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The differences between portfolio 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 portfolio accountant and a staff accountant. Additionally, a portfolio accountant has an average salary of $69,877, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.
The top three skills for a portfolio accountant include reconciliations, financial reports and real estate. The most important skills for a staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and GAAP.
| Portfolio Accountant | Staff Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $69,877 | $54,216 |
| Hourly rate | $33.59 | $26.07 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 41,323 | 115,930 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Portfolio accountants must have effective communication and time management skills in addition to a bachelor's degree in accounting. They maintain and improve processes and systems by keeping and compiling records on monthly and quarterly reports. They also prepare financial statements, assist in fund pricing, and calculate losses, profits, and net asset values.
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.
Portfolio accountants and staff accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Portfolio Accountant | Staff Accountant | |
| Average salary | $69,877 | $54,216 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $102,000 | Between $42,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | AQR Capital Management | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a portfolio accountant and a staff accountant in terms of educational background:
| Portfolio Accountant | Staff Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between portfolio accountants' and staff accountants' demographics:
| Portfolio Accountant | Staff Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 17.9% White, 60.3% 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% |