General accountant vs chief accountant

The differences between general accountants and chief 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 general accountant and a chief accountant. Additionally, a chief accountant has an average salary of $61,481, which is higher than the $55,043 average annual salary of a general accountant.

The top three skills for a general accountant include financial data, reconciliations and cash handling. The most important skills for a chief accountant are external auditors, reconciliations, and general ledger accounts.

General accountant vs chief accountant overview

	General Accountant	Chief Accountant
Yearly salary	$55,043	$61,481
Hourly rate	$26.46	$29.56
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	87,663	52,287
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a general accountant do?

A general accountant is responsible for evaluating account statements, conducting data analysis with financial transactions, and generating reports on revenues, expenses, and sales forecasting. These accountants manage discrepancies on the company and clients' profiles, including bank reconciliations and processing of account receivables and payables. They also handle the release of invoices and petty cash, analyzing balance sheets, and updating accurate financial information on the database. A general accountant must have excellent analytical skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines.

What does a chief accountant do?

Chief accountants develop financial strategies, oversee the accounting department, make investment decisions, and develop financial strategies. They provide assistance to departments with their reviews and budgets, tax studies, and internal control. It is part of their job to respond to the accounting questions from time management. They take charge of monitoring and recording financial transactions based on corporate regulations and policies. Also, they recommend changes to the procedures of accounting.

General accountant vs chief accountant salary

General accountants and chief accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Accountant	Chief Accountant
Average salary	$55,043	$61,481
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $73,000	Between $43,000 And $87,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New York
Best paying company	Apple	IBM
Best paying industry	Automotive	Retail

Differences between general accountant and chief accountant education

There are a few differences between a general accountant and a chief accountant in terms of educational background:

	General Accountant	Chief Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

General accountant vs chief accountant demographics

Here are the differences between general accountants' and chief accountants' demographics:

	General Accountant	Chief Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 13.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between general accountant and chief accountant duties and responsibilities

General accountant example responsibilities.

Manage payroll functions, financial statements, accounts payable, basic job cost, account analysis, accruals, year-end audits.
Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Assist manager with cash flow, preparing financial statement, BBC, and report to CPA.
Create budget at beginning and coordinate CPA firm's audit at the end of year.
Assist in any kind of audit engagement (internal control, external, SOX, etc . )
Provide support for the controller with period-end close accruals and journal entries and assist in various duties and responsibilities.

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Chief accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Prepare monthly trial balance, balance sheets, and profit and loss statements according to GAAP.
Prepare monthly account reconciliations (bank reconciliation, accounts receivable reconciliation, accounts payable reconciliation, and general ledger reconciliation).
Research, advise and resolve accounting and business issues, ensuring compliance with U.S. GAAP and head office requirements.
Monitor deposits and withdrawals of revenue and expenses, review payroll, and ensure accurate processing and timely bank reconciliations.
Prepare daily SOX audit documentation, ensuring that bank account activity have been reconcile and to identify any outstanding variances.

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General accountant vs chief accountant skills

Common general accountant skills

Financial Data, 11%
Reconciliations, 10%
Cash Handling, 9%
Vendor Invoices, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 5%

Common chief accountant skills

External Auditors, 13%
Reconciliations, 10%
General Ledger Accounts, 9%
Balance Sheet Accounts, 7%
Financial Reports, 5%
Internal Controls, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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