Accountant vs finance advisor

The differences between accountants and finance advisors 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 finance advisor. Additionally, a finance advisor has an average salary of $64,993, 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 finance advisor are team support, wealth management, and securities.

Accountant vs finance advisor overview

	Accountant	Finance Advisor
Yearly salary	$54,890	$64,993
Hourly rate	$26.39	$31.25
Growth rate	6%	15%
Number of jobs	60,073	106,311
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	44	45
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 finance advisor do?

A Financial Advisor specializes in sharing their expertise with an individual or company on how to handle and boost finances. The responsibilities of a Financial Advisor include creating and proposing a strategy to attain financial gains through profits and investments, educating the client about new methods and opportunities, monitor and evaluate progress, and as well as plan policies according to the clients' life changes. Furthermore, it is also the duty of the Financial Advisor to research new investments that would be of great help to the client's assets.

Accountant vs finance advisor salary

Accountants and finance advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accountant	Finance Advisor
Average salary	$54,890	$64,993
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $72,000	Between $34,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Enbridge
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between accountant and finance advisor education

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

	Accountant	Finance Advisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Accountant vs finance advisor demographics

Here are the differences between accountants' and finance advisors' demographics:

	Accountant	Finance Advisor
Average age	44	45
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7%
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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.3% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	5%

Differences between accountant and finance advisor 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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Finance advisor example responsibilities.

Manage all budget and forecast submissions into Hyperion.
Manage $3MM private investment portfolio consisting of mid-cap/large-cap equities.
Structure and manage investment portfolios using a range of financial instruments, including equity securities and fix income instruments.
Manage and strengthen customer relationships through cross-selling and up-selling to maximize retention and income generation by contacting existing and prospective customers.
Research eligibility and status of all Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Perform portfolio analysis using MorningStar workstation and complete cost basis research project.

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Accountant vs finance advisor skills

Common accountant skills

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

Common finance advisor skills

Team Support, 7%
Wealth Management, 7%
Securities, 6%
Strong Computer, 6%
Financial Services, 6%
Client Facing, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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