Head accountant vs senior tax accountant

The differences between head 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 head accountant and a senior tax accountant. Additionally, a head accountant has an average salary of $119,485, which is higher than the $77,537 average annual salary of a senior tax accountant.

The top three skills for a head accountant include account management, client relationships and business development. The most important skills for a senior tax accountant are CPA, state income, and tax research.

Head accountant vs senior tax accountant overview

	Head Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Yearly salary	$119,485	$77,537
Hourly rate	$57.44	$37.28
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,069	57,686
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Head accountant vs senior tax accountant salary

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

	Head Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Average salary	$119,485	$77,537
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $194,000	Between $60,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	Citi	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.
Best paying industry	Construction	Professional

Differences between head accountant and senior tax accountant education

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

	Head Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Head accountant vs senior tax accountant demographics

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

	Head Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%
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, 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 head accountant and senior tax 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 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.

Head accountant vs senior tax 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 tax accountant skills

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

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Head Accountant vs Senior Tax Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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