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The differences between accountant-contractors 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-contractor and an accounting analyst. Additionally, an accounting analyst has an average salary of $58,399, which is higher than the $56,906 average annual salary of an accountant-contractor.
The top three skills for an accountant-contractor include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and payroll taxes. The most important skills for an accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.
| Accountant-Contractor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $56,906 | $58,399 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $28.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,024 | 81,097 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An accountant contractor directly manages a customer's business. The contractor works exclusively on the company and organizes all its financial reports. The accountant contractor controls, inspects, and encodes all the company's financial transactions, ensuring that everything is well-accounted for and adequately documenting its activities. The contractor must be licensed, have expert skills in accountancy, be well-organized, have a high level of communication skills, and work under pressure.
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-contractors and accounting analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant-Contractor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Average salary | $56,906 | $58,399 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $73,000 | Between $42,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Broadridge | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between an accountant-contractor and an accounting analyst in terms of educational background:
| Accountant-Contractor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant-contractors' and accounting analysts' demographics:
| Accountant-Contractor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | 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, 63.3% 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% |