Corporate accountant vs general ledger accountant

The differences between corporate 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 corporate accountant and a general ledger accountant. Additionally, a corporate accountant has an average salary of $64,300, which is higher than the $60,034 average annual salary of a general ledger accountant.

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

Corporate accountant vs general ledger accountant overview

	Corporate Accountant	General Ledger Accountant
Yearly salary	$64,300	$60,034
Hourly rate	$30.91	$28.86
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	54,174	81,408
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 a general ledger accountant do?

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.

Corporate accountant vs general ledger accountant salary

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

	Corporate Accountant	General Ledger Accountant
Average salary	$64,300	$60,034
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $89,000	Between $47,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Putnam Investments	Citi
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between corporate accountant and general ledger accountant education

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

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

Corporate accountant vs general ledger accountant demographics

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

	Corporate Accountant	General Ledger Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%	Male, 36.9% Female, 63.1%
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, 8.4% 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%

Differences between corporate accountant and general ledger 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.

General ledger accountant example responsibilities.

Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Perform account analysis, cost accruals, bank reconciliations, inventory reconciliation and analysis; research and recommend transaction corrections.
Maintain ERP general ledger and data in sub module, and perform the expenditure review according to budgeting.
Prepare monthly, reconciliations of subsidiary ledgers to general ledger control accounts.
Reconcile general ledger accounts which including preparing journal entries and accruals in preparation of consolidate financial reports.
Prepare various monthly journal entries to record prepay insurance amortization, payroll deduction liabilities and other liability accruals.

Corporate accountant vs general ledger accountant skills

Common corporate accountant skills

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

Common general ledger accountant skills

Reconciliations, 15%
GAAP, 6%
Balance Sheet Accounts, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Accruals, 5%
External Auditors, 4%

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Corporate Accountant vs General Ledger Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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