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The differences between accountant-contractors 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-contractor and a junior accountant. Additionally, an accountant-contractor has an average salary of $56,906, which is higher than the $50,444 average annual salary of a junior accountant.
The top three skills for an accountant-contractor include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and payroll taxes. The most important skills for a junior accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Accountant-Contractor | Junior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $56,906 | $50,444 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,024 | 57,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
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-contractors and junior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant-Contractor | Junior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $56,906 | $50,444 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $73,000 | Between $38,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Broadridge | Fuhu |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Construction |
There are a few differences between an accountant-contractor and a junior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant-Contractor | Junior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant-contractors' and junior accountants' demographics:
| Accountant-Contractor | Junior Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% |
| 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, 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% |