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The differences between accountant assistants and accounting analysts 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 accounting analyst. Additionally, an accounting analyst has an average salary of $58,399, 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 accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.
| Accountant Assistant | Accounting Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $40,537 | $58,399 |
| Hourly rate | $19.49 | $28.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 63,247 | 81,097 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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 accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.
Accountant assistants and accounting analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Assistant | Accounting Analyst | |
| Average salary | $40,537 | $58,399 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $58,000 | Between $42,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Rodeo Realty | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between an accountant assistant and an accounting analyst in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Assistant | Accounting Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant assistants' and accounting analysts' demographics:
| Accountant Assistant | Accounting Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| 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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |