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The differences between senior accountants and junior 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 senior accountant and a junior accountant. Additionally, a senior accountant has an average salary of $71,967, which is higher than the $50,444 average annual salary of a junior accountant.
The top three skills for a senior accountant include reconciliations, CPA and GAAP. The most important skills for a junior accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Senior Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $71,967 | $50,444 |
| Hourly rate | $34.60 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 76,816 | 57,892 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior accountant is responsible for organizing financial reports, analyzing cost estimates, reviewing budget goals regularly, and making adjustments with the company's account statements as necessary. Senior accountants' duties also include managing account reconciliations, preparing tax documents, maintaining audit records and balance sheets, generating invoices, and providing recommendations to minimize possible financial loss. A senior accountant must have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of accounting and financial principles.
Junior accountants maintain the financial records of companies through the analysis of their general ledger accounts and balance sheets. The accountant's post journal entries, maintain accounts receivable and payable, and update financial statements. They pay payroll every month, reconcile ledgers, and submit payroll taxes. The skills necessary for this job include analytical skills, problem-solving, information confidentiality, and proficiency in accounting software and technology. They are also expected to be detail-oriented.
Senior accountants and junior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $71,967 | $50,444 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $92,000 | Between $38,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Fuhu | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Construction |
There are a few differences between a senior accountant and a junior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior accountants' and junior accountants' demographics:
| Senior Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1% | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.5% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |