Staff accountant vs certified public accountant

The differences between staff accountants and certified public 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 staff accountant and a certified public accountant. Additionally, a certified public accountant has an average salary of $76,693, 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 a certified public accountant are CPA, customer service, and IRS.

Staff accountant vs certified public accountant overview

	Staff Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Yearly salary	$54,216	$76,693
Hourly rate	$26.07	$36.87
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	115,930	78,792
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
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 a certified public accountant do?

A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.

Staff accountant vs certified public accountant salary

Staff accountants and certified public accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average salary	$54,216	$76,693
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $68,000	Between $49,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Meta	Applied Materials
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between staff accountant and certified public accountant education

There are a few differences between a staff accountant and a certified public accountant in terms of educational background:

	Staff Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Staff accountant vs certified public accountant demographics

Here are the differences between staff accountants' and certified public accountants' demographics:

	Staff Accountant	Certified Public Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.4% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between staff accountant and certified public accountant 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.

Certified public accountant example responsibilities.

Mentor highly skil accounting and tax management team to achieve establish objectives including conformity with GAAP compliance.
Maintain monthly client bookkeeping including bank reconciliations, account payable and prepare preliminary financial statements for CPA review.
Conduct bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and generate general ledgers as well as raise concerns about expenditure classifications and revenue recognition.
Prepare and review month-end close, including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, and financial statement supporting documentation.
Gain a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.
Prepare and monitor audit programs, assist management in design and monitoring of SOX compliance programs.

Staff accountant vs certified public accountant skills

Common staff accountant skills

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

Common certified public accountant skills

CPA, 48%
Customer Service, 22%
IRS, 7%
State Tax Returns, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 2%
Financial Statement Preparation, 1%

Staff Accountant vs. similar jobs

Staff Accountant related careers

Staff Accountant related jobs

Staff Accountant jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Staff Accountant
Staff Accountant vs Certified Public Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs