Forensic accountant vs chartered accountant

The differences between forensic accountants and chartered 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 chartered accountant. Additionally, a forensic accountant has an average salary of $66,833, which is higher than the $65,776 average annual salary of a chartered accountant.

The top three skills for a forensic accountant include CPA, litigation and forensic accounting. The most important skills for a chartered accountant are internal audit, financial statements, and income tax returns.

Forensic accountant vs chartered accountant overview

	Forensic Accountant	Chartered Accountant
Yearly salary	$66,833	$65,776
Hourly rate	$32.13	$31.62
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,176	33,005
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Forensic accountant vs chartered accountant salary

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

	Forensic Accountant	Chartered Accountant
Average salary	$66,833	$65,776
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $100,000	Between $42,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	-
Best paying company	Berkeley Research Group	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between forensic accountant and chartered accountant education

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

	Forensic Accountant	Chartered Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Forensic accountant vs chartered accountant demographics

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

	Forensic Accountant	Chartered Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%
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, 7.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 18.1% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between forensic accountant and chartered 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.

Chartered accountant example responsibilities.

Manage the review, enhancement, and creation of department policy and procedure documentation require for Sarbanes-Oxley auditing and compliance.
Provision of professional and timely taxation advice and services to clients.
Monitor deposits and withdrawals of revenue and expenses, review payroll, and ensure accurate processing and timely bank reconciliations.
Monitor bond and covenant requirements, providing tax return and audit information to external contacts.

Forensic accountant vs chartered accountant skills

Common forensic accountant skills

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

Common chartered accountant skills

Internal Audit, 33%
Financial Statements, 14%
Income Tax Returns, 11%
Balance Sheet, 6%
Audit Reports, 5%
Tax Audits, 5%

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 Chartered Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs