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The differences between accounting assistants and accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an accounting assistant, becoming an accountant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an accountant has an average salary of $54,890, which is higher than the $39,569 average annual salary of an accounting assistant.
The top three skills for an accounting assistant include data entry, customer service and reconciliations. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Accounting Assistant | Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,569 | $54,890 |
| Hourly rate | $19.02 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 63,945 | 60,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 51 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An accounting assistant is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the business' accounting department, from reviewing financial transactions to the submission of financial reports. Accounting assistants' duties include performing data entry and clerical tasks, maintaining a safe record of account statements, updating and analyzing transactions, verifying the accuracy of financial records, and managing customers and vendors' inquiries as immediate as possible. An accounting assistant must have a broad knowledge of the accounting principles and processes, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills, especially on meeting strict deadlines and doing complex tasks as needed.
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.
Accounting assistants and accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting Assistant | Accountant | |
| Average salary | $39,569 | $54,890 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $50,000 | Between $41,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an accounting assistant and an accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accounting Assistant | Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounting assistants' and accountants' demographics:
| Accounting Assistant | Accountant | |
| Average age | 51 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |