Accounting Assistant vs. Staff Accountant: What Are the Differences?

A career in accounting can be both challenging and rewarding. Two popular positions in this field are accounting assistant and staff accountant. Both roles require excellent math skills and attention to detail, but there are several key differences between the two. In this article, we discuss the similarities and differences between accounting assistants and staff accountants, and we provide tips for pursuing a career in accounting.

What is an Accounting Assistant?

An Accounting Assistant is responsible for providing support to the accounting department by performing a variety of clerical and accounting tasks. These tasks may include maintaining financial records, preparing reports, and assisting with auditing and tax preparation. The Accounting Assistant may also be responsible for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable tasks. This position requires strong math skills and the ability to work with financial software programs.

What is a Staff Accountant?

A Staff Accountant is a professional who performs various accounting, bookkeeping, and financial tasks to support the work of accountants and other financial professionals. They may prepare financial statements, reconcile bank statements, and maintain ledgers and journals. Staff Accountants may also assist with tax preparation, auditing, and budgeting. In larger organizations, Staff Accountants may specialize in a particular area of accounting, such as accounts receivable or accounts payable. They may also work in the accounting department of a company in a supervisory or management role.

Accounting Assistant vs. Staff Accountant

Here are the main differences between an accounting assistant and a staff accountant.

Job Duties

Accounting assistants typically have more administrative duties than staff accountants. They may manage the office calendar, schedule meetings and take phone calls from clients. Accounting assistants may also handle email correspondence with clients and send invoices. Staff accountants typically perform the accounting work for a company and may spend all day working at a desk analyzing data and creating financial reports. Staff accountants may create budgets, monitor expenses and ensure that the company is meeting financial goals.

Staff accountants often have more responsibilities related to the actual accounting work than an accounting assistant. As an accountant, they may be responsible for auditing certain areas of the business like payroll or inventory and making recommendations on how to improve processes. Accounting assistants may not have any supervisory responsibilities, but staff accountants may lead small teams in other departments like human resources or IT.

Job Requirements

To become an accounting assistant or staff accountant, you need a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field. For consideration in more advanced positions, it may help to pursue a master’s degree, but it is not a prerequisite for either position.

In addition to college, both professions may continue education through additional certifications. A CPA license, which teaches accountants how to file taxes, is accredited through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and offered as a national exam. A CFA license allows financial analysts to advise clients through decision-making in investment opportunities. Certifications are not mandatory in either position but allow for more growth opportunities and can be an outlet for gaining more experience in the financial field through extensive training hours.

Work Environment

Accounting assistants typically work in an office environment, often for a single employer. They may also travel to meet with clients and vendors. Staff accountants usually work in an office environment, but they may also visit clients or attend meetings. Both positions can work long hours during tax season, when companies are filing their taxes.

Staff accountants may have more opportunities for advancement than accounting assistants because of the experience they gain working on different projects. Accounting assistants may be able to advance into staff accountant roles if they earn additional certifications and gain experience.

Skills

Both accounting assistants and staff accountants use basic math skills on a daily basis to perform their job duties. They also both need to have excellent attention to detail to ensure accuracy in their work.

Accounting assistants typically need to have strong administrative skills as they often are responsible for tasks like scheduling appointments, maintaining records and handling customer inquiries. They also may benefit from having customer service skills to build positive relationships with clients.

Staff accountants usually need to have more advanced accounting skills than accounting assistants. They may be responsible for tasks like preparing financial statements, overseeing budgets and performing audits. They also may use their analytical skills to identify trends and make recommendations for improvements.

Salary

The average salary for an accounting assistant is $49,794 per year, while the average salary for a staff accountant is $62,583 per year. Both of these salaries can vary depending on the size of the company, the location of the job and the level of experience the employee has.