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The differences between tax accountants and general ledger 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 ledger accountant. Additionally, a tax accountant has an average salary of $62,142, which is higher than the $60,034 average annual salary of a general ledger accountant.
The top three skills for a tax accountant include CPA, tax audits and income tax returns. The most important skills for a general ledger accountant are reconciliations, GAAP, and balance sheet accounts.
| Tax Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $62,142 | $60,034 |
| Hourly rate | $29.88 | $28.86 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 57,919 | 81,408 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 ledger accountant is in charge of ensuring the accuracy of a company's overall accounting processes and information. It is their responsibility to communicate with different departments and officials to gather necessary data, conduct extensive audits, prepare documentation and reports, maintain financial data on the company ledger, and interpret financial information. Furthermore, like a general ledger accountant, it is essential to monitor the progress of accounting processes, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Tax accountants and general ledger accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tax Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Average salary | $62,142 | $60,034 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $83,000 | Between $47,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a tax accountant and a general ledger accountant in terms of educational background:
| Tax Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between tax accountants' and general ledger accountants' demographics:
| Tax Accountant | General Ledger Accountant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% | Male, 36.9% Female, 63.1% |
| 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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |