Head accountant vs staff accountant

The differences between head 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 head accountant and a staff accountant. Additionally, a head accountant has an average salary of $119,485, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

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

Head accountant vs staff accountant overview

	Head Accountant	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$119,485	$54,216
Hourly rate	$57.44	$26.07
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,069	115,930
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Head accountant vs staff accountant salary

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

	Head Accountant	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$119,485	$54,216
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $194,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	Citi	Meta
Best paying industry	Construction	Government

Differences between head accountant and staff accountant education

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

	Head Accountant	Staff 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 staff accountant demographics

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

	Head Accountant	Staff Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
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, 8.5% 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 head accountant and staff 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.

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.

Head accountant vs staff 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 staff accountant skills

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