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The differences between accountant assistants and junior 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 a junior accountant. Additionally, a junior accountant has an average salary of $50,444, 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 a junior accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Accountant Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,537 | $50,444 |
| Hourly rate | $19.49 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 63,247 | 57,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
Junior accountants maintain the financial records of companies through the analysis of their general ledger accounts and balance sheets. The accountant's post journal entries, maintain accounts receivable and payable, and update financial statements. They pay payroll every month, reconcile ledgers, and submit payroll taxes. The skills necessary for this job include analytical skills, problem-solving, information confidentiality, and proficiency in accounting software and technology. They are also expected to be detail-oriented.
Accountant assistants and junior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $40,537 | $50,444 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $58,000 | Between $38,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Rodeo Realty | Fuhu |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Construction |
There are a few differences between an accountant assistant and a junior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant assistants' and junior accountants' demographics:
| Accountant Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |