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The differences between accountant assistants and 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 accountant assistant and an accountant. Additionally, an accountant has an average salary of $54,890, which is higher than the $40,537 average annual salary of an accountant assistant.
The top three skills for an accountant assistant include customer service, data entry and payroll taxes. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Accountant Assistant | Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,537 | $54,890 |
| Hourly rate | $19.49 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 63,247 | 60,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An accountant assistant is responsible for assisting the operations of a finance department, performing administrative and clerical tasks as advised. Accountant assistants create budget reports, process invoices, and manage accounts receivable. They also document purchase orders, monitor the payroll release, complete bank reconciliations, update the company's account statements and escalate discrepancies, assist with audit preparations, and sort financial documents. An accountant assistant must be familiar with the accounting processes and financial industry, as well as have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks under minimal supervision.
An accountant is an individual whose primary task is to prepare, keep, examine, and interpret financial records. Most accountants are in charge of a wide scope of finance-related tasks, either for private individuals or for large-scale businesses and organizations they are employed with. They make sure that financial statements and records are accurate and comply with laws and regulations. They also compute for taxes, prepare tax returns, and ensure being paid properly and on time. As they keep track and record the flow of money, they can offer guidance on how to reduce costs, enhance revenue, and help in profit maximization.
Accountant assistants and accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Assistant | Accountant | |
| Average salary | $40,537 | $54,890 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $58,000 | Between $41,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Rodeo Realty | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between an accountant assistant and an accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Assistant | Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant assistants' and accountants' demographics:
| Accountant Assistant | Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 16.8% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |