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Finance auditor vs accountant

The differences between finance auditors and accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a finance auditor has an average salary of $70,361, which is higher than the $54,890 average annual salary of an accountant.

The top three skills for a finance auditor include CPA, internal audit and audit findings. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.

Finance auditor vs accountant overview

Finance AuditorAccountant
Yearly salary$70,361$54,890
Hourly rate$33.83$26.39
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs92,19260,073
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4444
Years of experience-4

What does a finance auditor do?

A finance auditor is primarily in charge of planning and conducting audits on a company's overall financial activities, ensuring accuracy and transparency. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather data, performing research and analysis to identify and assess risks, identifying errors or inconsistencies on financial reports, and devising strategies to optimize auditing procedures. Furthermore, as a finance auditor, it is essential to supervise and encourage the accounting and auditing staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does an accountant do?

An accountant is an individual whose primary task is to prepare, keep, examine, and interpret financial records. Most accountants are in charge of a wide scope of finance-related tasks, either for private individuals or for large-scale businesses and organizations they are employed with. They make sure that financial statements and records are accurate and comply with laws and regulations. They also compute for taxes, prepare tax returns, and ensure being paid properly and on time. As they keep track and record the flow of money, they can offer guidance on how to reduce costs, enhance revenue, and help in profit maximization.

Finance auditor vs accountant salary

Finance auditors and accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Finance AuditorAccountant
Average salary$70,361$54,890
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $98,000Between $41,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companyGoogleMeta
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between finance auditor and accountant education

There are a few differences between a finance auditor and an accountant in terms of educational background:

Finance AuditorAccountant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Finance auditor vs accountant demographics

Here are the differences between finance auditors' and accountants' demographics:

Finance AuditorAccountant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 55.4% Female, 44.6%Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 13.2% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between finance auditor and accountant duties and responsibilities

Finance auditor example responsibilities.

  • Schedule, plan, conduct fieldwork and report writing of audits using a COSO base audit methodology managing staff on audits.
  • Assist in the SFA audit process perform by independent CPA firms to ensure deadlines are meet for reporting.
  • Perform routine reviews of management assertions relating to Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) for compliance and potential material impact to financial statements.
  • Join the leading CPA firm (at that time) in the country.
  • Supervise and perform SOX audits of international subsidiaries.
  • Create and review monthly financial reports by utilizing Hyperion.
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Accountant example responsibilities.

  • Manage preparation of the statutory financial statements and financial aggregates in compliance with IFRS and local applicable norms.
  • Manage personnel financial matters including salaries, taxation procedures and other relate issues.
  • Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
  • Reconstruct and improve many balance sheet account reconciliations for easier reading and interpretation by senior level management.
  • Perform complex general accounting functions, including preparation of journal entries, account analysis and balance sheet reconciliations.
  • Maintain general ledgers and preparation of monthly and other periodic financial reports in accordance with GAAP and international accounting standards.
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Finance auditor vs accountant skills

Common finance auditor skills
  • CPA, 13%
  • Internal Audit, 9%
  • Audit Findings, 5%
  • Risk Assessments, 5%
  • Audit Reports, 5%
  • Audit Procedures, 4%
Common accountant skills
  • Reconciliations, 14%
  • General Ledger Accounts, 6%
  • Account Reconciliations, 6%
  • GAAP, 5%
  • Payroll Tax Returns, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%

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