Accounting Information Systems Jobs

Labor market experts currently note a profound period of change for the accounting profession. As accounting software offers more advanced features to automate many core tasks, many organizations have implemented technology-based systems into their operations.

Operating these systems requires a specialized balance of accounting, business, and technical skills. This combination of skills forms the basis of many accounting information systems (AIS) specializations. Roles in the field tend to attract people whose career interests span accounting and technology.

Accounting information systems job titles vary by employer and setting. In smaller organizations, staff bookkeepers or accountants typically handle any necessary technical duties. Larger companies with more complex needs often employ specialists, such as AIS systems analysts and AIS consultants.

This resource explores common paths in this fast-emerging accounting specialization. Use this research to help guide your education and career development planning.

Accounting Information Systems Job Duties

AIS job duties vary based on the employer's size. Large businesses employ more specialists, with the role of AIS analyst among the most common.

AIS analysts generally use accounting technologies to generate financial documents and ensure organizational compliance with legal standards. This typically includes:

• Creating Standard and Custom Reports: AIS analysts use technical and automated tools to maintain ledgers and generate standard financial tracking documents. They also create customized financial and accounting reports that offer a data-rich look into targeted query areas.
• Performing Audits: Businesses and organizations sometimes perform detailed self-assessments known as internal audits. These audits review all financial activity to ensure legal and organizational compliance. Some AIS professionals perform internal audits, while others generate specialized financial records for colleagues to review.
• Tracking Budgets and Spending: Accounting and information systems professionals assist budgeting efforts by tracking spending and cost allocations. They may also carry out cost and expenditure studies, along with financial forecasts.
• Applying Technical Expertise: Some positions require AIS analysts to migrate legacy documents into new accounting systems and perform system-specific programming tasks. This work may involve designing custom functions and tools exclusively for organizational use.
• Training Team Members: AIS specialists may participate in or lead sessions that instruct nontechnical team members in the capabilities of organizational accounting technologies.

Other AIS roles have different focuses. For instance, AIS consultants work with various clients and advise on designing, implementing, and optimizing technology-powered accounting systems.

Key Hard Skills for AIS Professionals

Key Soft Skills for AIS Professionals

Accounting and Information Systems Expertise

AIS professionals can hold permanent in-house roles or work as contractors. In many ways, these differing job settings define the many roles under the AIS umbrella.

In-House AIS Roles

Software-based technology has redefined traditional approaches to accounting. Organizations of all sizes now take advantage of technological tools to improve the efficiency and accuracy of their accounting operations.

Small businesses tend to generate smaller and less complex bodies of financial data, making their need for AIS expertise relatively limited. When necessary, staff accountants or bookkeepers with strong technical abilities provide insight.

Corporations typically maintain dedicated AIS teams. These businesses often employ AIS professionals with niche skill sets. Some team members focus on designing, updating, and safeguarding accounting information systems. Others apply advanced data querying, retrieval, analysis, and accounting skills to help guide organizational decision-making and meet financial reporting requirements.

Common Job Titles

• AIS analyst
• AIS specialist
• AIS manager

Contractors

Some businesses wish to take advantage of accounting technologies but do not require permanent IT expertise on their accounting teams. In other cases, organizations need to expand, update, or improve the performance of their existing accounting information systems.

These employers may opt to bring in external AIS professionals on a contract basis. Depending on the employer's needs, these contractors may offer a suite of services covering:

• System design and implementation
• System modifications, updates, and upgrades
• Performance and process improvements
• Training and education of full-time staff members regarding system features, usage practices, and security

Contract-based arrangements may involve only one AIS professional or a team whose members each have specialized skills.

Common Job Titles

• AIS consultant
• AIS architect
• Accounting systems programmer
• Accounting software analyst

How to Become an AIS Professional

Learners interested in accounting information systems jobs can follow multiple educational pathways. One option combines a bachelor's or master's degree in accounting with an IT-related minor or associate degree. Schools also offer concentrated programs in AIS at various levels.

Specialized AIS programs can lead to certificates, bachelor's degrees, and graduate degrees. Such programs frequently balance core accounting courses with modules or electives focused on computer science, information systems, and/or information technology.

