Forensic accountant vs fixed asset accountant

The differences between forensic accountants and fixed asset 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 fixed asset accountant. Additionally, a forensic accountant has an average salary of $66,833, which is higher than the $59,691 average annual salary of a fixed asset accountant.

The top three skills for a forensic accountant include CPA, litigation and forensic accounting. The most important skills for a fixed asset accountant are fixed assets, reconciliations, and asset system.

Forensic accountant vs fixed asset accountant overview

	Forensic Accountant	Fixed Asset Accountant
Yearly salary	$66,833	$59,691
Hourly rate	$32.13	$28.70
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,176	42,860
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
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 fixed asset accountant do?

A fixed asset accountant is responsible for processing statement reports for the company's assets, organizing account records, and handling bank reconciliations and disputes. Fixed asset accountants must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles to determine and track the assets dispositions in various accounting systems for reference. They also ensure the accurate balance and calculate the value of all fixed assets for reports. A fixed asset accountant should be highly analytical to measure asset obligations and provide recommendations for asset acquisition.

Forensic accountant vs fixed asset accountant salary

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

	Forensic Accountant	Fixed Asset Accountant
Average salary	$66,833	$59,691
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $100,000	Between $46,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New York
Best paying company	Berkeley Research Group	Apple
Best paying industry	Finance	Energy

Differences between forensic accountant and fixed asset accountant education

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

	Forensic Accountant	Fixed Asset Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Forensic accountant vs fixed asset accountant demographics

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

	Forensic Accountant	Fixed Asset Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 13.0% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between forensic accountant and fixed asset 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.

Fixed asset accountant example responsibilities.

Lead the discussions on the level of asset componentization with respect to compliance IFRS standards.
Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Monitor purchase orders and calculate month-end accruals.
Support internal and external audit requirements and verify SOX documentation.
Calculate and reconcile deferred rent liability accruals for office leases.
Set up a consolidate and centralize SOX depository for require documentation.

Forensic accountant vs fixed asset accountant skills

Common forensic accountant skills

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

Common fixed asset accountant skills

Fixed Assets, 16%
Reconciliations, 8%
Asset System, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Financial Statements, 4%
Account Reconciliations, 4%

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Forensic Accountant vs Fixed Asset Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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