How to Become an Accountant: A Complete Guide to Education, Experience, and Salary

Contents

1. What an Accountant Actually Does and How the Profession is Changing
2. Are You Suited for Accountancy? Traits Without the Stereotypes
3. What Education Does an Accountant Need?
   3.1 Commercial Secondary School: A Quick Foundation
   3.2 Accounting Courses and Retraining: For Career Changers
   3.3 University: A Broader Base and Path to Demanding Roles
4. How to Get Your First Placement When Every Advert Requires One
5. What to Put on a CV for a Junior Accountant Role
6. What Accounting Software and Digital Skills the Market Wants
7. Starting Salary for an Accountant: Reading the Numbers Correctly
8. Where Can Accountancy Take You?
9. How Sting Prepares You for an Accounting Career
10. FAQ

Are you considering a stable profession that remains in high demand regardless of economic downturns? Accountancy is a field offering immense security, a clear career trajectory, and the flexibility to work from an office or home. But the question remains: how do you become an accountant from scratch? Do you absolutely need a university degree, or is a retraining course enough? How do you secure your first placement, and what accountant salary can you expect at the start? In this guide, we'll walk you through the entire journey step by step.

What an Accountant Actually Does and How the Profession is Changing

If you picture an accountant's job as transcribing numbers from paper invoices into thick ledgers, you are several decades behind. Today's accountant is more of a data analyst and corporate advisor. If you find yourself asking, [Is it pointless learning accountancy when we have AI?], the answer is: absolutely not. Artificial intelligence removes the routine tasks, which makes companies need professionals who understand the broader financial context even more.

The duties of an accountant vary by role and experience (as defined by national occupational standards):

• Junior Accountant (Accounts Assistant): Processes primary documents, matches payments, and checks invoice details. The ideal starting point.
• Independent / Financial Accountant: Manages complete ledgers including accounts receivable/payable, liaises with authorities, and prepares data for month-end closes.
• Payroll Accountant: Specialises exclusively in employee salaries, deductions, taxes, and employment law administration.
• Chief Accountant: Responsible for methodology, compiling financial statements, handling complex tax implications, and communicating with auditors.
• Shared Service Centre (SSC) Accountant: Typically works in a corporate environment, often using a foreign language, handling a specific segment (e.g., Accounts Payable) for international branches.

References: 

• Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí. (2024, March 26). Hlavní účetní [Chief accountant]. Národní soustava povolání. https://www.nsp.cz/jednotka-prace/hlavni-ucetni. nsp.cz
• Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí. (2024, March 26). Účetní [Accountant]. Národní soustava povolání. https://www.nsp.cz/jednotka-prace/ucetni. nsp.cz
• Platy.cz. (n.d.). Plat účetní: Česká republika [Accountant salary: Czech Republic]. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://www.platy.cz/platy/ekonomika-finance-ucetnictvi/ucetni. Česká republika
• Úřad práce České republiky. (n.d.). Rekvalifikace: Podrobné informace [Retraining: Detailed information]. https://up.gov.cz/rekvalifikace. ÚP
• Vysoká škola Sting. (n.d.). Informace pro uchazeče o studium [Information for prospective students]. https://www.sting.cz/uchazeci/. Sting
• Vysoká škola Sting. (n.d.). Specializace Účetnictví [Accounting specialisation]. https://www.sting.cz/bakalarske-studium/ucetnictvi/. Sting