Some AIS roles involve internal auditing. Employers may seek candidates with professional credentials like certified internal auditor.

Accounting Information Systems Job Outlook and Salaries

AIS involves accounting and systems analysis. Candidates should consider job outlook and salary data relevant to both fields.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 6% growth rate in accounting and auditing jobs from 2021-2031. In May 2021, the agency reported a median salary of $77,250 per year for accountants and auditors.

Meanwhile, the BLS projects a 9% growth rate for computer systems analysts from 2021-2031. BLS data also indicates a median salary of $99,270 per year for computer systems analysts as of May 2021.

Many factors affect earnings, including experience, job location, and industry of employment. On the whole, experts consider the career path stable with solid near-term growth potential.

Career Spotlight: Chris Spivey

Why did you get into AIS? What initially interested you: the financial side or the IT side?

Mentors have told me many times that being a facilitator and liaison is a gift I have been blessed with. So, the initial interest was to be right in the middle. This CIO.com article might lend some perspective.

What education did you need to pursue this career?

I was a finance major and information systems (IS) minor in undergrad. I also took all but one of my electives in accounting. For my final elective, they let me take the MBA capstone IS class as my final undergrad class. It was very focused on how IS should balance between supporting and driving the business.

What was the job search like after graduating with your degrees?

I went straight to EY into their consulting program. I got recruited from there into PepsiCo's internal audit program.

How does AIS enhance an accountant's day-to-day job?

It makes analysis scalable. It also makes executing internal control more efficient if you have that as a mindset. That's been a huge differentiator in many accountants' careers.

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of working in AIS? Some of the most challenging aspects?

Rewarding: I call it the Santa Claus effect. I get to be there when the accounting group unwraps their shiny new system. Their eyes sparkle sometimes. I also get to see people accomplish things that they thought were impossible. It often means that they get significant recognition or promotion.

That's what drives me. Challenging? Most implementations fail. According to a Standish Group report, only 16.2% of IT projects are seen as completed on time, on budget, and fully functional. In this endeavor, there are no good surprises, and every shortcut leaves you "short" of success. It takes rigor and discipline — every document, every meeting, every configuration step, every system test — to be a part of the 16.2%. The pressure is intense.

What advice would you give to students considering your career?

Think twice! Seriously. The intensity is not for everyone. Make sure to stay current with accounting (Compliance Week, CFO.com) and IT (CIO.com, InformationWeek), so you understand the challenges of both groups. Study conflict resolution and facilitation. Also, learn about data normalization and third normal form (3NF). It's ultra-geeky, but it has paid off dozens of times.

Chris Spivey

Chris Spivey has implemented accounting systems since 1992. Chris demonstrates skills in developing project management office organizations and processes; compliance, internal control, and risk mitigation; along with optimization, innovation, and continuous improvement. He has proven leadership and governance abilities with a reputation for successfully rescuing troubled projects.

Recognized as a creative problem-solver drawing on a broad base of business process and industry experience, Chris builds bridges and resolves conflict across organizational silos with a global perspective.

Spivey has worked for notable companies such as EY as a system implementation consultant, PepsiCo as an internal auditor, and Montgomery Coscia Greilich as CIO. He has also taught at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants' TECH conference. He holds a BBA and MBA from Baylor University.

Questions About Accounting and Information Systems

What does an accounting information system specialist do?

Exact duties vary among employers, but AIS specialists generally apply a combination of accounting and technical skills to pull targeted financial information from databases, generate reports, and conduct internal audits.

Where does an accounting information systems professional work?

Some professionals hold permanent, in-house AIS jobs. Others work as consultants on a contract basis. Individuals who work in-house are usually employed by large corporations with complex accounting needs. Consultants may work with businesses of all sizes.

What are examples of accounting information systems?

Any technical tool that facilitates the collection, organization, storage, and retrieval of financial data can be part of an accounting information system. Examples include payroll and time-tracking platforms, invoicing systems, payment processing systems, accounting software, and IT hardware and infrastructure.

What's the difference between accounting and accounting information systems?

Accounting focuses on recording, tracking, and reporting financial information according to the organization's needs and requirements. Accounting information systems include the software and hardware tools used to organize, classify, retrieve, and perform advanced analyses of that financial data.