Certified Public Accountant Vs Tax Analyst

The differences between certified public accountants and tax analysts 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 a tax analyst takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $61,745 average annual salary of a tax analyst.

The top three skills for a certified public accountant include CPA, customer service and IRS. The most important skills for a tax analyst are tax audits, reconciliations, and tax compliance.

Certified public accountant vs tax analyst overview

	Certified Public Accountant	Tax Analyst
Yearly Salary	$76,693	$61,745
Hourly rate	$36.87	$29.69
Growth Rate	6%	-7%
Number Of Jobs	78,792	56,223
Job Satisfaction	-	-
Most Common Degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average Age	44	48
Years Of Experience	4	2

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 tax analyst do?

A tax analyst specializes in managing and filing tax forms and tax returns, all while devising strategies to reduce tax payments legally. A tax analyst may work as a member of a company or independently. Moreover, in a company setting, the responsibilities of a tax analyst revolve around coordinating with different departments to obtain all necessary documentation and financial information, maintaining accurate and extensive records of all transactions, and resolving any issues or concerns. Furthermore, it is essential to remain updated with all the tax laws, all while adhering to the policies and regulations of the company.

Certified public accountant vs tax analyst salary

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

	Certified Public Accountant	Tax Analyst
Average Salary	$76,693	$61,745
Salary Range	Between $49,000 And $119,000	Between $43,000 And $87,000
Highest Paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest Paying State	New Jersey	Maine
Best Paying Company	Applied Materials	Meta
Best Paying Industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between certified public accountant and tax analyst education

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

	Certified Public Accountant	Tax Analyst
Most Common Degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most Common Major	Accounting	Accounting
Most Common College	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Certified public accountant vs tax analyst demographics

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

	Certified Public Accountant	Tax Analyst
Average Age	44	48
Gender Ratio	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%	Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1%
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, 13.1% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	8%

Differences between certified public accountant and tax analyst 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.

Tax Analyst Example Responsibilities.

Utilize QuickBooks to manage client data and prepare necessary financial statements.
Own the preparation of the consolidated/worldwide provision calculations and AJE, including account reconciliations.
Prepare ASC 740 tax accounting calculations.
Input apportionment factors into OneSource tax system.
Correspond with taxpayers, accountants, and CPAs.
Assist in federal and state return preparation using OneSource software.

Certified public accountant vs tax analyst 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 Tax Analyst Skills

Tax Audits, 6%
Reconciliations, 4%
Tax Compliance, 4%
Tax Payments, 4%
Tax Software, 4%
Income Tax Returns, 4%

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Certified Public Accountant vs Tax Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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