Charge bookkeeper vs accountant

The differences between charge bookkeepers and accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a charge bookkeeper, becoming an accountant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an accountant has an average salary of $54,890, which is higher than the $46,615 average annual salary of a charge bookkeeper.

The top three skills for a charge bookkeeper include reconciliations, payroll tax returns and balance sheet. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.

Charge bookkeeper vs accountant overview

	Charge Bookkeeper	Accountant
Yearly salary	$46,615	$54,890
Hourly rate	$22.41	$26.39
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	27,542	60,073
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	51	44
Years of experience	6	4

What does a charge bookkeeper do?

A full charge bookkeeper's primary job is to manage and handle all the accounts of a small or medium-sized business. They are responsible for overseeing the accounting duties for a company, including billing customers, preparing bank statements and tax returns, and processing timesheets. Also, a full charge bookkeeper collates and enters vendor expenses, maintains the ledger's accuracy, and process accounts receivables. There are specific requirements you should meet to become a successful full charge bookkeeper, such as having a bachelor's degree in accounting, previous work experience as a charge bookkeeper, and bookkeeping certification.

What does an accountant do?

An accountant is an individual whose primary task is to prepare, keep, examine, and interpret financial records. Most accountants are in charge of a wide scope of finance-related tasks, either for private individuals or for large-scale businesses and organizations they are employed with. They make sure that financial statements and records are accurate and comply with laws and regulations. They also compute for taxes, prepare tax returns, and ensure being paid properly and on time. As they keep track and record the flow of money, they can offer guidance on how to reduce costs, enhance revenue, and help in profit maximization.

Charge bookkeeper vs accountant salary

Charge bookkeepers and accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Charge Bookkeeper	Accountant
Average salary	$46,615	$54,890
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $58,000	Between $41,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Alaska	New York
Best paying company	The Carney Group	Meta
Best paying industry	Construction	Technology

Differences between charge bookkeeper and accountant education

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

	Charge Bookkeeper	Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Charge bookkeeper vs accountant demographics

Here are the differences between charge bookkeepers' and accountants' demographics:

	Charge Bookkeeper	Accountant
Average age	51	44
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between charge bookkeeper and accountant duties and responsibilities

Charge bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Accomplish annual workers comp and business liability audits.
Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Handle monthly account reconciliations and oversee and are responsible for quarterly financial reporting to company CPA.
Perform a variety of diversify responsibilities including: account management, reconciliations, generating checks, preparing bank deposits.
Handle A/P, A/R, G/L, F/S, P/R, reconcile bank statement and customer relations.
Support internal, external, and SOX audits.

Show more

Accountant example responsibilities.

Manage preparation of the statutory financial statements and financial aggregates in compliance with IFRS and local applicable norms.
Manage personnel financial matters including salaries, taxation procedures and other relate issues.
Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Reconstruct and improve many balance sheet account reconciliations for easier reading and interpretation by senior level management.
Perform complex general accounting functions, including preparation of journal entries, account analysis and balance sheet reconciliations.
Maintain general ledgers and preparation of monthly and other periodic financial reports in accordance with GAAP and international accounting standards.

Show more

Charge bookkeeper vs accountant skills

Common charge bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 17%
Payroll Tax Returns, 10%
Balance Sheet, 5%
Fixed Assets, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 4%

Common accountant skills

Reconciliations, 14%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Charge Bookkeeper vs. similar jobs

Charge Bookkeeper related careers

Charge Bookkeeper related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z