Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between tax analysts and staff accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a tax analyst, becoming a staff accountant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a tax analyst has an average salary of $61,745, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.
The top three skills for a tax analyst include tax audits, reconciliations and tax compliance. The most important skills for a staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and GAAP.
| Tax Analyst | Staff Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $61,745 | $54,216 |
| Hourly rate | $29.69 | $26.07 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 56,223 | 115,930 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A tax analyst specializes in managing and filing tax forms and tax returns, all while devising strategies to reduce tax payments legally. A tax analyst may work as a member of a company or independently. Moreover, in a company setting, the responsibilities of a tax analyst revolve around coordinating with different departments to obtain all necessary documentation and financial information, maintaining accurate and extensive records of all transactions, and resolving any issues or concerns. Furthermore, it is essential to remain updated with all the tax laws, all while adhering to the policies and regulations of the company.
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.
Tax analysts and staff accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tax Analyst | Staff Accountant | |
| Average salary | $61,745 | $54,216 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $87,000 | Between $42,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Maine | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a tax analyst and a staff accountant in terms of educational background:
| Tax Analyst | Staff Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between tax analysts' and staff accountants' demographics:
| Tax Analyst | Staff Accountant | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 7% |