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The differences between tax accountants and general 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 tax accountant and a general accountant. Additionally, a tax accountant has an average salary of $62,142, which is higher than the $55,043 average annual salary of a general accountant.
The top three skills for a tax accountant include CPA, tax audits and income tax returns. The most important skills for a general accountant are financial data, reconciliations, and cash handling.
| Tax Accountant | General Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $62,142 | $55,043 |
| Hourly rate | $29.88 | $26.46 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 57,919 | 87,663 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A general accountant is responsible for evaluating account statements, conducting data analysis with financial transactions, and generating reports on revenues, expenses, and sales forecasting. These accountants manage discrepancies on the company and clients' profiles, including bank reconciliations and processing of account receivables and payables. They also handle the release of invoices and petty cash, analyzing balance sheets, and updating accurate financial information on the database. A general accountant must have excellent analytical skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines.
Tax accountants and general accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tax Accountant | General Accountant | |
| Average salary | $62,142 | $55,043 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $83,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a tax accountant and a general accountant in terms of educational background:
| Tax Accountant | General Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between tax accountants' and general accountants' demographics:
| Tax Accountant | General Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 13.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |