Accounting technician vs accounting analyst

The differences between accounting technicians and accounting analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an accounting technician, becoming an accounting analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an accounting analyst has an average salary of $58,399, which is higher than the $41,337 average annual salary of an accounting technician.

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

Accounting technician vs accounting analyst overview

	Accounting Technician	Accounting Analyst
Yearly salary	$41,337	$58,399
Hourly rate	$19.87	$28.08
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	39,972	81,097
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	51	44
Years of experience	6	4

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.

What does an accounting analyst do?

An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.

Accounting technician vs accounting analyst salary

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

	Accounting Technician	Accounting Analyst
Average salary	$41,337	$58,399
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $53,000	Between $42,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	W. R. Berkley	Google
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between accounting technician and accounting analyst education

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

	Accounting Technician	Accounting Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting technician vs accounting analyst demographics

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

	Accounting Technician	Accounting Analyst
Average age	51	44
Gender ratio	Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting technician and accounting analyst duties and responsibilities

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 analyst example responsibilities.

Manage and process all ACH, EFT and wire transfer transactions daily (debit or credits).
Manage reconciling monthly discrepancies between ERP transfers.
Manage budget submissions by subsidiaries in Europe/AFNE region in Hyperion.
Establish investment objectives to efficiently manage IPO proceeds within state risk parameters.
Maintain accounting controls by following GAAP and internal accounting policies; maintain financial security by following internal controls.
Review and approve monthly general ledger and bank account reconciliations for special condition accounts to ensure procedural consistency and compliance.

Accounting technician vs accounting analyst skills

Common accounting technician skills

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

Common accounting analyst skills

Reconciliations, 12%
Customer Service, 7%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Strong Analytical, 4%
Payroll, 4%

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Accounting Technician
Accounting Technician vs Accounting Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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