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The differences between accountant interns and general 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 internship and a general accountant. Additionally, a general accountant has an average salary of $55,043, which is higher than the $33,484 average annual salary of an accountant internship.
The top three skills for an accountant internship include R, account management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a general accountant are financial data, reconciliations, and cash handling.
| Accountant Internship | General Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,484 | $55,043 |
| Hourly rate | $16.10 | $26.46 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 82,924 | 87,663 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An accounting intern is responsible for assisting an organization's accounting department, observing practical applications and processes, and performing accounting duties under the supervision of tenured accounting staff. Accounting interns support the accounting operations by preparing and organizing financial reports, helping with accounts reconciliation, researching financial and stock market trends, utilizing various accounting software, and managing feedback from their mentors. An accounting intern must be detail-oriented and a fast-learner, immediately adjusting to the company's culture and actively cooperating with the team to ensure a smooth flow of operations.
A general accountant is responsible for evaluating account statements, conducting data analysis with financial transactions, and generating reports on revenues, expenses, and sales forecasting. These accountants manage discrepancies on the company and clients' profiles, including bank reconciliations and processing of account receivables and payables. They also handle the release of invoices and petty cash, analyzing balance sheets, and updating accurate financial information on the database. A general accountant must have excellent analytical skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines.
Accountant interns and general accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Internship | General Accountant | |
| Average salary | $33,484 | $55,043 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $45,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Novogradac | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Media | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an accountant internship and a general accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Internship | General Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant interns' and general accountants' demographics:
| Accountant Internship | General Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 18.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 13.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |