Accounting staff vs accounting analyst

The differences between accounting staff 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 staff, 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 $53,322 average annual salary of an accounting staff.

The top three skills for an accounting staff include reconciliations, journal entries and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for an accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.

Accounting staff vs accounting analyst overview

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Analyst
Yearly salary	$53,322	$58,399
Hourly rate	$25.64	$28.08
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	108,836	81,097
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	51	44
Years of experience	6	4

What does an accounting staff do?

The accounting staff works alongside the head accountant in an organization, company, or business. Proper accounting is essential for all companies as it will help management assess areas of the company that needs adjustments, especially budget-wise. Aside from this, a competent accounting staff assists in the company's bookkeeping and filing its taxes. The accounting staff must be highly organized, communicate well with colleagues, and generate accurate reports for the executives and management.

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 staff vs accounting analyst salary

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

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Analyst
Average salary	$53,322	$58,399
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $73,000	Between $42,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	New York
Best paying company	Essex Property Trust	Google
Best paying industry	Professional	Finance

Differences between accounting staff and accounting analyst education

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

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting staff vs accounting analyst demographics

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

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Analyst
Average age	51	44
Gender ratio	Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.3% 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 staff and accounting analyst duties and responsibilities

Accounting staff example responsibilities.

Manage accounts payable activities such as receiving and processing invoices, preparing relate journal entries and completing monthly reconciliations.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Administer management of AR transactions in support of optimizing cash-inflow, including establishing and maintaining account reconciliations.
Ensure accuracy of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and internal policies.
Audit reports and approve invoices to ensure proper coding are done in compliance with GAAP.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.

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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.

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Accounting staff vs accounting analyst skills

Common accounting staff skills

Reconciliations, 9%
Journal Entries, 8%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Payroll Taxes, 6%
Cash Management, 5%
Accounts Payable Processing, 5%

Common accounting analyst skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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