Accounting associate vs accountant

The differences between accounting associates 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 associate, becoming an accountant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an accountant has an average salary of $54,890, which is higher than the $50,537 average annual salary of an accounting associate.

The top three skills for an accounting associate include reconciliations, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.

Accounting associate vs accountant overview

	Accounting Associate	Accountant
Yearly salary	$50,537	$54,890
Hourly rate	$24.30	$26.39
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	49,143	60,073
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	51	44
Years of experience	6	4

What does an accounting associate do?

An accounting associate is responsible for supporting the operations of the accounting department, ensuring the stability of the financial services and status of an organization. Accounting associates process invoices, update client accounts on the database, manage financial reports, assist with tax auditing and processing, monitoring the financial statements and activities of the organization, escalate financial disputes, and verify accounts receivable. An accounting associate must have excellent knowledge of the accounting industry, as well as exceptional analytical and time-management skills to perform clerical duties as needed under minimal supervision.

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.

Accounting associate vs accountant salary

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

	Accounting Associate	Accountant
Average salary	$50,537	$54,890
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $74,000	Between $41,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Point72	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between accounting associate and accountant education

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

	Accounting Associate	Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting associate vs accountant demographics

Here are the differences between accounting associates' and accountants' demographics:

	Accounting Associate	Accountant
Average age	51	44
Gender ratio	Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5%	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 67.7% 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%

Differences between accounting associate and accountant duties and responsibilities

Accounting associate example responsibilities.

Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Reconcile bank statements and prepare company's financial data to be process by outside CPA for tax season.
Assist the firm's CPA in yearly personal and corporate income tax returns, business valuations and audits.
Reconcile cash receipts to the general ledger (lock-boxes, checks, wire transfers, and ACH payments).
Insure preparation and submission of computerize payroll to DFAS for assign personnel.
Develop PowerPoint presentations for use in trials and conferences.

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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.

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Accounting associate vs accountant skills

Common accounting associate skills

Reconciliations, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Data Entry, 8%
Account Reconciliations, 4%
General Ledger Accounts, 4%
Purchase Orders, 4%

Common accountant skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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