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The differences between general ledger accountants and senior accountant analysts 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 ledger accountant and a senior accountant analyst. Additionally, a senior accountant analyst has an average salary of $75,282, which is higher than the $60,034 average annual salary of a general ledger accountant.
The top three skills for a general ledger accountant include reconciliations, GAAP and balance sheet accounts. The most important skills for a senior accountant analyst are reconciliations, external auditors, and account reconciliations.
| General Ledger Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $60,034 | $75,282 |
| Hourly rate | $28.86 | $36.19 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 81,408 | 82,010 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A general ledger accountant is in charge of ensuring the accuracy of a company's overall accounting processes and information. It is their responsibility to communicate with different departments and officials to gather necessary data, conduct extensive audits, prepare documentation and reports, maintain financial data on the company ledger, and interpret financial information. Furthermore, like a general ledger accountant, it is essential to monitor the progress of accounting processes, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
As a senior accountant analyst, your main role is to provide professional guidance to a company. You need to have excellent preparation skills to create financial reports that clearly state the expenses and forecast the company's financial future. You should always aim for accuracy and compliance. Moreover, as a senior accountant analyst, you are supposed to give general operational assistance to the company's management.
General ledger accountants and senior accountant analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Ledger Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Average salary | $60,034 | $75,282 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $76,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Citi | BMO Capital Markets |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a general ledger accountant and a senior accountant analyst in terms of educational background:
| General Ledger Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between general ledger accountants' and senior accountant analysts' demographics:
| General Ledger Accountant | Senior Accountant Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.9% Female, 63.1% | Male, 49.4% Female, 50.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.1% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |