Accounting administration is an accounting career that requires an individual to handle the basic accounting tasks that a corporate office or another similar business office, such as a hospital, is required to perform on a daily basis. In other words, an accounting administrator is an individual who keeps track of the amount that each customer or patient has paid; the amount that each customer or patient owes; the amount that the company owes to suppliers and other individuals or organizations; and the amount that a third party, such as an insurance company, will pay for the services that the customer or patient has received.

Accounting administrators may also perform a number of other tasks related to collecting the money that a business is owed, recording the office’s financial transactions, analyzing the financial status of the business, and/or helping customers or patients schedule appointments or address payment issues.

• Depending on their specific responsibilities, individuals in the subfield of accounting administration may work under any of a number of job titles, including accounting administration specialist, accounting clerk, administrative assistant, administrative specialist, firm administrator, and secretary.

In most cases, an individual will be able to obtain a position in the subfield of accounting administration with an Associate’s Degree in Accounting Administration from an accredited accounting school or an equivalent amount of experience (two to three years in a field related to accounting). Some employers, however, may require an individual to have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a bachelor’s degree in business with a focus in accounting, an accounting certificate, or another similar degree in order to obtain a position. Some may also require an individual to obtain an accredited business accountant (ABA) certification in addition to (or instead of) a college degree. At least three years of experience in a field related to accounting is required to obtain your ABA certificate. It is also important to note that an individual may be legally required to obtain an ABA certification or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License to work in the field of accounting administration for some positions in some states. (This is typically true only if you are offering accounting, financial, or tax services to customers or other individuals outside the organization in which you work).