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The differences between control accountants and general ledger 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 general ledger accountant. Additionally, a control accountant has an average salary of $66,563, which is higher than the $60,034 average annual salary of a general ledger accountant.
The top three skills for a control accountant include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and payroll taxes. The most important skills for a general ledger accountant are reconciliations, GAAP, and balance sheet accounts.
| Control Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $66,563 | $60,034 |
| Hourly rate | $32.00 | $28.86 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 75,702 | 81,408 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A general ledger accountant is in charge of ensuring the accuracy of a company's overall accounting processes and information. It is their responsibility to communicate with different departments and officials to gather necessary data, conduct extensive audits, prepare documentation and reports, maintain financial data on the company ledger, and interpret financial information. Furthermore, like a general ledger accountant, it is essential to monitor the progress of accounting processes, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Control accountants and general ledger accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Control Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Average salary | $66,563 | $60,034 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $91,000 | Between $47,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Marathon Oil | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a control accountant and a general ledger accountant in terms of educational background:
| Control Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between control accountants' and general ledger accountants' demographics:
| Control Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% | Male, 36.9% Female, 63.1% |
| 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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |