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The differences between charge bookkeepers and accounting assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a charge bookkeeper and an accounting assistant. Additionally, a charge bookkeeper has an average salary of $46,615, which is higher than the $39,569 average annual salary of an accounting assistant.
The top three skills for a charge bookkeeper include reconciliations, payroll tax returns and balance sheet. The most important skills for an accounting assistant are data entry, customer service, and reconciliations.
| Charge Bookkeeper | Accounting Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $46,615 | $39,569 |
| Hourly rate | $22.41 | $19.02 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 27,542 | 63,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
An accounting assistant is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the business' accounting department, from reviewing financial transactions to the submission of financial reports. Accounting assistants' duties include performing data entry and clerical tasks, maintaining a safe record of account statements, updating and analyzing transactions, verifying the accuracy of financial records, and managing customers and vendors' inquiries as immediate as possible. An accounting assistant must have a broad knowledge of the accounting principles and processes, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills, especially on meeting strict deadlines and doing complex tasks as needed.
Charge bookkeepers and accounting assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Charge Bookkeeper | Accounting Assistant | |
| Average salary | $46,615 | $39,569 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $58,000 | Between $30,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | The Carney Group | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Finance |
There are a few differences between a charge bookkeeper and an accounting assistant in terms of educational background:
| Charge Bookkeeper | Accounting Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between charge bookkeepers' and accounting assistants' demographics:
| Charge Bookkeeper | Accounting Assistant | |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1% | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% |
| 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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |