Control accountant vs certified public accountant

The differences between control accountants and certified public 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 control accountant and a certified public accountant. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $66,563 average annual salary of a control accountant.

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

Control accountant vs certified public accountant overview

	Control Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Yearly salary	$66,563	$76,693
Hourly rate	$32.00	$36.87
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	75,702	78,792
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a control accountant do?

A Control Accountant is in charge of managing a company's accounting records and spearheads the development of financial reports. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it typically includes coordinating with different teams to gather and analyze data, conduct audits and risk analyses, monitor budgets and expenditures, review documents and other transactions and develop strategies to optimize operations. A Control Accountant leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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.

Control accountant vs certified public accountant salary

Control accountants and certified public accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Control Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average salary	$66,563	$76,693
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $91,000	Between $49,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Marathon Oil	Applied Materials
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between control accountant and certified public accountant education

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

	Control Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Control accountant vs certified public accountant demographics

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

	Control Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between control accountant and certified public accountant duties and responsibilities

Control accountant example responsibilities.

Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Collect, analyze, interpret, and document information to support quarterly SOX reviews.
Ensure proper accounting in compliance with GAAP, regulatory reporting requirements and joint ownership contracts.
Identify variances between corporations, establish payable/receivable ledgers, and clear open variances in accordance with GAAP.
Control regional account analysis, provide explanations and backup to SOX reporting department.
Perform domestic and international roll forwards, quarterly schedules for goodwill, trademarks and acquisition activities utilizing Hyperion.

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.

Control accountant vs certified public accountant skills

Common control accountant skills

Reconciliations, 11%
General Ledger Accounts, 7%
Payroll Taxes, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 5%
Accruals, 5%
Internal Controls, 5%

Common certified public accountant skills

CPA, 48%
Customer Service, 22%
IRS, 7%
State Tax Returns, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 2%
Financial Statement Preparation, 1%

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Control Accountant vs Certified Public Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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