Inventory accountant vs staff accountant

The differences between inventory 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 an inventory accountant and a staff accountant. Additionally, an inventory accountant has an average salary of $59,285, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

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

Inventory accountant vs staff accountant overview

	Inventory Accountant	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$59,285	$54,216
Hourly rate	$28.50	$26.07
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	56,492	115,930
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 staff accountant do?

Staff accountants are employees who are part of the company's accounting department. They are usually certified public accountants (CPAs). Staff accountants should be familiar with accounting tasks. Previous accounting experiences play a huge advantage in their success. They perform a variety of accounting responsibilities such as information verification and analysis, financial report preparation and presentation, financial account reconciliation, billing and payment receiving activities, vendor database management, and invoice processing requirements. They should also know how to do bookkeeping. Staff accountants should have good communication skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills. They should also be organized and trustworthy since they will be handling confidential information.

Inventory accountant vs staff accountant salary

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

	Inventory Accountant	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$59,285	$54,216
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $76,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	RH	Meta
Best paying industry	Energy	Government

Differences between inventory accountant and staff accountant education

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

	Inventory Accountant	Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Inventory accountant vs staff accountant demographics

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

	Inventory Accountant	Staff Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
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, 8.5% 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 inventory accountant and 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.

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.

Inventory accountant vs staff accountant skills

Common inventory accountant skills

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

Common staff accountant skills

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

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Inventory Accountant vs Staff Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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