Corporate accountant vs accountant

The differences between corporate accountants and 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 corporate accountant and an accountant. Additionally, a corporate accountant has an average salary of $64,300, which is higher than the $54,890 average annual salary of an accountant.

The top three skills for a corporate accountant include reconciliations, GAAP and account reconciliations. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.

Corporate accountant vs accountant overview

	Corporate Accountant	Accountant
Yearly salary	$64,300	$54,890
Hourly rate	$30.91	$26.39
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	54,174	60,073
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a corporate accountant do?

A corporate accountant is an individual who prepares financial statements and maintains financial records of an organization to ensure that they comply with laws, regulations, and the organization's policies. Corporate accountants are required to analyze financial statements to help executives make financial decisions for the organization. They must collect ledgers and financial reports from divisional offices and prepare corporate financial statements for executives. Corporate accountants must also prepare budgets to allocate funds for spending for each department.

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.

Corporate accountant vs accountant salary

Corporate accountants and accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Accountant	Accountant
Average salary	$64,300	$54,890
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $89,000	Between $41,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Putnam Investments	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between corporate accountant and accountant education

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

	Corporate Accountant	Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate accountant vs accountant demographics

Here are the differences between corporate accountants' and accountants' demographics:

	Corporate Accountant	Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 13.0% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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 corporate accountant and accountant duties and responsibilities

Corporate accountant example responsibilities.

Lead successful implementation of PeopleSoft fix asset software module.
Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Perform month-end closing responsibilities, month-end accruals, expense allocations across business units and legal entities, and account reconciliations.
Perform general accounting assignments including accruals, profit and loss reports and reconciliations.
Prepare monthly journal entries and variance reconciliations primarily relating to compensation, operational accruals, investments, and partnerships.
Perform detailed and extensive schedules and analysis for annual audits by an outside CPA firm as required by law.

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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.

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Corporate accountant vs accountant skills

Common corporate accountant skills

Reconciliations, 14%
GAAP, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
CPA, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%
External Auditors, 4%

Common accountant skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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