Chief accountant vs head accountant

The differences between chief accountants and head 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 chief accountant and a head accountant. Additionally, a head accountant has an average salary of $119,485, which is higher than the $61,481 average annual salary of a chief accountant.

The top three skills for a chief accountant include external auditors, reconciliations and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for a head accountant are account management, client relationships, and business development.

Chief accountant vs head accountant overview

	Chief Accountant	Head Accountant
Yearly salary	$61,481	$119,485
Hourly rate	$29.56	$57.44
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	52,287	43,069
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Chief accountant vs head accountant salary

Chief accountants and head accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Accountant	Head Accountant
Average salary	$61,481	$119,485
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $87,000	Between $73,000 And $194,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Albany, NY
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	IBM	Citi
Best paying industry	Retail	Construction

Differences between chief accountant and head accountant education

There are a few differences between a chief accountant and a head accountant in terms of educational background:

	Chief Accountant	Head Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Chief accountant vs head accountant demographics

Here are the differences between chief accountants' and head accountants' demographics:

	Chief Accountant	Head Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 16.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between chief accountant and head accountant duties and responsibilities

Chief accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Prepare monthly trial balance, balance sheets, and profit and loss statements according to GAAP.
Prepare monthly account reconciliations (bank reconciliation, accounts receivable reconciliation, accounts payable reconciliation, and general ledger reconciliation).
Research, advise and resolve accounting and business issues, ensuring compliance with U.S. GAAP and head office requirements.
Monitor deposits and withdrawals of revenue and expenses, review payroll, and ensure accurate processing and timely bank reconciliations.
Prepare daily SOX audit documentation, ensuring that bank account activity have been reconcile and to identify any outstanding variances.

Head accountant example responsibilities.

Manage complex pricing structure and maintain SalesForce CRM funnel for forecasting accuracy.
Handle A/P, A/R, accruals, fix assets, and prepay items.
Analyze, audit and/or prepare monthly financial records for individual schools, monthly payroll liability reconciliations and account analysis.
Complete various questionnaires require by GAAP (e.g.
Complete third party billing for Medicaid and Medicare claims.
Prepare all tax reports and evaluate any discrepancies with company CPA.

Chief accountant vs head accountant skills

Common chief accountant skills

External Auditors, 13%
Reconciliations, 10%
General Ledger Accounts, 9%
Balance Sheet Accounts, 7%
Financial Reports, 5%
Internal Controls, 4%

Common head accountant skills

Account Management, 32%
Client Relationships, 10%
Business Development, 5%
National Accounts, 5%
General Ledger, 4%
Financial Reports, 3%