Accountant vs certified public accountant

The differences between accountants and certified public 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 and a certified public accountant. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $54,890 average annual salary of an accountant.

The top three skills for an accountant include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and account reconciliations. The most important skills for a certified public accountant are CPA, customer service, and IRS.

Accountant vs certified public accountant overview

	Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Yearly salary	$54,890	$76,693
Hourly rate	$26.39	$36.87
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	60,073	78,792
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

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 certified public accountant do?

A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.

Accountant vs certified public accountant salary

Accountants and certified public accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average salary	$54,890	$76,693
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $72,000	Between $49,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Meta	Applied Materials
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between accountant and certified public accountant education

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

	Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accountant vs certified public accountant demographics

Here are the differences between accountants' and certified public accountants' demographics:

	Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.4% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accountant and certified public accountant 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.

Certified public accountant example responsibilities.

Mentor highly skil accounting and tax management team to achieve establish objectives including conformity with GAAP compliance.
Maintain monthly client bookkeeping including bank reconciliations, account payable and prepare preliminary financial statements for CPA review.
Conduct bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and generate general ledgers as well as raise concerns about expenditure classifications and revenue recognition.
Prepare and review month-end close, including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, and financial statement supporting documentation.
Gain a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.
Prepare and monitor audit programs, assist management in design and monitoring of SOX compliance programs.

Accountant vs certified public accountant skills

Common accountant skills

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

Common certified public accountant skills

CPA, 48%
Customer Service, 22%
IRS, 7%
State Tax Returns, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 2%
Financial Statement Preparation, 1%

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Accountant vs Certified Public Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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