Certified public accountant resume examples & writing guide for 2026

Three CPA resumes at newly licensed, senior and manager level, rendered in a real template and annotated note by note. Every one names the state license, the engagements and returns signed off, and what the CPA added for clients.

By the Resumi editorial teamUpdated October 5, 20268 min read

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Certified public accountant resume example, mid level, rendered in the Executive Classic template

Written by the Resumi editorial team for a fictional candidate. Role facts come from O*NET and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Strength band is Resumi’s optimization score, not a ranking any employer sees.

What makes this resume work

Each marker on the page has a note here. Press a marker to jump to its note. Hover a note and its marker lifts.

1
Clients and fees owned
Thirty business clients and $1.1M in fees. Firms measure seniors by the work they run, and fees managed are the number a partner looks at first.
2
Representation on the record
Notices resolved with the IRS and the Ohio Department of Taxation. CPAs can represent clients before the IRS, and the summary shows that right in use.
3
Engagements with deadlines met
Fourteen reviews and compilations for clients with $5M to $60M in revenue, every covenant deadline met. Banks rely on these reports, and missing a deadline can put a client in default.
4
Review of staff work
Two hundred and sixty returns reviewed and manager notes cut by 40%. A senior's review is what keeps managers from rework, and the drop in notes shows it worked.
5
Examinations closed cleanly
Twenty-two notices and 2 examinations, both closed with no change. An examination with no change is the strongest proof that the returns behind it were prepared correctly.

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01The example, in full

The resume shown above, as text you can search and copy.

Wendell Kessling

Senior accountant, CPA (Ohio) · Tax and attest · 30 business clients · $1.1M in fees

Columbus, OHwendell.kessling@example.com(555) 614-2287linkedin.example.com/wendell-kessling

Summary

Ohio CPA with five years at a regional firm, running tax and attest work for 30 business clients with $1.1M in annual fees. Leads review and compilation engagements, supervises 3 staff, and resolves notices with the IRS and the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Experience

Senior accountant

Jan 2023 – Present

Hollister Grant CPAs · Columbus, OH

Led 14 review and compilation engagements a year for clients with revenue of $5M to $60M, meeting every bank covenant reporting deadline.
Audited 260 returns prepared by 3 staff accountants in 2026, cutting manager review notes by 40%.
Advised 9 business owners on entity choice and pass-through entity tax elections, saving about $210,000 in combined tax for 2025.
Trained 5 new staff on CCH Axcess and the firm's workpaper standards.
Resolved 22 IRS and state notices and 2 examinations for clients, closing both examinations with no change.

Staff accountant

Jul 2021 – Dec 2022

Hollister Grant CPAs · Columbus, OH

Completed about 150 returns a season and earned the Ohio CPA license in 2022.

Education

Master of Accountancy (150 credit hours) in Taxation

Aug 2016 – May 2021

Mid-Ohio State University · Columbus, OH

Skills

Accounting: Attest engagements
Tax: Business tax returns, Tax planning, IRS representation
Software: CCH Axcess Tax

Certifications

CPA

Jun 2022

Accountancy Board of Ohio

02Market snapshot

Median pay: $83,680 median annual pay for accountants and auditors, $81,490 in accounting services
Typical education: Bachelor's degree typical, with added coursework for the CPA license
Job outlook: 5% growth from 2025 to 2035, about 115,300 openings a year
Common credentials: State license: Uniform CPA Exam and state board rules, including education hours

Sources: BLS OES (May 2025) · BLS OOH (2025)

03The same resume at three levels

The tinted row is the level shown above.

Entry-level
0–2 years
Education sits above the jobs and names the 150-hour degree. Bullets cover returns by entity type, monthly client accounting, compilations and reviews, savings found and the exam sections passed. The busy-season internship folds to one line with a return count and the offer.
Typical titles: Staff accountant, CPA, Tax and accounting associate, Assurance associate
Mid-level
3–6 years
The headline shows the license with clients and fees. Bullets give review and compilation engagements with deadlines, review of staff returns, entity and pass-through tax planning, staff training, and notices and examinations closed cleanly. The staff years fold to one line with the year the license was earned.
Typical titles: Senior accountant, CPA, Tax senior, Assurance senior
Senior
7+ years
Scope replaces production: fee growth with its sources, a team through busy season, a new service line, peer review results and staff mentored through the CPA Exam. The staff and senior years fold to one line with the client load and the license year.
Typical titles: Manager, tax and business services, Assurance manager, Senior manager, CPA firm

04Summary

Weak

Detail-oriented CPA with strong knowledge of GAAP and tax law, dedicated to delivering accurate financial information and exceptional client service.

Strong

The state, the firm type, the client count, the fees, the attest work, the team and representation. A partner can see what this CPA runs in one read. The weak version promises exceptional service without a client, an engagement or a number.

05Bullets

Weak

Prepared tax returns and financial statements for clients and ensured compliance with all regulations.

Strong

Advised 9 business owners on entity choice and pass-through entity tax elections, saving about $210,000 in combined tax for 2025.

The clients, the advice and the result in dollars. A partner can ask how the elections were modeled, which owners chose them and what each saved. The weak bullet gives no client count, no type of work and no result at all, so it could describe almost any accountant at any firm in any year.

06Skills and keywords

Accounting and attest

Attest engagements (in the example)
Client accounting services
GAAP

Tax

Business tax returns (in the example)
Tax planning (in the example)
IRS representation (in the example)
Individual tax preparation

Software and license

CCH Axcess Tax (in the example)
QuickBooks Online
Excel
CPA (in the example)

Filled chips appear in the example above.

Paste a job description and Resumi shows which of these your resume already covers.

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07Mistakes to avoid

License with no state or year
Fix: A CPA license is issued by a state board. Name the state and the year in your headline and certifications section, and add each state where you hold a license. Keep the license number ready for applications that ask for it.
No engagement or return counts
Fix: Give the reviews, compilations or audits you led, the returns you prepared or reviewed, and the client revenue range. Those numbers tell a firm what size of work you can take on and how much supervision you need.
Advisory value left out
Fix: CPAs are hired to advise, not only to comply. Give the planning you did and the result, such as tax saved through an election or a structure change, with the number of clients and a dollar figure.
Exam status unclear
Fix: If you are not yet licensed, list the sections passed with dates and your expected license date. Firms hire candidates mid-exam, but they want to see progress and a realistic finish, not just the word candidate.
Firm growth not shown at manager level
Fix: Managers are judged on fees, clients and people. Give portfolio fees with a period, new clients and where they came from, team size and any peer review results on your engagements.

08Format and template

Reverse-chronological order, standard section headings, and every figure written as text. Put CPA, the state and the license year in your headline. Name the engagements and return types you handle in the summary. List each state license in a certifications section with the year. Leave out client names. This example uses Executive Classic. The same content works in Standard, Warm Classic and Maroon Elegant.

Shown above: Executive Classic

StandardFree
Warm Classic
Maroon Elegant

09Questions certified public accountants ask

Do I still need 150 credit hours to become a CPA?

It depends on your state. The traditional route is 150 semester hours, the CPA Exam and one year of experience. In 2025 NASBA and the AICPA added a second route to the model law: a bachelor's degree in accounting, the exam and two years of experience. States are adopting it one at a time, so check your state board before you plan your courses or your timeline.

How is the CPA Exam structured now?

Since January 2024, candidates take three Core sections, Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Taxation and Regulation, plus one Discipline section of their choice: Business Analysis and Reporting, Information Systems and Controls, or Tax Compliance and Planning. Every Discipline leads to the same license. NASBA recommends a 30-month window to pass all sections after the first, though each state sets its own rule.

How should a CPA list the license on a resume?

Write CPA and the state after your title in the headline, such as Senior accountant, CPA (Ohio). In the certifications section, list each state license with the year issued and the board's name. If you are licensed in more than one state, list each one. Keep the license number ready for applications that ask for it, since it can be checked with the state board.

Should I list CPA Exam sections I have passed?

Yes, if you are not yet licensed. Give each section with the date passed and the sections remaining, and add your expected license date. Firms often hire candidates part way through the exam, and many postings ask for candidates who are eligible or have passed sections. Once you hold the license, replace the exam list with the license and its state.

What numbers should a CPA put on a resume?

At staff level: returns prepared by type and engagements worked. At senior level: clients and fees run, returns reviewed, engagements led and notices or examinations resolved. At manager level: portfolio fees with growth, team size, new clients and peer review results. Add advisory results in dollars wherever you can, because they show the judgment a license is meant to stand for.

Is now a good time to become a CPA?

Interest is rising. The Journal of Accountancy reported in 2026 that accounting enrollment kept growing and that first-time CPA Exam candidates were rising. BLS projects accountant and auditor jobs to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 115,300 openings a year. The new 120-hour pathway also gives more people a route to the license, so expect more candidates competing for the same entry roles.

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Certified public accountant resume examples & writing guide for 2026