Tax accountant vs senior tax accountant

The differences between tax accountants and senior 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 tax accountant and a senior tax accountant. Additionally, a senior tax accountant has an average salary of $77,537, which is higher than the $62,142 average annual salary of a tax accountant.

The top three skills for a tax accountant include CPA, tax audits and income tax returns. The most important skills for a senior tax accountant are CPA, state income, and tax research.

Tax accountant vs senior tax accountant overview

	Tax Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Yearly salary	$62,142	$77,537
Hourly rate	$29.88	$37.28
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	57,919	57,686
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

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.

What does a senior tax accountant do?

Senior Tax Accountants recommend tax strategies, as well as assist the preparation of federal, state, and local taxes. They contact clients to resolve minor tax issues and work with the senior tax manager to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local tax legislation.

Tax accountant vs senior tax accountant salary

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

	Tax Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Average salary	$62,142	$77,537
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $83,000	Between $60,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.
Best paying industry	Finance	Professional

Differences between tax accountant and senior tax accountant education

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

	Tax Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Tax accountant vs senior tax accountant demographics

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

	Tax Accountant	Senior Tax Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%
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, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 14.3% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between tax accountant and senior tax accountant duties and responsibilities

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

Senior tax accountant example responsibilities.

Research technical topics in taxation to present to the tax department and clients on areas of concern in the IRS code.
Participate in monthly accounting close with preparation and ownership of tax accrual journal entries and reconciliations.
Help implement, and maintain federal and state tax provision information into OneSource.
Work with internal and external resources to ensure implementation of CCH software on shopping cart is successful.
Assist and review the maintenance of the OneSource database relative to coding & mapping of the trial balance.
Conduct research with CCH and RIA on tax exposures, savings, refund, recovery, and credits.

Tax accountant vs senior tax accountant skills

Common tax accountant skills

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

Common senior tax accountant skills

CPA, 14%
State Income, 5%
Tax Research, 5%
Income Tax Returns, 4%
Tax Planning, 4%
Tax Compliance, 4%

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Tax Accountant vs Senior Tax Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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