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Finance analyst/accountant vs finance analyst

The differences between finance analyst/accountants and 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 finance analyst/accountant and a finance analyst. Additionally, a finance analyst has an average salary of $69,887, which is higher than the $62,975 average annual salary of a finance analyst/accountant.

The top three skills for a finance analyst/accountant include reconciliations, financial analysis and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for a finance analyst are financial analysis, financial models, and financial data.

Finance analyst/accountant vs finance analyst overview

Finance Analyst/AccountantFinance Analyst
Yearly salary$62,975$69,887
Hourly rate$30.28$33.60
Growth rate6%9%
Number of jobs118,043138,600
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4440
Years of experience44

What does a finance analyst/accountant do?

In a company setting, a finance analyst/accountant is in charge of handling and monitoring financial activities, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Their responsibilities revolve around preparing financial reports, performing audits and risk assessments, and identifying any errors and inconsistencies, resolving them promptly and efficiently. They also conduct research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, evaluate the existing procedures to determine its strengths and weaknesses, and recommend solutions to optimize operations for financial growth. Furthermore, as a finance analyst/accountant, it is essential to uphold the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

What does a finance analyst do?

A finance analyst is responsible for evaluating a company's financial data and historical reports to assess investment opportunities and provide accurate financial statements in support of business strategies and company performance prediction. A financial analyst's duties also include suggesting recommendations to boost operations efficiency and grow revenues, researching the current market performance and economic trends to adjust budget goals as needed, and managing client portfolios. Finance analysts must have excellent critical and analytical thinking skills to identify the best actions for the company's profitability.

Finance analyst/accountant vs finance analyst salary

Finance analyst/accountants and finance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

Finance Analyst/AccountantFinance Analyst
Average salary$62,975$69,887
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $84,000Between $46,000 And $104,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkConnecticut
Best paying companyCitiThe Citadel
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between finance analyst/accountant and finance analyst education

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

Finance Analyst/AccountantFinance Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorAccountingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Finance analyst/accountant vs finance analyst demographics

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

Finance Analyst/AccountantFinance Analyst
Average age4440
Gender ratioMale, 50.2% Female, 49.8%Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 17.0% White, 60.6% 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 finance analyst/accountant and finance analyst duties and responsibilities

Finance analyst/accountant example responsibilities.

  • Manage the full cycle finance duties including A/P, A/R, G/L and fixed-asset accounting in accordance with GAAP standards.
  • Manage all monthly accruals for outsides consultant/service providers.
  • Develop transfer prices and manage manufacturing inventory in an ERP system.
  • Utilize accounting principles to manage quarterly regulatory settlement accruals and reporting requirements.
  • Develop, maintain financial models/applications (VBA Excel/Access) to automate and streamline business processes and perform financial analysis.
  • Implement process improvement initiatives for the payroll cash account that facilitate early recognition of unrecord payroll expenses.
  • Show more

Finance analyst example responsibilities.

  • Manage company asset accounts, wire funds to clients and record and structure amounts into QuickBooks.
  • Manage the UAT team involve in the testing of an enterprise accounting and project management software.
  • Manage customer portfolio to department KPI's, target balance, aging metrics, cash recovery and write-off tolerance.
  • Manage contract database and SalesForce for historical research and financial reporting purposes.
  • Manage and maintain information in worldwide-military database which include exemptions, transfers, retirements, and payroll records.
  • Accomplish project accounting functions including project costing, time reporting, project accruals and proper capitalization of development costs.
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Finance analyst/accountant vs finance analyst skills

Common finance analyst/accountant skills
  • Reconciliations, 9%
  • Financial Analysis, 8%
  • General Ledger Accounts, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • External Auditors, 4%
  • GAAP, 4%
Common finance analyst skills
  • Financial Analysis, 9%
  • Financial Models, 5%
  • Financial Data, 5%
  • Strong Analytical, 4%
  • Variance Analysis, 4%
  • Hyperion, 3%

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