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The differences between accountant interns and senior 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 senior accountant. Additionally, a senior accountant has an average salary of $71,967, 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 senior accountant are reconciliations, CPA, and GAAP.
| Accountant Internship | Senior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,484 | $71,967 |
| Hourly rate | $16.10 | $34.60 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 82,924 | 76,816 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| 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 senior accountant is responsible for organizing financial reports, analyzing cost estimates, reviewing budget goals regularly, and making adjustments with the company's account statements as necessary. Senior accountants' duties also include managing account reconciliations, preparing tax documents, maintaining audit records and balance sheets, generating invoices, and providing recommendations to minimize possible financial loss. A senior accountant must have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of accounting and financial principles.
Accountant interns and senior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Internship | Senior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $33,484 | $71,967 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $45,000 | Between $55,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Novogradac | |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between an accountant internship and a senior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Internship | Senior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant interns' and senior accountants' demographics:
| Accountant Internship | Senior Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% | Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.5% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |