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Grant accountant vs senior accountant

The differences between grant accountants and senior 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 senior accountant. Additionally, a senior accountant has an average salary of $71,967, 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 senior accountant are reconciliations, CPA, and GAAP.

Grant accountant vs senior accountant overview

Grant AccountantSenior Accountant
Yearly salary$59,472$71,967
Hourly rate$28.59$34.60
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs36,03476,816
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

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 senior accountant do?

A senior accountant is responsible for organizing financial reports, analyzing cost estimates, reviewing budget goals regularly, and making adjustments with the company's account statements as necessary. Senior accountants' duties also include managing account reconciliations, preparing tax documents, maintaining audit records and balance sheets, generating invoices, and providing recommendations to minimize possible financial loss. A senior accountant must have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of accounting and financial principles.

Grant accountant vs senior accountant salary

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

Grant AccountantSenior Accountant
Average salary$59,472$71,967
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $76,000Between $55,000 And $92,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companySearch for Common GroundGoogle
Best paying industryProfessionalFinance

Differences between grant accountant and senior accountant education

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

Grant AccountantSenior Accountant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Grant accountant vs senior accountant demographics

Here are the differences between grant accountants' and senior accountants' demographics:

Grant AccountantSenior Accountant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 37.8% Female, 62.2%Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 14.5% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between grant accountant and senior 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.
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Senior accountant example responsibilities.

  • Manage complex pricing structure and maintain SalesForce CRM funnel for forecasting accuracy.
  • Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
  • Manage the review, enhancement, and creation of department policy and procedure documentation require for Sarbanes-Oxley auditing and compliance.
  • Compile and analyze financial information to prepare monthly accruals, payroll journal, general journal and bank reconciliations.
  • Research and develop policies around Medicaid and Medicare billings and prepare Medicaid cost reports.
  • Coordinate submissions of financial data from regional divisions and prepare the consolidated company financial statement using Hyperion program.
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Grant accountant vs senior accountant skills

Common grant accountant skills
  • Reconciliations, 9%
  • Grants Management, 5%
  • GAAP, 5%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • Financial Analysis, 4%
  • Expenditure Reports, 4%
Common senior accountant skills
  • Reconciliations, 13%
  • CPA, 8%
  • GAAP, 7%
  • External Auditors, 4%
  • Internal Controls, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%

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