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The differences between accountant interns and tax 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 tax accountant. Additionally, a tax accountant has an average salary of $62,142, 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 tax accountant are CPA, tax audits, and income tax returns.
| Accountant Internship | Tax Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,484 | $62,142 |
| Hourly rate | $16.10 | $29.88 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 82,924 | 57,919 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| 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 tax accountant is an individual who works with clients to produce tax return documents that follow tax laws and regulations while keeping them updated on their return information. Tax accountants must determine tax strategies for their clients that may minimize or eliminate tax payments while arranging audits with taxation authorities. They prepare tax documents for different clients, including private companies, non-profit organizations, and private individuals. Tax accountants are also required to obtain a bachelor's degree in accounting and should understand business concepts.
Accountant interns and tax accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Internship | Tax Accountant | |
| Average salary | $33,484 | $62,142 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $45,000 | Between $45,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Novogradac | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between an accountant internship and a tax accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Internship | Tax 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 tax accountants' demographics:
| Accountant Internship | Tax Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% |
| 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, 8.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |