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Corporate accountant vs corporate finance analyst

The differences between corporate accountants and corporate finance analysts 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 a corporate finance analyst. Additionally, a corporate finance analyst has an average salary of $76,023, which is higher than the $64,300 average annual salary of a corporate accountant.

The top three skills for a corporate accountant include reconciliations, GAAP and account reconciliations. The most important skills for a corporate finance analyst are financial analysis, strong analytical, and financial models.

Corporate accountant vs corporate finance analyst overview

Corporate AccountantCorporate Finance Analyst
Yearly salary$64,300$76,023
Hourly rate$30.91$36.55
Growth rate6%9%
Number of jobs54,174114,375
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4440
Years of experience44

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 a corporate finance analyst do?

Corporate finance analysts make significant business decisions based on the data they gather. Typically, corporate finance analysts work within an organization and support management decisions through actionable financial information. They monitor the taxes, expenses, financial statements, and other financial details of where the company sources its income. This position requires a formal qualification in accounting. It also necessitates the analyst to develop interpersonal skills, knowledge in information technology software, financial reporting skills, and experience in management.

Corporate accountant vs corporate finance analyst salary

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

Corporate AccountantCorporate Finance Analyst
Average salary$64,300$76,023
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $89,000Between $52,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkMichigan
Best paying companyPutnam InvestmentsGoogle
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between corporate accountant and corporate finance analyst education

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

Corporate AccountantCorporate Finance Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorAccountingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Corporate accountant vs corporate finance analyst demographics

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

Corporate AccountantCorporate Finance Analyst
Average age4440
Gender ratioMale, 43.1% Female, 56.9%Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between corporate accountant and corporate finance analyst 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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Corporate finance analyst example responsibilities.

  • Lead finance project team to create site-wide (Essbase) reporting system under extremely tight deadlines.
  • Develop, maintain financial models/applications (VBA Excel/Access) to automate and streamline business processes and perform financial analysis.
  • Record related journal entries and general ledger account reconciliations and functions using journal entry and account reconciliation software tools.
  • Provide technical expertise in process design and implementation of the new Hyperion general ledger system and associate reports.
  • Reconstruct, modify and maintain operating expense planning model in HYPERION.
  • Reduce errors and rework in daily operations via visual basic (VBA) macros and SQL manipulation.
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Corporate accountant vs corporate finance analyst skills

Common corporate accountant skills
  • Reconciliations, 14%
  • GAAP, 6%
  • Account Reconciliations, 6%
  • CPA, 5%
  • General Ledger Accounts, 5%
  • External Auditors, 4%
Common corporate finance analyst skills
  • Financial Analysis, 8%
  • Strong Analytical, 7%
  • Financial Models, 7%
  • Hyperion, 4%
  • Balance Sheet, 4%
  • Due Diligence, 4%

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