Corporate accountant vs project accountant

The differences between corporate accountants and project 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 project accountant. Additionally, a corporate accountant has an average salary of $64,300, which is higher than the $60,467 average annual salary of a project accountant.

The top three skills for a corporate accountant include reconciliations, GAAP and account reconciliations. The most important skills for a project accountant are reconciliations, project management, and contract terms.

Corporate accountant vs project accountant overview

	Corporate Accountant	Project Accountant
Yearly salary	$64,300	$60,467
Hourly rate	$30.91	$29.07
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	54,174	43,672
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
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 project accountant do?

A project accountant is primarily in charge of overseeing the budget and expenditures allocated for various projects within a company. Their responsibilities revolve around reviewing financial data and work plans, managing billing and financial reports, monitoring the flow of revenue, filing purchase orders and invoices, and processing payments to subcontractors, suppliers, and more. It is also vital to coordinate with all managing personnel to prepare necessary reports such as costs and taxes. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain data and records of all transactions, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Corporate accountant vs project accountant salary

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

	Corporate Accountant	Project Accountant
Average salary	$64,300	$60,467
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $89,000	Between $46,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Putnam Investments	Perficient
Best paying industry	Finance	Professional

Differences between corporate accountant and project accountant education

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

	Corporate Accountant	Project Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate accountant vs project accountant demographics

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

	Corporate Accountant	Project Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%	Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2%
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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.3% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between corporate accountant and project 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.

Project accountant example responsibilities.

Maintain general ledgers, manage cash flow, prepare financial statements and bank reconciliations for multiple development and construction projects.
Assure timely accurate filing of all Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance claims.
Review the collection of Medicare, Medicaid and other receivables to ensure monthly goals are met.
Used DelTek to find discrepancies in employee charge hours.
Serve as major contributor in system conversion to new web-base ERP system.
Identify and rectify accounting errors that have incurred in the past and ensure adherence to IFRS.

Corporate accountant vs project accountant skills

Common corporate accountant skills

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

Common project accountant skills

Reconciliations, 8%
Project Management, 6%
Contract Terms, 5%
Purchase Orders, 4%
Deltek, 4%
Revenue Recognition, 4%

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Corporate Accountant vs Project Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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