Grant accountant vs senior tax accountant

The differences between grant accountants and senior tax 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 tax accountant. Additionally, a senior tax accountant has an average salary of $77,537, 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 tax accountant are CPA, state income, and tax research.

Grant accountant vs senior tax accountant overview

	Grant Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Yearly salary	$59,472	$77,537
Hourly rate	$28.59	$37.28
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	36,034	57,686
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
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 senior tax accountant do?

Senior Tax Accountants recommend tax strategies, as well as assist the preparation of federal, state, and local taxes. They contact clients to resolve minor tax issues and work with the senior tax manager to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local tax legislation.

Grant accountant vs senior tax accountant salary

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

	Grant Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Average salary	$59,472	$77,537
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $76,000	Between $60,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Search for Common Ground	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.
Best paying industry	Professional	Professional

Differences between grant accountant and senior tax accountant education

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

	Grant Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Grant accountant vs senior tax accountant demographics

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

	Grant Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 14.3% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between grant accountant and senior tax 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.

Senior tax accountant example responsibilities.

Research technical topics in taxation to present to the tax department and clients on areas of concern in the IRS code.
Participate in monthly accounting close with preparation and ownership of tax accrual journal entries and reconciliations.
Help implement, and maintain federal and state tax provision information into OneSource.
Work with internal and external resources to ensure implementation of CCH software on shopping cart is successful.
Assist and review the maintenance of the OneSource database relative to coding & mapping of the trial balance.
Conduct research with CCH and RIA on tax exposures, savings, refund, recovery, and credits.

Grant accountant vs senior tax accountant skills

Common grant accountant skills

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

Common senior tax accountant skills

CPA, 14%
State Income, 5%
Tax Research, 5%
Income Tax Returns, 4%
Tax Planning, 4%
Tax Compliance, 4%

Grant Accountant vs. similar jobs

Grant Accountant related careers

Grant Accountant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Grant Accountant
Grant Accountant vs Senior Tax Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs