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The differences between accounting assistants and junior 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 a junior accountant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a junior accountant has an average salary of $50,444, 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 a junior accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Accounting Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,569 | $50,444 |
| Hourly rate | $19.02 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 63,945 | 57,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
Junior accountants maintain the financial records of companies through the analysis of their general ledger accounts and balance sheets. The accountant's post journal entries, maintain accounts receivable and payable, and update financial statements. They pay payroll every month, reconcile ledgers, and submit payroll taxes. The skills necessary for this job include analytical skills, problem-solving, information confidentiality, and proficiency in accounting software and technology. They are also expected to be detail-oriented.
Accounting assistants and junior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $39,569 | $50,444 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $50,000 | Between $38,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Fuhu |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Construction |
There are a few differences between an accounting assistant and a junior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Accounting Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounting assistants' and junior accountants' demographics:
| Accounting Assistant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average age | 51 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |