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The differences between accountants and tax preparers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an accountant has an average salary of $54,890, which is higher than the $51,020 average annual salary of a tax preparer.
The top three skills for an accountant include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and account reconciliations. The most important skills for a tax preparer are customer service, good communication, and exceptional client.
| Accountant | Tax Preparer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,890 | $51,020 |
| Hourly rate | $26.39 | $24.53 |
| Growth rate | 6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 60,073 | 41,736 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 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 tax preparer is responsible for preparing and processing the tax obligations of an organization. Tax preparers' duties include calculating tax returns, reviewing financial statements and make adjustments as needed, analyzing deductible expenses and credits, and adhering to the tax regulations and legislation procedures at all times. A tax preparer must have excellent knowledge of the tax processes and timely updated with the recent changes and updates within the financial industry. Tax preparers should have impeccable analytical and critical thinking skills to manage account statements for business and individual clients.
Accountants and tax preparers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant | Tax Preparer | |
| Average salary | $54,890 | $51,020 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $72,000 | Between $30,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Goldman Sachs |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between an accountant and a tax preparer in terms of educational background:
| Accountant | Tax Preparer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between accountants' and tax preparers' demographics:
| Accountant | Tax Preparer | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% |
| 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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 10.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |