Staff accountant vs accounting analyst

The differences between staff accountants and accounting analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a staff accountant and an accounting analyst. Additionally, an accounting analyst has an average salary of $58,399, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

The top three skills for a staff accountant include reconciliations, account reconciliations and GAAP. The most important skills for an accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.

Staff accountant vs accounting analyst overview

	Staff Accountant	Accounting Analyst
Yearly salary	$54,216	$58,399
Hourly rate	$26.07	$28.08
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	115,930	81,097
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

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.

What does an accounting analyst do?

An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.

Staff accountant vs accounting analyst salary

Staff accountants and accounting analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Accountant	Accounting Analyst
Average salary	$54,216	$58,399
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $68,000	Between $42,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Google
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between staff accountant and accounting analyst education

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

	Staff Accountant	Accounting Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Staff accountant vs accounting analyst demographics

Here are the differences between staff accountants' and accounting analysts' demographics:

	Staff Accountant	Accounting Analyst
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between staff accountant and accounting analyst duties and responsibilities

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.

Accounting analyst example responsibilities.

Manage and process all ACH, EFT and wire transfer transactions daily (debit or credits).
Manage reconciling monthly discrepancies between ERP transfers.
Manage budget submissions by subsidiaries in Europe/AFNE region in Hyperion.
Establish investment objectives to efficiently manage IPO proceeds within state risk parameters.
Maintain accounting controls by following GAAP and internal accounting policies; maintain financial security by following internal controls.
Review and approve monthly general ledger and bank account reconciliations for special condition accounts to ensure procedural consistency and compliance.

Staff accountant vs accounting analyst skills

Common staff accountant skills

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

Common accounting analyst skills

Reconciliations, 12%
Customer Service, 7%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Strong Analytical, 4%
Payroll, 4%

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Staff Accountant vs Accounting Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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