Accountant vs bookkeeper

The differences between accountants and bookkeepers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an accountant, becoming a bookkeeper takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an accountant has an average salary of $54,890, which is higher than the $40,337 average annual salary of a bookkeeper.

The top three skills for an accountant include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and account reconciliations. The most important skills for a bookkeeper are payroll tax returns, customer service, and reconciliations.

Accountant vs bookkeeper overview

	Accountant	Bookkeeper
Yearly salary	$54,890	$40,337
Hourly rate	$26.39	$19.39
Growth rate	6%	-5%
Number of jobs	60,073	38,481
Job satisfaction	3	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	44	51
Years of experience	4	6

What does an accountant do?

An accountant is an individual whose primary task is to prepare, keep, examine, and interpret financial records. Most accountants are in charge of a wide scope of finance-related tasks, either for private individuals or for large-scale businesses and organizations they are employed with. They make sure that financial statements and records are accurate and comply with laws and regulations. They also compute for taxes, prepare tax returns, and ensure being paid properly and on time. As they keep track and record the flow of money, they can offer guidance on how to reduce costs, enhance revenue, and help in profit maximization.

What does a bookkeeper do?

Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.

Accountant vs bookkeeper salary

Accountants and bookkeepers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accountant	Bookkeeper
Average salary	$54,890	$40,337
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $72,000	Between $30,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Meta	NTT Data International L.L.C.
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between accountant and bookkeeper education

There are a few differences between an accountant and a bookkeeper in terms of educational background:

	Accountant	Bookkeeper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accountant vs bookkeeper demographics

Here are the differences between accountants' and bookkeepers' demographics:

	Accountant	Bookkeeper
Average age	44	51
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accountant and bookkeeper duties and responsibilities

Accountant example responsibilities.

Manage preparation of the statutory financial statements and financial aggregates in compliance with IFRS and local applicable norms.
Manage personnel financial matters including salaries, taxation procedures and other relate issues.
Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Reconstruct and improve many balance sheet account reconciliations for easier reading and interpretation by senior level management.
Perform complex general accounting functions, including preparation of journal entries, account analysis and balance sheet reconciliations.
Maintain general ledgers and preparation of monthly and other periodic financial reports in accordance with GAAP and international accounting standards.

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Bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform journal entries, balance ledger, perform bank reconciliations, control inventory, coordinate proper guest accommodation.
Post and update of daily sales and purchases into QuickBooks system.
Execute monthly collection of Medicaid surplus funds from clients on a monthly basis.
Post resident receipts, Medicaid remittance, and process adjusting entries to the A/R detail.
Work closely with QC personnel for the planning of tooling and the flow process of PWB's.

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Accountant vs bookkeeper skills

Common accountant skills

Reconciliations, 14%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common bookkeeper skills

Payroll Tax Returns, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Reconciliations, 10%
Data Entry, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Financial Transactions, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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