Staff accountant vs tax accountant

The differences between staff accountants and tax 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 tax accountant. Additionally, a tax accountant has an average salary of $62,142, 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 tax accountant are CPA, tax audits, and income tax returns.

Staff accountant vs tax accountant overview

	Staff Accountant	Tax Accountant
Yearly salary	$54,216	$62,142
Hourly rate	$26.07	$29.88
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	115,930	57,919
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
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 tax accountant do?

A tax accountant is an individual who works with clients to produce tax return documents that follow tax laws and regulations while keeping them updated on their return information. Tax accountants must determine tax strategies for their clients that may minimize or eliminate tax payments while arranging audits with taxation authorities. They prepare tax documents for different clients, including private companies, non-profit organizations, and private individuals. Tax accountants are also required to obtain a bachelor's degree in accounting and should understand business concepts.

Staff accountant vs tax accountant salary

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

	Staff Accountant	Tax Accountant
Average salary	$54,216	$62,142
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $68,000	Between $45,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between staff accountant and tax accountant education

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

	Staff Accountant	Tax Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Staff accountant vs tax accountant demographics

Here are the differences between staff accountants' and tax accountants' demographics:

	Staff Accountant	Tax Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%
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, 8.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between staff accountant and tax 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.

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Tax accountant example responsibilities.

Utilize QuickBooks to manage client data and prepare necessary financial statements.
Manage and prepare sales and use tax account reconciliations and property tax liability accounts and prepare corresponding journal entries.
Prepared/Review financial statements according to GAAP and propose adjusting entries for clients.
Prepare tax returns for corporations, partnerships, non-profit organizations and individuals.
Work with various accounting departments, with duties such as account reconciliations, customer service, and administrative/clerical positions.
SAP, ONESOURCE, YESWIN, and BSAEfiling

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Staff accountant vs tax accountant skills

Common staff accountant skills

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

Common tax accountant skills

CPA, 9%
Tax Audits, 4%
Income Tax Returns, 4%
Tax Research, 4%
Reconciliations, 4%
Financial Statements, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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