Certified fraud examiner vs forensic accountant

The differences between certified fraud examiners and forensic 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 certified fraud examiner and a forensic accountant. Additionally, a certified fraud examiner has an average salary of $69,522, which is higher than the $66,833 average annual salary of a forensic accountant.

The top three skills for a certified fraud examiner include litigation, financial institutions and background investigations. The most important skills for a forensic accountant are CPA, litigation, and forensic accounting.

Certified fraud examiner vs forensic accountant overview

	Certified Fraud Examiner	Forensic Accountant
Yearly salary	$69,522	$66,833
Hourly rate	$33.42	$32.13
Growth rate	21%	6%
Number of jobs	37,175	39,176
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	4	4

Certified fraud examiner vs forensic accountant salary

Certified fraud examiners and forensic accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Fraud Examiner	Forensic Accountant
Average salary	$69,522	$66,833
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $97,000	Between $44,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	Berkeley Research Group
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between certified fraud examiner and forensic accountant education

There are a few differences between a certified fraud examiner and a forensic accountant in terms of educational background:

	Certified Fraud Examiner	Forensic Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	University of Pennsylvania

Certified fraud examiner vs forensic accountant demographics

Here are the differences between certified fraud examiners' and forensic accountants' demographics:

	Certified Fraud Examiner	Forensic Accountant
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between certified fraud examiner and forensic accountant duties and responsibilities

Certified fraud examiner example responsibilities.

Achieve to eliminate IRS penalty fees for reporting payments make to unverify or fraudulent accounts.
Analyze financial records, identify assets and fraudulent transfers in support of surety bond claim litigation.
Blood collection by venipuncture and capillary technique ensure all specimens are collect accurately, on time and according to establish procedures.
Provide superior customer assistance by assisting clients with debit card fraudulent activity identification and provide follow-up, as required.

Forensic accountant example responsibilities.

Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Gain accounting and auditing experience with this CPA firm.
Select and roll out ERP software to meet company requirements.
Complete all tasks for a full service CPA firm independently with little supervision.
Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of GAAP to record transactions.
Prepare responses to interrogatories and requests for production documents.

Certified fraud examiner vs forensic accountant skills

Common certified fraud examiner skills

Litigation, 22%
Financial Institutions, 20%
Background Investigations, 17%
Financial Statements, 13%
Law Enforcement, 10%
Fraud Prevention, 6%

Common forensic accountant skills

CPA, 21%
Litigation, 16%
Forensic Accounting, 8%
Financial Data, 7%
Fraud Investigations, 7%
CFE, 5%

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Certified Fraud Examiner vs Forensic Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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