en
Jobs

Our industry specialists will listen to your aspirations and share your story with Belgium’s most prestigious organisations. Together, let’s write the next chapter of your career.

See all jobs
Services

Belgium’s leading employers trust us to deliver fast, efficient hiring solutions that are tailored to their exact requirements. Browse our range of bespoke services and resources

Read more
About Robert Walters Belgium

For us, recruitment is more than just a job. We understand that behind every opportunity is the chance to make a difference to people’s lives

Learn more

Work for us

Our people are the difference. Hear stories from our people to learn more about a career at Robert Walters Belgium

Learn more

The job and salary of an Accounting Manager

Where accounting used to be seen purely as the department where invoices are entered, nowadays organizations increasingly recognize the added value of an Accounting Manager. In this role, you will lay the foundations for the financial analyses that will eventually determine decisions about the company's growth.

Aline Lewy, Managing Consultant at international recruitment specialist Robert Walters, elaborates on the role of an Accounting Manager, explains what the career opportunities are, and what salary you can expect in this position.

What exactly does an Accounting Manager do? 

An Accounting Manager supervises the team of accountants and is responsible for the entire accounting process from A to Z. The accountants in the team are responsible for the day-to-day operational accounting tasks and do the monthly, quarterly and annual closing, VAT returns, etc. An Accounting Manager does just a bit more than the pure operational side. He or she is responsible for final checking of the figures and interpreting them. In addition, an Accounting Manager acts as a financial contact within the organization, but also for external parties, such as the external auditors, for example. 

Aline: "Because the Accounting Manager is less actively involved in the day-to-day operational accounting tasks, he can focus more closely on current and new projects within the organization. Think, for example, of the implementation of new tools or business projects around process improvement."

What skills should an Accounting Manager have? 

"Obviously, it is important for an Accounting Manager to be able to work autonomously and in a structured manner, against constant deadlines. Moreover, the Accounting Manager is expected to be able to thoroughly analyze, understand and explain the figures," says Aline. "After all, his or her insights and conclusions form the basis for the recommendations made by the controlling team to the company management who makes the final decisions. Therefore, it is also important that he has strong communication skills and speaks Dutch and French fluently, especially when the team is bilingual. If the organization works on an international level, a good knowledge of English is also required." 

Of course, we should not forget technical expertise: accounting tools such as SAP, JD Edwards and accounting standards such as IAS/IFRS and US/UK GAAP should hold no secrets for Accounting Managers.

Moreover, a good Accounting Manager can handle stress very well and knows how to guide the team smoothly through busy periods. Aline: "The constant workload means that Accounting Managers often find it difficult to strike a good balance between their strong technical skills and at the same time being able to lead, motivate and encourage each individual in their team to grow in their role."

How does someone become an Accounting Manager and what is the next career step? 

Aline: "Generally speaking, we can say that an Accountant will progress to Senior Accountant and then to Accounting Manager. But there are different growth paths possible. A Senior Accountant in an SME will be responsible for A-Z accounting. As a Senior Accountant in a large company, you can either have A-Z responsibility, for example for an entity, or you can choose to immerse yourself further in a particular aspect of accounting, such as VAT, for example. The next step in your career can then be that you become responsible for multiple entities or that you broaden your job content and focus, as a true specialist, on multiple aspects within accounting.

The logical next step for an ambitious Accounting Manager is the role of Head of Accounting. As an experienced expert, he or she is expected to advise and assist the management team in important decisions, while ensuring that the team is managed well. And of course, the involvement in company-wide projects is even more intense in the role of Head of Accounting."

What is the current demand for Accounting Managers? 

Statistics from Jobfeed show that the number of vacancies for Accounting Manager has increased 23% in 2022 compared to the previous year. 

"The rising demand for Accounting Managers is indeed palpable. We notice that the added value of a good Accounting Manager is increasingly recognized in the business world," says Aline. 

 

"Correct and timely accounting is the essential basis for the organization to perform financial analysis. Companies are therefore looking for Accounting Managers who are very close to the business and can act as true business partners.

Should Accounting Managers expect a pay rise this year? 

An Accounting Manager with 7 to 15 years of experience can expect a gross annual salary between 75 and 110k EUR. Anyone with more than 15 years' experience could see their gross annual salary rise to 145k EUR or more, according to the Robert Walters Salary Survey. "As the demand for Accounting Managers is still rising, we expect salaries to increase further this year," Aline continued. "These days, a company car with fuel card is almost always part of an Accounting Manager's salary package, as well as group and hospitalization insurance and meal vouchers. Flexible and hybrid working are now well established and are therefore among the standard benefits for Accounting Managers." 
 

Find out more?

Have a look at other tips and advice to advance your career. Looking for a new professional challenge? View our latest accounting vacancies.

Share this article

Related Solutions

Sign up for job alerts
Salary Survey
Career Advice
Get in touch

Find out more by contacting one of our specialist recruitment consultants

Aline Lewy

Managing Consultant | Finance | Brussels
Phone: 0477 27 05 77

Related content

View all

9 in 10 professionals opt for upskilling. What about you?

A recent survey by international recruitment specialist Robert Walters reveals that 9 in 10 professionals wish to upskill in 2024. About a quarter of them have already worked out concrete plans for this. "These high numbers come as no surprise," explains Özlem Simsek, managing director at Robert Wal

Read More

7 tips to make the right career move

If you are frustrated, bored or tired of working in the same environment or role and are looking for more of a challenge, it may time to take your career in a new direction. One of the biggest career challenges is tapping into your inner voice when direction is needed. How can you make sure you make

Read More

Time to change jobs?

So you’ve been in your job a good while, and you’ve noticed motivation is dwindling. Maybe you don’t feel challenged enough, or maybe you feel like you’re not moving in the direction you want any more. Your interests and goals naturally change over time, but how do you know if you’re ready for a job

Read More

I'm Robert Walters Are you?

Come join our global team of creative thinkers, problem solvers and game changers. We offer accelerated career progression, a dynamic culture and expert training.