Grant accountant vs staff accountant

The differences between grant accountants and staff 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 staff accountant. Additionally, a grant accountant has an average salary of $59,472, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

The top three skills for a grant accountant include reconciliations, grants management and GAAP. The most important skills for a staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and GAAP.

Grant accountant vs staff accountant overview

	Grant Accountant	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$59,472	$54,216
Hourly rate	$28.59	$26.07
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	36,034	115,930
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 staff accountant do?

Staff accountants are employees who are part of the company's accounting department. They are usually certified public accountants (CPAs). Staff accountants should be familiar with accounting tasks. Previous accounting experiences play a huge advantage in their success. They perform a variety of accounting responsibilities such as information verification and analysis, financial report preparation and presentation, financial account reconciliation, billing and payment receiving activities, vendor database management, and invoice processing requirements. They should also know how to do bookkeeping. Staff accountants should have good communication skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills. They should also be organized and trustworthy since they will be handling confidential information.

Grant accountant vs staff accountant salary

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

	Grant Accountant	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$59,472	$54,216
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $76,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Search for Common Ground	Meta
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between grant accountant and staff accountant education

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

	Grant Accountant	Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Grant accountant vs staff accountant demographics

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

	Grant Accountant	Staff Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.4% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between grant accountant and staff 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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Staff accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Contribute revenue accruals using job cost system, fix assets including reclassification, reconciliation and depreciation.
Prepare month-end journal entries and assist in compilation of financial statements, reconcile bank statements and general ledgers.
Complete audit-quality account reconciliations monthly for balance sheet accounts including the capital projects in progress accounts and miscellaneous revenue accounts.
Assume responsibility for cash management encompassing wire and ACH transfers processing, bank activity confirmation, and monthly bank account reconciliations.
Handle all A/R and A/P, payroll, change orders, collections, lien placement and release, vendor account management.

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Grant accountant vs staff accountant skills

Common grant accountant skills

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

Common staff accountant skills

Reconciliations, 15%
Account Reconciliations, 7%
GAAP, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 4%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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