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The differences between accounting associates and accounting technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an accounting associate and an accounting technician. Additionally, an accounting associate has an average salary of $50,537, which is higher than the $41,337 average annual salary of an accounting technician.
The top three skills for an accounting associate include reconciliations, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an accounting technician are customer service, financial reports, and payroll.
| Accounting Associate | Accounting Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $50,537 | $41,337 |
| Hourly rate | $24.30 | $19.87 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 49,143 | 39,972 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An accounting associate is responsible for supporting the operations of the accounting department, ensuring the stability of the financial services and status of an organization. Accounting associates process invoices, update client accounts on the database, manage financial reports, assist with tax auditing and processing, monitoring the financial statements and activities of the organization, escalate financial disputes, and verify accounts receivable. An accounting associate must have excellent knowledge of the accounting industry, as well as exceptional analytical and time-management skills to perform clerical duties as needed under minimal supervision.
An accounting technician is responsible for evaluating financial information procedures to support accounting and taxation tasks, verifying the accuracy of account statements for the reference of accountants. Accounting technicians manage the payroll processes, generate invoices, perform account reconciliations, analyze account receivables, prepare budget reports, and monitor the company's financial transactions. Accounting technicians should always adhere to taxation legislation, comply with accounting disciplines, and coordinate with the account management for any findings and concerns, requiring them to have excellent communication and analytical skills.
Accounting associates and accounting technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting Associate | Accounting Technician | |
| Average salary | $50,537 | $41,337 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $74,000 | Between $31,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Point72 | W. R. Berkley |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between an accounting associate and an accounting technician in terms of educational background:
| Accounting Associate | Accounting Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounting associates' and accounting technicians' demographics:
| Accounting Associate | Accounting Technician | |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5% | Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |