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The differences between forensic accountants and junior 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 junior accountant. Additionally, a forensic accountant has an average salary of $66,833, which is higher than the $50,444 average annual salary of a junior accountant.
The top three skills for a forensic accountant include CPA, litigation and forensic accounting. The most important skills for a junior accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Forensic Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $66,833 | $50,444 |
| Hourly rate | $32.13 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 39,176 | 57,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Junior accountants maintain the financial records of companies through the analysis of their general ledger accounts and balance sheets. The accountant's post journal entries, maintain accounts receivable and payable, and update financial statements. They pay payroll every month, reconcile ledgers, and submit payroll taxes. The skills necessary for this job include analytical skills, problem-solving, information confidentiality, and proficiency in accounting software and technology. They are also expected to be detail-oriented.
Forensic accountants and junior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $66,833 | $50,444 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $100,000 | Between $38,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Berkeley Research Group | Fuhu |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Construction |
There are a few differences between a forensic accountant and a junior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between forensic accountants' and junior accountants' demographics:
| Forensic Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |