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The differences between tax associates and general accountants 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 $55,043 average annual salary of a general accountant.
The top three skills for a tax associate include strong customer service, CPA and tax planning. The most important skills for a general accountant are financial data, reconciliations, and cash handling.
| Tax Associate | General Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $62,466 | $55,043 |
| Hourly rate | $30.03 | $26.46 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,019 | 87,663 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
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 associates and general accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tax Associate | General Accountant | |
| Average salary | $62,466 | $55,043 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $95,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Ropes & Gray | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a tax associate and a general accountant in terms of educational background:
| Tax Associate | General Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between tax associates' and general accountants' demographics:
| Tax Associate | General Accountant | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 11.1% Asian, 13.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 7% |