Forensic accountant vs certified public accountant

The differences between forensic accountants and certified public 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 a certified public accountant. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $66,833 average annual salary of a forensic accountant.

The top three skills for a forensic accountant include CPA, litigation and forensic accounting. The most important skills for a certified public accountant are CPA, customer service, and IRS.

Forensic accountant vs certified public accountant overview

	Forensic Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Yearly salary	$66,833	$76,693
Hourly rate	$32.13	$36.87
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,176	78,792
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
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 a certified public accountant do?

A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.

Forensic accountant vs certified public accountant salary

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

	Forensic Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average salary	$66,833	$76,693
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $100,000	Between $49,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New Jersey
Best paying company	Berkeley Research Group	Applied Materials
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between forensic accountant and certified public accountant education

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

	Forensic Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Forensic accountant vs certified public accountant demographics

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

	Forensic Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.4% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between forensic accountant and certified public 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.

Certified public accountant example responsibilities.

Mentor highly skil accounting and tax management team to achieve establish objectives including conformity with GAAP compliance.
Maintain monthly client bookkeeping including bank reconciliations, account payable and prepare preliminary financial statements for CPA review.
Conduct bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and generate general ledgers as well as raise concerns about expenditure classifications and revenue recognition.
Prepare and review month-end close, including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, and financial statement supporting documentation.
Gain a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.
Prepare and monitor audit programs, assist management in design and monitoring of SOX compliance programs.

Forensic accountant vs certified public accountant skills

Common forensic accountant skills

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

Common certified public accountant skills

CPA, 48%
Customer Service, 22%
IRS, 7%
State Tax Returns, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 2%
Financial Statement Preparation, 1%

Forensic Accountant vs. similar jobs

Forensic Accountant related careers

Forensic Accountant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Forensic Accountant
Forensic Accountant vs Certified Public Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs