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Tax associate vs accounting analyst

The differences between tax associates and accounting analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tax associate has an average salary of $62,466, which is higher than the $58,399 average annual salary of an accounting analyst.

The top three skills for a tax associate include strong customer service, CPA and tax planning. The most important skills for an accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.

Tax associate vs accounting analyst overview

Tax AssociateAccounting Analyst
Yearly salary$62,466$58,399
Hourly rate$30.03$28.08
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs42,01981,097
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age4744
Years of experience-4

What does a tax associate do?

Tax associates are responsible for helping businesses and individuals with state and federal income tax preparation and compliance. These professionals often work for accounting firms and financial services companies. They perform varied tasks that include reviewing income statements, financial records, and expenditures, interviewing clients about income and expenses, and minimizing their clients' tax liability. Tax associates also conduct research on tax issues and assist with tax audits, advise clients on compensation and tax information, and maintain accurate and current client records.

What does an accounting analyst do?

An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.

Tax associate vs accounting analyst salary

Tax associates and accounting analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

Tax AssociateAccounting Analyst
Average salary$62,466$58,399
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $95,000Between $42,000 And $79,000
Highest paying CityLas Vegas, NVSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNevadaNew York
Best paying companyRopes & GrayGoogle
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between tax associate and accounting analyst education

There are a few differences between a tax associate and an accounting analyst in terms of educational background:

Tax AssociateAccounting Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Tax associate vs accounting analyst demographics

Here are the differences between tax associates' and accounting analysts' demographics:

Tax AssociateAccounting Analyst
Average age4744
Gender ratioMale, 36.4% Female, 63.6%Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 10.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage8%7%

Differences between tax associate and accounting analyst duties and responsibilities

Tax associate example responsibilities.

  • Provide tax planning and preparation services for corporate, individual and high net-worth clients of this midsize CPA firm.
  • Implement process to identify and prepare the balances for W2 purposes at year end.
  • Prepare customer taxes from w-2's and other tax information, answer phones, print checks, filing
  • Resolve a major system problems with split process level errors so employee W2's and companies returns are correct.
  • Respond to inquiries from the IRS and other tax authorities regarding reconciliation of filings, liabilities, and other associate matters.
  • Advise clients on questions they have pertaining to their tax liabilities and ensure that they are compliant to the IRS regulations.
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Accounting analyst example responsibilities.

  • Manage and process all ACH, EFT and wire transfer transactions daily (debit or credits).
  • Manage reconciling monthly discrepancies between ERP transfers.
  • Manage budget submissions by subsidiaries in Europe/AFNE region in Hyperion.
  • Establish investment objectives to efficiently manage IPO proceeds within state risk parameters.
  • Maintain accounting controls by following GAAP and internal accounting policies; maintain financial security by following internal controls.
  • Review and approve monthly general ledger and bank account reconciliations for special condition accounts to ensure procedural consistency and compliance.
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Tax associate vs accounting analyst skills

Common tax associate skills
  • Strong Customer Service, 26%
  • CPA, 13%
  • Tax Planning, 6%
  • Taxation, 5%
  • Tax Research, 4%
  • Local Tax Returns, 4%
Common accounting analyst skills
  • Reconciliations, 12%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Account Reconciliations, 6%
  • GAAP, 5%
  • Strong Analytical, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%

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