Accountant salaries in the UK

Accountants are skilled professionals who work closely with an organisation’s financial operations; analysing and managing accounts, preparing and examining financial reports. This is a key role within any business to ensure efficient and sustainable operation, similarly, accountants also provide services to individuals through managing personal taxes and offering advice.

As a result, accountant salaries in the UK usually sit well above the national average salary. Accountants’ skill sets are in high demand, so those looking for a new job have a huge variety of opportunities open to them and newly qualified accountants can expect to receive a great starting salary.

Salaries within the accountancy profession can vary greatly depending on several factors. Qualifications and the number of years’ experience a professional has can result in some variations in salary but ultimately the unique skill sets, responsibilities of a role, sector and region have the largest impact on the variations in salaries.

The skills that can have an impact on an accountant’s rate of pay include experience with budgeting, financial analysis, financial reporting, general ledger accounting, account management and Microsoft Excel.

Data we have captured over the past 12 months from advertised roles in the UK shows that the average accountant salary ranges from £31,100-£45,600*, depending on the region.

To give you an idea of the remuneration you should be receiving according to your role, job sector and location, get a benchmark using our Salary Comparison Tool which can give you a comparison of the current market’s average salaries.

Career options for accountants

The career opportunities within accounting are vast and can extend into a dynamic, lifelong and rewarding career. Some of the many different positions accountants can find themselves working in at different stages of their career include the following.