Career Outlook – Accounting Assistant

Are you considering a career as an accounting assistant? Need more details about what your job role would be? Keep reading this BizTalk for more details.

Who is an Accounting Assistant?

These administrative professionals focus on numbers and they play a vital supporting role in accounting departments by recording financial transactions, preparing reports, and carrying out related clerical tasks.

Their major role at a company is to run day-to-day bookkeeping functions smoothly. Every firm either big or small needs that kind of help. According to Randstad’s list Accounts Payable and Receivable Clerk has ranked fifth on of the most in-demand administrative jobs in Canada in 2021.

What is the job role of an accounting assistant?

Assistant accountants prove their worth by supporting the accounting department with their day-to-day functions by performing entry-level accounting duties. The primary task is to focus on accounts receivable and accounts payable. Other roles include:

• Assist with collections, billing, audits, and journal entries
• Balancing accounts and resolving discrepancies
• Setting up new employees in the payroll system
• Calculating and processing payroll cheques or direct deposits
• Preparing tax remittance forms
• Reconciling bank statements
• Creating financial reports for management
• Communicating with vendors and customers

Most of the assistant accountants in Canada work in either private accounting firms or for larger accounting firms across a wide variety of sectors.

How much does an accounting assistant make in Canada?

The average salary in Canada for these administrative professionals is $39,000 per year or $20 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $33,150 per year while most experienced workers make up to $51,957 per year.

What are the education requirements?

You should have at least a secondary school and a college diploma is preferred in accounting. While there is no specific certification for the position, certification from the Canadian Securities Institute, the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, or the Canadian Bookkeepers Association is a strong asset.

In some industries, these certifications are required. Some accounting assistants may also need to be bonded in select industries.

What are the skills required to be a good accountant assistant?

You must demonstrate the skills needed to balance the juggling act of managing financial clerical duties and administrative duties. Want to know if you’ve got what it takes? These are the skills you’ll need for the role:

• Work well as part of a team
• Analytical
• Knowledge of Excel
• Organisational skills
• Focused
• Communication skills
• Trustworthy and discreet when dealing with confidential information
• Strong administrative skills

What is the difference between an Accounting Manager and an Accounting Assistant?

The assistant accountant reports to the Accounting Manager. The manager oversees the general tasks of the accounting assistant and other clerks on the team. The assistant accountant is responsible for implementing processes, following those processes, and adhering to the demands of the Accounting Manager. The accounting assistant is not licensed to offer accounting advice to clients and does not have an Accounting designation.

How to kickstart your career as an Professional Accounting and Payroll Administration?

BizTech College’s Professional Accounting and Payroll Administration diploma program is designed to facilitate students with versatile skill-set who want to start their careers as accounting assistants and excel in life.

With a focus on both theoretical and practical skills, our graduates are equipped with skills to secure employment in a variety of business settings. Students receive hands-on training and a free subscription to Accounting & Payroll Administration’s latest software such as QuickBooks.