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The differences between cash accountants and certified public accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cash accountant and a certified public accountant. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $57,971 average annual salary of a cash accountant.
The top three skills for a cash accountant include reconciliations, cash management and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for a certified public accountant are CPA, customer service, and IRS.
| Cash Accountant | Certified Public Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $57,971 | $76,693 |
| Hourly rate | $27.87 | $36.87 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 40,765 | 78,792 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Cash accountants are accounting professionals who are responsible for recording revenues and expenses during the period when cash is received and paid, respectively. These accountants are required to prepare journal entries and perform cash account reconciliations to balance bank and book balances during month-end closing activities. They must prepare all bank deposits and generate financial and payroll reports that are submitted to the operational and executive management team. Cash accountants must also provide analysis and resolution about the discrepancies in the bank and general ledger entries to internal departments and bank representatives.
A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.
Cash accountants and certified public accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cash Accountant | Certified Public Accountant | |
| Average salary | $57,971 | $76,693 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $76,000 | Between $49,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Applied Materials |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a cash accountant and a certified public accountant in terms of educational background:
| Cash Accountant | Certified Public Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between cash accountants' and certified public accountants' demographics:
| Cash Accountant | Certified Public Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8% | Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 12.2% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.4% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |