Certified public accountant vs accounting bookkeeper

The differences between certified public accountants and accounting bookkeepers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a certified public accountant, becoming an accounting bookkeeper takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $51,406 average annual salary of an accounting bookkeeper.

The top three skills for a certified public accountant include CPA, customer service and IRS. The most important skills for an accounting bookkeeper are data entry, reconciliations, and payroll taxes.

Certified public accountant vs accounting bookkeeper overview

	Certified Public Accountant	Accounting Bookkeeper
Yearly salary	$76,693	$51,406
Hourly rate	$36.87	$24.71
Growth rate	6%	-5%
Number of jobs	78,792	40,579
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	44	51
Years of experience	4	6

What does a certified public accountant do?

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.

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.

Certified public accountant vs accounting bookkeeper salary

Certified public accountants and accounting bookkeepers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Public Accountant	Accounting Bookkeeper
Average salary	$76,693	$51,406
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $119,000	Between $39,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Vallejo, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Delaware
Best paying company	Applied Materials	GrowthForce
Best paying industry	Finance	Professional

Differences between certified public accountant and accounting bookkeeper education

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

	Certified Public Accountant	Accounting Bookkeeper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Certified public accountant vs accounting bookkeeper demographics

Here are the differences between certified public accountants' and accounting bookkeepers' demographics:

	Certified Public Accountant	Accounting Bookkeeper
Average age	44	51
Gender ratio	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
Race ratio	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%	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 certified public accountant and accounting bookkeeper duties and responsibilities

Certified public accountant example responsibilities.

Mentor highly skil accounting and tax management team to achieve establish objectives including conformity with GAAP compliance.
Maintain monthly client bookkeeping including bank reconciliations, account payable and prepare preliminary financial statements for CPA review.
Conduct bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and generate general ledgers as well as raise concerns about expenditure classifications and revenue recognition.
Prepare and review month-end close, including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, and financial statement supporting documentation.
Gain a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.
Prepare and monitor audit programs, assist management in design and monitoring of SOX compliance programs.

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.

Certified public accountant vs accounting bookkeeper skills

Common certified public accountant skills

CPA, 48%
Customer Service, 22%
IRS, 7%
State Tax Returns, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 2%
Financial Statement Preparation, 1%

Common accounting bookkeeper skills

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

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Certified Public Accountant vs Accounting Bookkeeper

Updated January 8, 2025

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