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The differences between accountants and lawyers 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 lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, 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 lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| Accountant | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,890 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $26.39 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 60,073 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
Accountants and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $54,890 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $72,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an accountant and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Accountant | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Law |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between accountants' and lawyers' demographics:
| Accountant | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 10% |