Tax manager vs accountant

The differences between tax managers and accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a tax manager, becoming an accountant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a tax manager has an average salary of $96,100, which is higher than the $54,890 average annual salary of an accountant.

The top three skills for a tax manager include CPA, client relationships and tax planning. The most important skills for an accountant are reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and account reconciliations.

Tax manager vs accountant overview

	Tax Manager	Accountant
Yearly salary	$96,100	$54,890
Hourly rate	$46.20	$26.39
Growth rate	17%	6%
Number of jobs	79,204	60,073
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	8	4

What does a tax manager do?

A Tax Manager is responsible for managing tax reporting and compliance within an organization. They provide innovative tax planning and prepare state and federal tax returns for companies.

What does an accountant do?

An accountant is an individual whose primary task is to prepare, keep, examine, and interpret financial records. Most accountants are in charge of a wide scope of finance-related tasks, either for private individuals or for large-scale businesses and organizations they are employed with. They make sure that financial statements and records are accurate and comply with laws and regulations. They also compute for taxes, prepare tax returns, and ensure being paid properly and on time. As they keep track and record the flow of money, they can offer guidance on how to reduce costs, enhance revenue, and help in profit maximization.

Tax manager vs accountant salary

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

	Tax Manager	Accountant
Average salary	$96,100	$54,890
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $131,000	Between $41,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between tax manager and accountant education

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

	Tax Manager	Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Pennsylvania

Tax manager vs accountant demographics

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

	Tax Manager	Accountant
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5%	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	7%

Differences between tax manager and accountant duties and responsibilities

Tax manager example responsibilities.

Test and learned to analyze accounting processes managing SOX testing including accumulating documentation and reviewing other testers work.
Perform tax provision review to ensure compliance with ASC 740 and ASC 740-10 for public trade companies and private companies.
Pull data and work with Hyperion.
Used Lexis Nexis, RIA, and CCH to research multiple tax projects.
Prepare and review ASC 740 tax balances for the company s fifteen largest foreign subsidiaries.
Calculate, prepare and submit quarterly estimate payments without need for review from third party CPA.

Show more

Accountant example responsibilities.

Manage preparation of the statutory financial statements and financial aggregates in compliance with IFRS and local applicable norms.
Manage personnel financial matters including salaries, taxation procedures and other relate issues.
Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Reconstruct and improve many balance sheet account reconciliations for easier reading and interpretation by senior level management.
Perform complex general accounting functions, including preparation of journal entries, account analysis and balance sheet reconciliations.
Maintain general ledgers and preparation of monthly and other periodic financial reports in accordance with GAAP and international accounting standards.

Show more

Tax manager vs accountant skills

Common tax manager skills

CPA, 16%
Client Relationships, 7%
Tax Planning, 6%
Tax Compliance, 5%
Taxation, 4%
Tax Research, 4%

Common accountant skills

Reconciliations, 14%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Tax Manager vs. similar jobs

Tax Manager related careers

Tax Manager related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z