Accountant vs senior staff accountant

The differences between accountants and senior staff 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 senior staff accountant. Additionally, a senior staff accountant has an average salary of $65,019, 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 staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and CPA.

Accountant vs senior staff accountant overview

	Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$54,890	$65,019
Hourly rate	$26.39	$31.26
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	60,073	112,760
Job satisfaction	3	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
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 senior staff accountant do?

A senior staff accountant is responsible for managing the accounting operations of the company's accounting department, reconciling accounts, and finalizing financial reports to discuss with the management. Senior staff accountants resolve account discrepancies, analyze the company's financial status, and verify financial transactions. They must have excellent analytical skills and extensive knowledge of the accounting principles to perform accounting duties that would minimize the financial risk of the company. A senior staff accountant provides strategic recommendations to prevent overspending and increase efficiency across all departments to drive more revenues and profits.

Accountant vs senior staff accountant salary

Accountants and senior staff accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Average salary	$54,890	$65,019
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $72,000	Between $48,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Calumet Specialty Products Partners
Best paying industry	Technology	Professional

Differences between accountant and senior staff accountant education

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

	Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accountant vs senior staff accountant demographics

Here are the differences between accountants' and senior staff accountants' demographics:

	Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
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, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accountant and senior staff 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.

Senior staff accountant example responsibilities.

Manage month end close process including journal entries, departmental analysis and preparation of consolidate financial statements and account reconciliations.
Involve in revenue recognition research (ASC 985-605 vs. ASC 605-25).
Aid managers in performing AP duties, generate financial reports for CPA, and reconcile bank accounts for corporate office.
Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and general ledger analysis in accordance with GAAP.
Advance SaaS deal and rev accounting.
Cultivate productive, trustful relationship with external CPA firm, critical to producing successful audits and year-end reporting.

Accountant vs senior staff accountant skills

Common accountant skills

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

Common senior staff accountant skills

Reconciliations, 13%
Account Reconciliations, 7%
CPA, 7%
GAAP, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%
Balance Sheet Accounts, 4%

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Accountant vs Senior Staff Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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