What a Financial Accountant typically owns
- Year-end and statutory accounts preparation
- Balance sheet reconciliations and controls
- Audit liaison and VAT/corporation tax support
- Group consolidation and intercompany
Typical profile
Usually qualified ACA, ACCA or CIMA, often from practice or industry.
Every shortlisted Financial Accountant is assessed against the Gravitate Baseline, with the role's technical must-haves agreed in the brief.
Salary guide 2026/27
Qualified hires, permanent base salary excluding bonus and benefits, South West excluding Bristol. Compiled October 2026. How we built these bands.
Get a salary benchmark and a hiring plan.
30 minutes, no obligation. Silver Search has no upfront fee.
Eliot: I led a newly qualified finance and accountancy desk focused on practice-to-industry and second or third industry moves, including Financial Accountant and Group Accountant campaigns.
Book a callGetting a Financial Accountant hire right
Statutory and group work
Be specific about the year-end: single-entity statutory accounts, or a group with consolidation, intercompany and overseas entities. Consolidation experience narrows the field, so only ask for it if the role needs it.
Practice to industry
Candidates moving from practice may bring strong technical grounding from ACA training and audit work. Ask how they'd handle a monthly close cadence and your ERP, and what support they'd want in the first three months.
Example assessment
Walk through a balance sheet reconciliation with a deliberate error, or ask them to explain a consolidation adjustment they've processed. You'll see the difference between doing the work and understanding it.
Got a finance role to fill?
A 30-minute call: the role, a salary benchmark, a realistic timeline and which search option fits.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire a Financial Accountant in the South West?
We run a structured two-stage interview process that targets shortlist to offer within two weeks. Sourcing and screening happen before the shortlist, and the timeline relies on prompt interview slots and decisions on your side. The start date then depends on the candidate's notice period, so allow for that in your plan.
What salary should I offer a Financial Accountant in Devon or the South West?
Our Gravitate South West salary guide 2026/27 puts a qualified Financial Accountant at £45k–£62k base in an SME and £50k–£70k in a larger or group business, excluding bonus and benefits. Sector, scope and qualification move it within that range, so we benchmark every role on the first call.
How much does it cost to recruit a Financial Accountant?
Fees are agreed per role and depend on whether you choose Platinum, Gold or Silver Search. Silver Search has no upfront fee. Book a call and we'll share our terms.
Which areas do you cover?
Exeter, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Bath. We don't actively cover Bristol.