Bookkeeper vs staff accountant

The differences between bookkeepers 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 a bookkeeper, 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 $40,337 average annual salary of a bookkeeper.

The top three skills for a bookkeeper include payroll tax returns, customer service and reconciliations. The most important skills for a staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and GAAP.

Bookkeeper vs staff accountant overview

	Bookkeeper	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$40,337	$54,216
Hourly rate	$19.39	$26.07
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	38,481	115,930
Job satisfaction	5	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	51	44
Years of experience	6	4

What does a bookkeeper do?

Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.

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.

Bookkeeper vs staff accountant salary

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

	Bookkeeper	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$40,337	$54,216
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $52,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	NTT Data International L.L.C.	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between bookkeeper and staff accountant education

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

	Bookkeeper	Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Bookkeeper vs staff accountant demographics

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

	Bookkeeper	Staff Accountant
Average age	51	44
Gender ratio	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% 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 bookkeeper and staff accountant duties and responsibilities

Bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform journal entries, balance ledger, perform bank reconciliations, control inventory, coordinate proper guest accommodation.
Post and update of daily sales and purchases into QuickBooks system.
Execute monthly collection of Medicaid surplus funds from clients on a monthly basis.
Post resident receipts, Medicaid remittance, and process adjusting entries to the A/R detail.
Work closely with QC personnel for the planning of tooling and the flow process of PWB's.

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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.

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Bookkeeper vs staff accountant skills

Common bookkeeper skills

Payroll Tax Returns, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Reconciliations, 10%
Data Entry, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Financial Transactions, 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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Updated January 8, 2025

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