepare your bank accountant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bank accountant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bank accountant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Bank Accountant Resume templates

    Build a professional Bank Accountant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Bank Accountant resume.
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  6. Apply for bank accountant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a bank accountant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Bank Accountant Job

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Average bank accountant salary

The average Bank Accountant salary in the United States is $52,142 per year or $25 per hour. Bank accountant salaries range between $39,000 and $68,000 per year.

Average Bank Accountant Salary
$52,142 Yearly
$25.07 hourly

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Bank Accountant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Reporting to a CPA Controller or CFO, always learning and not micromanaged. Treated as a professional always.

Cons

Business owners that do not know or understand compliance and GAAP, or the patience to follow the rules... generally common in small companies.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

It's an office job.

Cons

Everything else. Too much anxiety, debts, low sallary (€700/month).


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

I like when the numbers fall in to place. I enjoy helping clients reach their financial goals. I am great with client consultations. I appreciate the chance to help plan for a client's needs.

Cons

I dislike situations where no planning had been done. I am bothered when a client has an accounting problem that could have been avoided by proper planning.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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