Head accountant vs senior accountant

The differences between head 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 head accountant and a senior accountant. Additionally, a head accountant has an average salary of $119,485, which is higher than the $71,967 average annual salary of a senior accountant.

The top three skills for a head accountant include account management, client relationships and business development. The most important skills for a senior accountant are reconciliations, CPA, and GAAP.

Head accountant vs senior accountant overview

	Head Accountant	Senior Accountant
Yearly salary	$119,485	$71,967
Hourly rate	$57.44	$34.60
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,069	76,816
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Head accountant vs senior accountant salary

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

	Head Accountant	Senior Accountant
Average salary	$119,485	$71,967
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $194,000	Between $55,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	Citi	Google
Best paying industry	Construction	Finance

Differences between head accountant and senior accountant education

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

	Head Accountant	Senior Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Head accountant vs senior accountant demographics

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

	Head Accountant	Senior Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
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, 8.5% 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%

Differences between head accountant and senior 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.

Senior accountant example responsibilities.

Manage complex pricing structure and maintain SalesForce CRM funnel for forecasting accuracy.
Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Manage the review, enhancement, and creation of department policy and procedure documentation require for Sarbanes-Oxley auditing and compliance.
Compile and analyze financial information to prepare monthly accruals, payroll journal, general journal and bank reconciliations.
Research and develop policies around Medicaid and Medicare billings and prepare Medicaid cost reports.
Coordinate submissions of financial data from regional divisions and prepare the consolidated company financial statement using Hyperion program.

Head accountant vs senior 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 senior accountant skills

Reconciliations, 13%
CPA, 8%
GAAP, 7%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%
Payroll, 4%