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Accounting internship vs accounting technician

The differences between accounting interns 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 internship and an accounting technician. Additionally, an accounting technician has an average salary of $41,337, which is higher than the $30,642 average annual salary of an accounting internship.

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

Accounting internship vs accounting technician overview

Accounting InternshipAccounting Technician
Yearly salary$30,642$41,337
Hourly rate$14.73$19.87
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs80,29939,972
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age5151
Years of experience66

What does an accounting internship do?

An accounting internship is a trainee who reports to an organization's accountant in order to learn about the accounting field, complete financial projects and files taxes, and financial reports. An intern should be a graduate of a Bachelor's or Master's in Accounting and should have an aptitude for mathematics and proficiency with computers. In order to prepare financial reports, an intern should possess knowledge with bookkeeping software. An intern must also know how to handle sensitive information with honesty and integrity.

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 internship vs accounting technician salary

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

Accounting InternshipAccounting Technician
Average salary$30,642$41,337
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $38,000Between $31,000 And $53,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAOakland, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyBWX TechnologiesW. R. Berkley
Best paying industryTelecommunicationGovernment

Differences between accounting internship and accounting technician education

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

Accounting InternshipAccounting Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Accounting internship vs accounting technician demographics

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

Accounting InternshipAccounting Technician
Average age5151
Gender ratioMale, 53.3% Female, 46.7%Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage7%7%

Differences between accounting internship and accounting technician duties and responsibilities

Accounting internship example responsibilities.

  • Acquire training on the automated ADP payroll system which lead to a recommendation for the payroll manager position.
  • Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
  • Prepare and process accounts payable checks and ACH payments.
  • Code diagnosis and add appropriate modifiers to CPT codes.
  • Prepare and maintain monthly departmental reports to maintain SOX compliance.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9 codes, and CPT codes.
    • Show more

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.
    • Show more

Accounting internship vs accounting technician skills

Common accounting internship skills
  • Reconciliations, 14%
  • Data Entry, 7%
  • Payroll, 6%
  • First Hand, 6%
  • Work Ethic, 6%
  • Account Reconciliations, 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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Updated January 8, 2025

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