Accounting staff vs accounting bookkeeper

The differences between accounting staff and accounting bookkeepers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an accounting staff and an accounting bookkeeper. Additionally, an accounting staff has an average salary of $53,322, which is higher than the $51,406 average annual salary of an accounting bookkeeper.

The top three skills for an accounting staff include reconciliations, journal entries and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for an accounting bookkeeper are data entry, reconciliations, and payroll taxes.

Accounting staff vs accounting bookkeeper overview

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Bookkeeper
Yearly salary	$53,322	$51,406
Hourly rate	$25.64	$24.71
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	108,836	40,579
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

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 bookkeeper do?

An Accounting Bookkeeper supervises the financial data and compliance of a company. Accounting Bookkeepers maintain accurate books on accounts receivable and payable, daily financial reconciliations and entries, and payroll. They are in charge of recording various transactions like income and outgoings and posting these transactions to different accounts.

Accounting staff vs accounting bookkeeper salary

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

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Bookkeeper
Average salary	$53,322	$51,406
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $73,000	Between $39,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	Vallejo, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Delaware
Best paying company	Essex Property Trust	GrowthForce
Best paying industry	Professional	Professional

Differences between accounting staff and accounting bookkeeper education

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

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Bookkeeper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting staff vs accounting bookkeeper demographics

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

	Accounting Staff	Accounting Bookkeeper
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1%	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
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, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting staff and accounting bookkeeper 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.

Accounting bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Process bi-weekly payroll through ADP on-line system; manage distribution of live checks.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
General ledger entries for AR and AP, parts and sales of power equipment.
Prepare and print AP checks.
Report payroll to ADP system and reconcile payroll account.
Work with client's CPA firm for reporting and tax preparation.

Accounting staff vs accounting bookkeeper 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 bookkeeper skills

Data Entry, 8%
Reconciliations, 8%
Payroll Taxes, 8%
Journal Entries, 7%
Vendor Invoices, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%

Accounting Staff vs. similar jobs

Accounting Staff related careers

Accounting Staff related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Accounting Staff
Accounting Staff vs Accounting Bookkeeper

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs