Many academic studies and industry reports have stressed the need for workers to be proficient in spreadsheets. As spreadsheets have hundreds of functions and features, it is useful to know which particular spreadsheet skills are important. Unfortunately, there are few studies that determine the relative importance of specific spreadsheet skills. This research examines, in general as well as in specifics, the importance of spreadsheet skills for accountants. It also determines the knowledge new accountants have regarding detailed spreadsheet skills. The results of this study found that: (1) Recruitment advertisements mentioned the need for Excel proficiency almost 50 percent of the time; (2) The top three spreadsheet skills perceived as important among practicing accountants are ‘Lookup and Pivot Table’, ‘Data entry, format and calculations’, and ‘Logic’; and (3) The top three spreadsheet skills that newly hired accountants are knowledgeable are ‘Data entry, format and calculations’, ‘Charting’, and ‘Logic’. The results obtained in this study suggest that aspiring accountants should include ‘Lookup and Pivot Table’ as part of their portfolio of spreadsheet skills. These results also provide useful knowledge for accountants, employers, and educators in aiding their communications regarding spreadsheets proficiency.