Forensic accountant vs accountant

The differences between forensic accountants and 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 forensic accountant and an accountant. Additionally, a forensic accountant has an average salary of $66,833, which is higher than the $54,890 average annual salary of an accountant.

The top three skills for a forensic accountant include CPA, litigation and forensic accounting. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.

Forensic accountant vs accountant overview

	Forensic Accountant	Accountant
Yearly salary	$66,833	$54,890
Hourly rate	$32.13	$26.39
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,176	60,073
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a forensic accountant do?

Working close together with law enforcement agencies, a forensic accountant specializes in investigating potential fraud and financial crimes. Their responsibilities typically include performing extensive research and analysis, gathering and analyzing various forms of financial data and storage, reviewing and validating documents, verifying information, and conducting internal and external financial audits. Most of the time, a forensic accountant presents research findings to lawyers and judges as evidence, which will require them to participate and testify in court proceedings.

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.

Forensic accountant vs accountant salary

Forensic accountants and accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Accountant	Accountant
Average salary	$66,833	$54,890
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $100,000	Between $41,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New York
Best paying company	Berkeley Research Group	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between forensic accountant and accountant education

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

	Forensic Accountant	Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Forensic accountant vs accountant demographics

Here are the differences between forensic accountants' and accountants' demographics:

	Forensic Accountant	Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.6% 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 Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between forensic accountant and accountant duties and responsibilities

Forensic accountant example responsibilities.

Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Gain accounting and auditing experience with this CPA firm.
Select and roll out ERP software to meet company requirements.
Complete all tasks for a full service CPA firm independently with little supervision.
Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of GAAP to record transactions.
Prepare responses to interrogatories and requests for production documents.

Show more

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.

Show more

Forensic accountant vs accountant skills

Common forensic accountant skills

CPA, 21%
Litigation, 16%
Forensic Accounting, 8%
Financial Data, 7%
Fraud Investigations, 7%
CFE, 5%

Common accountant skills

Reconciliations, 14%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Forensic Accountant vs. similar jobs

Forensic Accountant related careers

Forensic Accountant related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z