Accounting internship vs accounting analyst

The differences between accounting interns and accounting analysts 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 internship, becoming an accounting analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an accounting analyst has an average salary of $58,399, which is higher than the $30,642 average annual salary of an accounting internship.

The top three skills for an accounting internship include reconciliations, data entry and payroll. The most important skills for an accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.

Accounting internship vs accounting analyst overview

	Accounting Internship	Accounting Analyst
Yearly salary	$30,642	$58,399
Hourly rate	$14.73	$28.08
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	80,299	81,097
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	51	44
Years of experience	6	4

What does an accounting internship do?

An accounting internship is a trainee who reports to an organization's accountant in order to learn about the accounting field, complete financial projects and files taxes, and financial reports. An intern should be a graduate of a Bachelor's or Master's in Accounting and should have an aptitude for mathematics and proficiency with computers. In order to prepare financial reports, an intern should possess knowledge with bookkeeping software. An intern must also know how to handle sensitive information with honesty and integrity.

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.

Accounting internship vs accounting analyst salary

Accounting interns and accounting analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Internship	Accounting Analyst
Average salary	$30,642	$58,399
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $42,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	BWX Technologies	Google
Best paying industry	Telecommunication	Finance

Differences between accounting internship and accounting analyst education

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

	Accounting Internship	Accounting Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting internship vs accounting analyst demographics

Here are the differences between accounting interns' and accounting analysts' demographics:

	Accounting Internship	Accounting Analyst
Average age	51	44
Gender ratio	Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting internship and accounting analyst duties and responsibilities

Accounting internship example responsibilities.

Acquire training on the automated ADP payroll system which lead to a recommendation for the payroll manager position.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Prepare and process accounts payable checks and ACH payments.
Code diagnosis and add appropriate modifiers to CPT codes.
Prepare and maintain monthly departmental reports to maintain SOX compliance.
Demonstrate knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9 codes, and CPT codes.

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.

Accounting internship vs accounting analyst skills

Common accounting internship skills

Reconciliations, 14%
Data Entry, 7%
Payroll, 6%
First Hand, 6%
Work Ethic, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 5%

Common accounting analyst skills

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

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Accounting Internship vs Accounting Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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