Grant accountant vs certified public accountant

The differences between grant accountants and certified public 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 grant accountant and a certified public accountant. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, which is higher than the $59,472 average annual salary of a grant accountant.

The top three skills for a grant accountant include reconciliations, grants management and GAAP. The most important skills for a certified public accountant are CPA, customer service, and IRS.

Grant accountant vs certified public accountant overview

	Grant Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Yearly salary	$59,472	$76,693
Hourly rate	$28.59	$36.87
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	36,034	78,792
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a grant accountant do?

A grant accountant is responsible for overseeing financial and grant services in an organization. They are responsible for performing accounting and administrative tasks such as gathering and analyzing data, preparing and processing financial statements, conducting audits and assessments, identifying and resolving discrepancies, and handling taxes. They may also prepare forecasts and models, supervise budgets, and submit regular reports to managers. Moreover, a grant accountant must comply with the state, federal, and local financial laws and regulations, keeping abreast of the latest changes.

What does a certified public accountant do?

A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.

Grant accountant vs certified public accountant salary

Grant accountants and certified public accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Grant Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average salary	$59,472	$76,693
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $76,000	Between $49,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Search for Common Ground	Applied Materials
Best paying industry	Professional	Finance

Differences between grant accountant and certified public accountant education

There are a few differences between a grant accountant and a certified public accountant in terms of educational background:

	Grant Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Grant accountant vs certified public accountant demographics

Here are the differences between grant accountants' and certified public accountants' demographics:

	Grant Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 13.4% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.4% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between grant accountant and certified public accountant duties and responsibilities

Grant accountant example responsibilities.

Manage sub-awards to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, and OMB circulars prior to payment process.
Manage all daily and biweekly payroll processes in accordance within establish deadlines.
Manage derivative accounting at global level and ensure accounting and economic hedging objectives are align.
Perform grant-related post-award functions, including budget and expense analysis, financial reporting and reconciliations.
Coordinate audit process with outside CPA firm, audit lead schedules, reports.
Supervise monthly payroll processing and tax calculations.

Certified public accountant example responsibilities.

Mentor highly skil accounting and tax management team to achieve establish objectives including conformity with GAAP compliance.
Maintain monthly client bookkeeping including bank reconciliations, account payable and prepare preliminary financial statements for CPA review.
Conduct bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and generate general ledgers as well as raise concerns about expenditure classifications and revenue recognition.
Prepare and review month-end close, including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, and financial statement supporting documentation.
Gain a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.
Prepare and monitor audit programs, assist management in design and monitoring of SOX compliance programs.

Grant accountant vs certified public accountant skills

Common grant accountant skills

Reconciliations, 9%
Grants Management, 5%
GAAP, 5%
Payroll, 5%
Financial Analysis, 4%
Expenditure Reports, 4%

Common certified public accountant skills

CPA, 48%
Customer Service, 22%
IRS, 7%
State Tax Returns, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 2%
Financial Statement Preparation, 1%

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Grant Accountant vs Certified Public Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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