Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting technician

The differences between accounting bookkeepers 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 bookkeeper and an accounting technician. Additionally, an accounting bookkeeper has an average salary of $51,406, which is higher than the $41,337 average annual salary of an accounting technician.

The top three skills for an accounting bookkeeper include data entry, reconciliations and payroll taxes. The most important skills for an accounting technician are customer service, financial reports, and payroll.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting technician overview

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Technician
Yearly salary	$51,406	$41,337
Hourly rate	$24.71	$19.87
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	40,579	39,972
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounting bookkeeper do?

An Accounting Bookkeeper supervises the financial data and compliance of a company. Accounting Bookkeepers maintain accurate books on accounts receivable and payable, daily financial reconciliations and entries, and payroll. They are in charge of recording various transactions like income and outgoings and posting these transactions to different accounts.

What does an accounting technician do?

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 bookkeeper vs accounting technician salary

Accounting bookkeepers and accounting technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Technician
Average salary	$51,406	$41,337
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $66,000	Between $31,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Vallejo, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Delaware	California
Best paying company	GrowthForce	W. R. Berkley
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between accounting bookkeeper and accounting technician education

There are a few differences between an accounting bookkeeper and an accounting technician in terms of educational background:

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting technician demographics

Here are the differences between accounting bookkeepers' and accounting technicians' demographics:

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Technician
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%	Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.3% 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%

Differences between accounting bookkeeper and accounting technician duties and responsibilities

Accounting bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Process bi-weekly payroll through ADP on-line system; manage distribution of live checks.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
General ledger entries for AR and AP, parts and sales of power equipment.
Prepare and print AP checks.
Report payroll to ADP system and reconcile payroll account.
Work with client's CPA firm for reporting and tax preparation.

Accounting technician example responsibilities.

Develop expertise in use of PeopleSoft system to manage balance accounts for quarterly investment portfolio.
Reconcile the agency SPCC statement each month
Audit includes reviewing SPCC invoices and receipts to ensure appropriate tax exemptions are follow.
Analyze cases to determine if ICD-9 and CPT codes are covered benefits according to insurance's medical policy.
Apply GAAP following applicable federal regulations.
Maintain adherence to university accounting and GAAP standards.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting technician skills

Common accounting bookkeeper skills

Data Entry, 8%
Reconciliations, 8%
Payroll Taxes, 8%
Journal Entries, 7%
Vendor Invoices, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%

Common accounting technician skills

Customer Service, 12%
Financial Reports, 10%
Payroll, 8%
Purchase Orders, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Reconciliations, 5%

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Accounting Bookkeeper
Accounting Bookkeeper vs Accounting Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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