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The differences between staff 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 staff accountant and a junior accountant. Additionally, a staff accountant has an average salary of $54,216, which is higher than the $50,444 average annual salary of a junior accountant.
The top three skills for a staff accountant include reconciliations, account reconciliations and GAAP. The most important skills for a junior accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.
| Staff Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $54,216 | $50,444 |
| Hourly rate | $26.07 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 115,930 | 57,892 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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.
Staff accountants and junior accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average salary | $54,216 | $50,444 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $68,000 | Between $38,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Fuhu |
| Best paying industry | Government | Construction |
There are a few differences between a staff accountant and a junior accountant in terms of educational background:
| Staff Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between staff accountants' and junior accountants' demographics:
| Staff Accountant | Junior Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% |
| 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, 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% |