Accounting analyst vs senior accountant

The differences between accounting analysts and senior 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 accounting analyst and a senior accountant. Additionally, a senior accountant has an average salary of $71,967, which is higher than the $58,399 average annual salary of an accounting analyst.

The top three skills for an accounting analyst include reconciliations, customer service and account reconciliations. The most important skills for a senior accountant are reconciliations, CPA, and GAAP.

Accounting analyst vs senior accountant overview

	Accounting Analyst	Senior Accountant
Yearly salary	$58,399	$71,967
Hourly rate	$28.08	$34.60
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	81,097	76,816
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does an accounting analyst do?

An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.

What does a senior accountant do?

A senior accountant is responsible for organizing financial reports, analyzing cost estimates, reviewing budget goals regularly, and making adjustments with the company's account statements as necessary. Senior accountants' duties also include managing account reconciliations, preparing tax documents, maintaining audit records and balance sheets, generating invoices, and providing recommendations to minimize possible financial loss. A senior accountant must have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of accounting and financial principles.

Accounting analyst vs senior accountant salary

Accounting analysts and senior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Analyst	Senior Accountant
Average salary	$58,399	$71,967
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $79,000	Between $55,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Google	Google
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between accounting analyst and senior accountant education

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

	Accounting Analyst	Senior Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting analyst vs senior accountant demographics

Here are the differences between accounting analysts' and senior accountants' demographics:

	Accounting Analyst	Senior Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.5% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting analyst and senior accountant duties and responsibilities

Accounting analyst example responsibilities.

Manage and process all ACH, EFT and wire transfer transactions daily (debit or credits).
Manage reconciling monthly discrepancies between ERP transfers.
Manage budget submissions by subsidiaries in Europe/AFNE region in Hyperion.
Establish investment objectives to efficiently manage IPO proceeds within state risk parameters.
Maintain accounting controls by following GAAP and internal accounting policies; maintain financial security by following internal controls.
Review and approve monthly general ledger and bank account reconciliations for special condition accounts to ensure procedural consistency and compliance.

Senior accountant example responsibilities.

Manage complex pricing structure and maintain SalesForce CRM funnel for forecasting accuracy.
Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Manage the review, enhancement, and creation of department policy and procedure documentation require for Sarbanes-Oxley auditing and compliance.
Compile and analyze financial information to prepare monthly accruals, payroll journal, general journal and bank reconciliations.
Research and develop policies around Medicaid and Medicare billings and prepare Medicaid cost reports.
Coordinate submissions of financial data from regional divisions and prepare the consolidated company financial statement using Hyperion program.

Accounting analyst vs senior accountant skills

Common accounting analyst skills

Reconciliations, 12%
Customer Service, 7%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Strong Analytical, 4%
Payroll, 4%

Common senior accountant skills

Reconciliations, 13%
CPA, 8%
GAAP, 7%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%
Payroll, 4%

Accounting Analyst vs. similar jobs

Accounting Analyst related careers

Accounting Analyst related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Accounting Analyst
Accounting Analyst vs Senior Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs