Certified public accountant vs junior accountant

The differences between certified public accountants and junior 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 public accountant and a junior accountant. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $50,444 average annual salary of a junior accountant.

The top three skills for a certified public accountant include CPA, customer service and IRS. The most important skills for a junior accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.

Certified public accountant vs junior accountant overview

	Certified Public Accountant	Junior Accountant
Yearly salary	$76,693	$50,444
Hourly rate	$36.87	$24.25
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	78,792	57,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

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 a junior accountant do?

Junior accountants maintain the financial records of companies through the analysis of their general ledger accounts and balance sheets. The accountant's post journal entries, maintain accounts receivable and payable, and update financial statements. They pay payroll every month, reconcile ledgers, and submit payroll taxes. The skills necessary for this job include analytical skills, problem-solving, information confidentiality, and proficiency in accounting software and technology. They are also expected to be detail-oriented.

Certified public accountant vs junior accountant salary

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

	Certified Public Accountant	Junior Accountant
Average salary	$76,693	$50,444
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $119,000	Between $38,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New York
Best paying company	Applied Materials	Fuhu
Best paying industry	Finance	Construction

Differences between certified public accountant and junior accountant education

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

	Certified Public Accountant	Junior Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Certified public accountant vs junior accountant demographics

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

	Certified Public Accountant	Junior Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%	Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between certified public accountant and junior accountant 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.

Junior accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Perform and assist with month-end close procedures, including preparation of monthly balance sheet and income statement account reconciliations.
Identify hundreds of daily transactions from banking statements using QuickBooks and present monthly financial reports
Perform bank and credit card reconciliations and assist with month-end accruals in addition to inter-company reconciliations.
Prepare financial schedules, account reconciliations, and detail financial statements and reports for analysis, financial reporting, and decision-making.
Deposit checks into lockbox and post to funds to proper accounts daily.

Certified public accountant vs junior accountant 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 junior accountant skills

Reconciliations, 18%
General Ledger Accounts, 8%
Account Reconciliations, 5%
Data Entry, 5%
QuickBooks, 4%
Payroll Taxes, 4%

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Certified Public Accountant vs Junior Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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