Head accountant vs project accountant

The differences between head accountants and project 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 project accountant. Additionally, a head accountant has an average salary of $119,485, which is higher than the $60,467 average annual salary of a project accountant.

The top three skills for a head accountant include account management, client relationships and business development. The most important skills for a project accountant are reconciliations, project management, and contract terms.

Head accountant vs project accountant overview

	Head Accountant	Project Accountant
Yearly salary	$119,485	$60,467
Hourly rate	$57.44	$29.07
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,069	43,672
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Head accountant vs project accountant salary

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

	Head Accountant	Project Accountant
Average salary	$119,485	$60,467
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $194,000	Between $46,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	Citi	Perficient
Best paying industry	Construction	Professional

Differences between head accountant and project accountant education

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

	Head Accountant	Project Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Head accountant vs project accountant demographics

Here are the differences between head accountants' and project accountants' demographics:

	Head Accountant	Project Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2%
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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.3% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between head accountant and project 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.

Project accountant example responsibilities.

Maintain general ledgers, manage cash flow, prepare financial statements and bank reconciliations for multiple development and construction projects.
Assure timely accurate filing of all Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance claims.
Review the collection of Medicare, Medicaid and other receivables to ensure monthly goals are met.
Used DelTek to find discrepancies in employee charge hours.
Serve as major contributor in system conversion to new web-base ERP system.
Identify and rectify accounting errors that have incurred in the past and ensure adherence to IFRS.

Head accountant vs project 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 project accountant skills

Reconciliations, 8%
Project Management, 6%
Contract Terms, 5%
Purchase Orders, 4%
Deltek, 4%
Revenue Recognition, 4%

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Head Accountant vs Project Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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