Accounting associate vs staff accountant

The differences between accounting associates and staff 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 a staff accountant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a staff accountant has an average salary of $54,216, 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 a staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and GAAP.

Accounting associate vs staff accountant overview

	Accounting Associate	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$50,537	$54,216
Hourly rate	$24.30	$26.07
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	49,143	115,930
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 a staff accountant do?

Staff accountants are employees who are part of the company's accounting department. They are usually certified public accountants (CPAs). Staff accountants should be familiar with accounting tasks. Previous accounting experiences play a huge advantage in their success. They perform a variety of accounting responsibilities such as information verification and analysis, financial report preparation and presentation, financial account reconciliation, billing and payment receiving activities, vendor database management, and invoice processing requirements. They should also know how to do bookkeeping. Staff accountants should have good communication skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills. They should also be organized and trustworthy since they will be handling confidential information.

Accounting associate vs staff accountant salary

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

	Accounting Associate	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$50,537	$54,216
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $74,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Point72	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between accounting associate and staff accountant education

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

	Accounting Associate	Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting associate vs staff accountant demographics

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

	Accounting Associate	Staff Accountant
Average age	51	44
Gender ratio	Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.4% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting associate and staff 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.

Staff accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Contribute revenue accruals using job cost system, fix assets including reclassification, reconciliation and depreciation.
Prepare month-end journal entries and assist in compilation of financial statements, reconcile bank statements and general ledgers.
Complete audit-quality account reconciliations monthly for balance sheet accounts including the capital projects in progress accounts and miscellaneous revenue accounts.
Assume responsibility for cash management encompassing wire and ACH transfers processing, bank activity confirmation, and monthly bank account reconciliations.
Handle all A/R and A/P, payroll, change orders, collections, lien placement and release, vendor account management.

Accounting associate vs staff 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 staff accountant skills

Reconciliations, 15%
Account Reconciliations, 7%
GAAP, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 4%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%

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Accounting Associate
Accounting Associate vs Staff Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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