Inventory accountant vs senior staff accountant

The differences between inventory accountants and senior 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 an inventory accountant and a senior staff accountant. Additionally, a senior staff accountant has an average salary of $65,019, which is higher than the $59,285 average annual salary of an inventory accountant.

The top three skills for an inventory accountant include reconciliations, financial statements and external auditors. The most important skills for a senior staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and CPA.

Inventory accountant vs senior staff accountant overview

	Inventory Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$59,285	$65,019
Hourly rate	$28.50	$31.26
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	56,492	112,760
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does an inventory accountant do?

An inventory accountant is in charge of overseeing and managing the costs involving a company's inventory operations. It is their duty to monitor transactions, update general ledgers, gather and analyze data, perform audits and assessments, and produce regular inventory reports. They must also observe and be alert for any inconsistencies and discrepancies, dealing with them according to the policies and regulations. Moreover, an inventory accountant must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a senior staff accountant do?

A senior staff accountant is responsible for managing the accounting operations of the company's accounting department, reconciling accounts, and finalizing financial reports to discuss with the management. Senior staff accountants resolve account discrepancies, analyze the company's financial status, and verify financial transactions. They must have excellent analytical skills and extensive knowledge of the accounting principles to perform accounting duties that would minimize the financial risk of the company. A senior staff accountant provides strategic recommendations to prevent overspending and increase efficiency across all departments to drive more revenues and profits.

Inventory accountant vs senior staff accountant salary

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

	Inventory Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Average salary	$59,285	$65,019
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $76,000	Between $48,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	RH	Calumet Specialty Products Partners
Best paying industry	Energy	Professional

Differences between inventory accountant and senior staff accountant education

There are a few differences between an inventory accountant and a senior staff accountant in terms of educational background:

	Inventory Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Inventory accountant vs senior staff accountant demographics

Here are the differences between inventory accountants' and senior staff accountants' demographics:

	Inventory Accountant	Senior Staff Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between inventory accountant and senior staff accountant duties and responsibilities

Inventory accountant example responsibilities.

Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Collaborate with external CPA firm in recording accumulate amortization/depreciation and extend tax returns.
Provide monthly consignment inventory balances to customers, roll-forward reports and reconciliations for goods in transit.
Perform both wire and ACH transfers on a weekly basis.
Prepare checks, including ACH transactions, wire transfers, web payments.
Review and verify paperwork for all vehicle purchases to satisfy SOX and internal audit procedures and standards.

Senior staff accountant example responsibilities.

Manage month end close process including journal entries, departmental analysis and preparation of consolidate financial statements and account reconciliations.
Involve in revenue recognition research (ASC 985-605 vs. ASC 605-25).
Aid managers in performing AP duties, generate financial reports for CPA, and reconcile bank accounts for corporate office.
Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and general ledger analysis in accordance with GAAP.
Advance SaaS deal and rev accounting.
Cultivate productive, trustful relationship with external CPA firm, critical to producing successful audits and year-end reporting.

Inventory accountant vs senior staff accountant skills

Common inventory accountant skills

Reconciliations, 11%
Financial Statements, 4%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%
Account Reconciliations, 4%
GAAP, 4%

Common senior staff accountant skills

Reconciliations, 13%
Account Reconciliations, 7%
CPA, 7%
GAAP, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%
Balance Sheet Accounts, 4%

Inventory Accountant vs. similar jobs

Inventory Accountant related careers

Inventory Accountant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Inventory Accountant
Inventory Accountant vs Senior Staff Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs