Corporate accountant vs junior accountant

The differences between corporate accountants and junior 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 junior accountant. Additionally, a corporate accountant has an average salary of $64,300, which is higher than the $50,444 average annual salary of a junior accountant.

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

Corporate accountant vs junior accountant overview

	Corporate Accountant	Junior Accountant
Yearly salary	$64,300	$50,444
Hourly rate	$30.91	$24.25
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	54,174	57,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
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 junior accountant do?

Junior accountants maintain the financial records of companies through the analysis of their general ledger accounts and balance sheets. The accountant's post journal entries, maintain accounts receivable and payable, and update financial statements. They pay payroll every month, reconcile ledgers, and submit payroll taxes. The skills necessary for this job include analytical skills, problem-solving, information confidentiality, and proficiency in accounting software and technology. They are also expected to be detail-oriented.

Corporate accountant vs junior accountant salary

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

	Corporate Accountant	Junior Accountant
Average salary	$64,300	$50,444
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $89,000	Between $38,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Putnam Investments	Fuhu
Best paying industry	Finance	Construction

Differences between corporate accountant and junior accountant education

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

	Corporate Accountant	Junior Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate accountant vs junior accountant demographics

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

	Corporate Accountant	Junior Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%	Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between corporate accountant and junior 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.

Junior accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Perform and assist with month-end close procedures, including preparation of monthly balance sheet and income statement account reconciliations.
Identify hundreds of daily transactions from banking statements using QuickBooks and present monthly financial reports
Perform bank and credit card reconciliations and assist with month-end accruals in addition to inter-company reconciliations.
Prepare financial schedules, account reconciliations, and detail financial statements and reports for analysis, financial reporting, and decision-making.
Deposit checks into lockbox and post to funds to proper accounts daily.

Corporate accountant vs junior accountant skills

Common corporate accountant skills

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

Common junior accountant skills

Reconciliations, 18%
General Ledger Accounts, 8%
Account Reconciliations, 5%
Data Entry, 5%
QuickBooks, 4%
Payroll Taxes, 4%

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Corporate Accountant vs Junior Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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