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The differences between accountant interns and project 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 project accountant. Additionally, a project accountant has an average salary of $60,467, 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 project accountant are reconciliations, project management, and contract terms.
| Accountant Internship | Project Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,484 | $60,467 |
| Hourly rate | $16.10 | $29.07 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 82,924 | 43,672 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 project accountant is primarily in charge of overseeing the budget and expenditures allocated for various projects within a company. Their responsibilities revolve around reviewing financial data and work plans, managing billing and financial reports, monitoring the flow of revenue, filing purchase orders and invoices, and processing payments to subcontractors, suppliers, and more. It is also vital to coordinate with all managing personnel to prepare necessary reports such as costs and taxes. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain data and records of all transactions, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Accountant interns and project accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Internship | Project Accountant | |
| Average salary | $33,484 | $60,467 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $45,000 | Between $46,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Novogradac | Perficient |
| Best paying industry | Media | Professional |
There are a few differences between an accountant internship and a project accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Internship | Project Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant interns' and project accountants' demographics:
| Accountant Internship | Project Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% |
| 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, 12.3% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |