Account analyst vs staff accountant

The differences between account analysts and staff accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an account analyst and a staff accountant. Additionally, an account analyst has an average salary of $55,829, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

The top three skills for an account analyst include customer service, patients and financial statements. The most important skills for a staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and GAAP.

Account analyst vs staff accountant overview

	Account Analyst	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$55,829	$54,216
Hourly rate	$26.84	$26.07
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	106,327	115,930
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does an account analyst do?

Account analysts are responsible for analyzing account statements and financial transactions of an organization, resolving billing discrepancies, and managing account receivables. They assess the company's financial stability and identify opportunities to improve data analysis techniques by adhering to accounting principles and the company's operational protocols. Account analysts prepare financial reports, evaluate accounts payable, assist in tax audits, and release invoices. They should have excellent analytical and communication skills, especially on posting accurate account reports on the database.

What does a staff accountant do?

Staff accountants are employees who are part of the company's accounting department. They are usually certified public accountants (CPAs). Staff accountants should be familiar with accounting tasks. Previous accounting experiences play a huge advantage in their success. They perform a variety of accounting responsibilities such as information verification and analysis, financial report preparation and presentation, financial account reconciliation, billing and payment receiving activities, vendor database management, and invoice processing requirements. They should also know how to do bookkeeping. Staff accountants should have good communication skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills. They should also be organized and trustworthy since they will be handling confidential information.

Account analyst vs staff accountant salary

Account analysts and staff accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Account Analyst	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$55,829	$54,216
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $78,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Venable	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between account analyst and staff accountant education

There are a few differences between an account analyst and a staff accountant in terms of educational background:

	Account Analyst	Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Account analyst vs staff accountant demographics

Here are the differences between account analysts' and staff accountants' demographics:

	Account Analyst	Staff Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.4% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between account analyst and staff accountant duties and responsibilities

Account analyst example responsibilities.

Manage budget submissions by subsidiaries in Europe/AFNE region in Hyperion.
Prepare and review KYC require documentation for multiple business lines.
Prepare weekly payroll through ADP and reconciliation of quarterly payroll taxes and reports.
Prepare PowerPoint presentation for CFO to deliver budget report to board and finance committees.
Prepare monthly payroll and accompanying journal entries, and process ADP payroll and reconciliation.
Consolidate orders going to the same location and submit to warehouse by EDI or fax transmission.

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Staff accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Contribute revenue accruals using job cost system, fix assets including reclassification, reconciliation and depreciation.
Prepare month-end journal entries and assist in compilation of financial statements, reconcile bank statements and general ledgers.
Complete audit-quality account reconciliations monthly for balance sheet accounts including the capital projects in progress accounts and miscellaneous revenue accounts.
Assume responsibility for cash management encompassing wire and ACH transfers processing, bank activity confirmation, and monthly bank account reconciliations.
Handle all A/R and A/P, payroll, change orders, collections, lien placement and release, vendor account management.

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Account analyst vs staff accountant skills

Common account analyst skills

Customer Service, 17%
Patients, 11%
Financial Statements, 9%
Financial Reports, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%
Reconciliations, 4%

Common staff accountant skills

Reconciliations, 15%
Account Reconciliations, 7%
GAAP, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 4%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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