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The differences between accountants and senior accountant analysts 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 senior accountant analyst. Additionally, a senior accountant analyst has an average salary of $75,282, 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 senior accountant analyst are reconciliations, external auditors, and account reconciliations.
| Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $54,890 | $75,282 |
| Hourly rate | $26.39 | $36.19 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,073 | 82,010 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| 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.
As a senior accountant analyst, your main role is to provide professional guidance to a company. You need to have excellent preparation skills to create financial reports that clearly state the expenses and forecast the company's financial future. You should always aim for accuracy and compliance. Moreover, as a senior accountant analyst, you are supposed to give general operational assistance to the company's management.
Accountants and senior accountant analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Average salary | $54,890 | $75,282 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $72,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | BMO Capital Markets |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between an accountant and a senior accountant analyst in terms of educational background:
| Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountants' and senior accountant analysts' demographics:
| Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% | Male, 49.4% Female, 50.6% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.1% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |