At a glance
Pay shows the low (10th percentile) to high (90th percentile) Canada-wide wages for Financial auditors and accountants, from Job Bank (2023–2024), as yearly amounts for full-time work. Pay varies by province, city and experience. See wages in your area on Job Bank
What you'll do
- Handle full-cycle accounting, including payables and receivables
- Prepare month-end close, reconciliations and journal entries
- Prepare financial statements and management reports
- File GST/HST (and QST or PST where it applies) and support payroll remittances
- Work with our external accountant at year-end
How to get there
- Earn a diploma or degree in accounting or business; many start as bookkeepers or accounting clerks.
- Learn Canadian sales tax (GST/HST, plus QST or PST where it applies) and software such as QuickBooks, Xero or Sage.
- To become a CPA, complete the CPA Professional Education Program and practical experience through your provincial CPA body.
- Accountants trained abroad may get credit through CPA Canada's international recognition agreements.
"Chartered Professional Accountant" (CPA) is a protected designation regulated by provincial CPA bodies, and public accounting, such as audits and review engagements, needs a licence in most provinces. Day-to-day accounting for your own business doesn't need a CPA.
Your bilingual advantage
Speaking two languages makes you stand out in Accountant jobs. Here's where it helps most and how to prove it.
Where bilingual skills are in demand
- Quebec, where French is the language of work and English or other languages often help with clients outside the province
- New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province
- Ottawa–Gatineau and the federal public service, where many positions are designated bilingual
- National companies serving customers across Canada, and employers serving newcomer communities in other languages
Prove your level
Employers trust a recognized result more than "fluent". For French, common tests include the DELF and DALF diplomas and the TEF and TCF tests. Federal public service jobs use their own Second Language Evaluation (levels A, B and C). Describe your level for speaking, reading and writing separately.
Expect part of the interview in each language
Bilingual employers often switch languages during the interview or give a short written task. Practise answering the questions on this page in both languages.
What employers look for
Usually required
- A degree or diploma in accounting or finance
- 3+ years in full-cycle accounting
- Experience with QuickBooks, Xero, Sage or a similar system
- Strong Excel skills
- Accuracy and the ability to meet deadlines
Gives you an edge
- CPA designation, or working toward it
- Experience with Canadian corporate tax filings
How to stand out
List the accounting software and ERP systems you know.
Describe the full-cycle tasks you handle on your own.
Show accuracy with examples, such as errors you caught or closes you sped up.
See a full Bilingual Accountant résumé example, or get our Bilingual Resume Template.
Interview questions to prepare for
Employers hiring for this job often ask questions like these. Prepare a short, specific example for each.
- Walk me through your month-end close process.
- Tell me about an error you found in the books. How did you trace it?
- How do you prepare a GST/HST return?
- Which accounting software have you used most, and what would you change about it?
- How do you explain the numbers to someone who isn't in finance?
Where it can lead
Your rights and tips as a job seeker in Canada
Know the pay before you apply
In British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, public job postings must include the pay or pay range. In Ontario, so must postings from employers with 25 or more employees made since January 1, 2026. Use the pay on this page to judge whether an offer is fair.
New to Canada?
In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees can't ask for Canadian experience in a job posting or application form. For regulated jobs, such as engineering, teaching or a skilled trade, contact the provincial regulator early to have your credentials assessed.
You're protected from discrimination
Human rights laws mean employers can't make hiring decisions based on your age, sex, gender identity, race, religion, disability, or family or marital status. You can ask for accommodation during the hiring process, for example for an interview.
Hear back after interviews
In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees must tell you within 45 days of your last interview whether a hiring decision has been made for a publicly advertised job.
Never pay to get a job
Real employers don't charge you to apply, to be trained or to be hired, and they don't ask for banking details before an offer. Only share your Social Insurance Number (SIN) after you're hired. Stay safe from job scams
Starting out young?
Each province sets its own minimum working age and limits on hours for young workers. See the rules by province
General information, checked on October 3, 2026. It isn't legal advice; rules depend on your province or territory.
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