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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 | Senior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $59,472 | $71,967 |
| Hourly rate | $28.59 | $34.60 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 36,034 | 76,816 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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 accountants and senior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Grant Accountant | Senior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $59,472 | $71,967 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $76,000 | Between $55,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Search for Common Ground | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a grant accountant and a senior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Grant Accountant | Senior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between grant accountants' and senior accountants' demographics:
| Grant Accountant | Senior Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1% |
| 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, 14.5% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |