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The differences between forensic accountants and project 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 project accountant. Additionally, a forensic accountant has an average salary of $66,833, which is higher than the $60,467 average annual salary of a project accountant.
The top three skills for a forensic accountant include CPA, litigation and forensic accounting. The most important skills for a project accountant are reconciliations, project management, and contract terms.
| Forensic Accountant | Project Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $66,833 | $60,467 |
| Hourly rate | $32.13 | $29.07 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 39,176 | 43,672 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
A project accountant is primarily in charge of overseeing the budget and expenditures allocated for various projects within a company. Their responsibilities revolve around reviewing financial data and work plans, managing billing and financial reports, monitoring the flow of revenue, filing purchase orders and invoices, and processing payments to subcontractors, suppliers, and more. It is also vital to coordinate with all managing personnel to prepare necessary reports such as costs and taxes. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain data and records of all transactions, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Forensic accountants and project accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Accountant | Project Accountant | |
| Average salary | $66,833 | $60,467 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $100,000 | Between $46,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Berkeley Research Group | Perficient |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a forensic accountant and a project accountant in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Accountant | Project 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 |
Here are the differences between forensic accountants' and project accountants' demographics:
| Forensic Accountant | Project Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% |
| 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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.3% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |