Head accountant vs general ledger accountant

The differences between head accountants and general ledger 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 head accountant and a general ledger accountant. Additionally, a head accountant has an average salary of $119,485, which is higher than the $60,034 average annual salary of a general ledger accountant.

The top three skills for a head accountant include account management, client relationships and business development. The most important skills for a general ledger accountant are reconciliations, GAAP, and balance sheet accounts.

Head accountant vs general ledger accountant overview

	Head Accountant	General Ledger Accountant
Yearly salary	$119,485	$60,034
Hourly rate	$57.44	$28.86
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,069	81,408
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Head accountant vs general ledger accountant salary

Head accountants and general ledger accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Head Accountant	General Ledger Accountant
Average salary	$119,485	$60,034
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $194,000	Between $47,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	Citi	Citi
Best paying industry	Construction	Technology

Differences between head accountant and general ledger accountant education

There are a few differences between a head accountant and a general ledger accountant in terms of educational background:

	Head Accountant	General Ledger Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Head accountant vs general ledger accountant demographics

Here are the differences between head accountants' and general ledger accountants' demographics:

	Head Accountant	General Ledger Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 36.9% Female, 63.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 16.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between head accountant and general ledger accountant duties and responsibilities

Head accountant example responsibilities.

Manage complex pricing structure and maintain SalesForce CRM funnel for forecasting accuracy.
Handle A/P, A/R, accruals, fix assets, and prepay items.
Analyze, audit and/or prepare monthly financial records for individual schools, monthly payroll liability reconciliations and account analysis.
Complete various questionnaires require by GAAP (e.g.
Complete third party billing for Medicaid and Medicare claims.
Prepare all tax reports and evaluate any discrepancies with company CPA.

General ledger accountant example responsibilities.

Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Perform account analysis, cost accruals, bank reconciliations, inventory reconciliation and analysis; research and recommend transaction corrections.
Maintain ERP general ledger and data in sub module, and perform the expenditure review according to budgeting.
Prepare monthly, reconciliations of subsidiary ledgers to general ledger control accounts.
Reconcile general ledger accounts which including preparing journal entries and accruals in preparation of consolidate financial reports.
Prepare various monthly journal entries to record prepay insurance amortization, payroll deduction liabilities and other liability accruals.

Head accountant vs general ledger accountant skills

Common head accountant skills

Account Management, 32%
Client Relationships, 10%
Business Development, 5%
National Accounts, 5%
General Ledger, 4%
Financial Reports, 3%

Common general ledger accountant skills

Reconciliations, 15%
GAAP, 6%
Balance Sheet Accounts, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Accruals, 5%
External Auditors, 4%

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Head Accountant vs General Ledger Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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