How To Become An Accounting Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an accounting technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Jodi Olson

Accounting technicians are hired in the accounting and finance departments to support chartered accountants. They organize accounting records which include registers, ledgers, journals, and individual accounts. They review and reconcile diverse financial operations. Likewise, they cross-check and confirm sources documents such as invoices and expense vouchers. Besides that, they manage schedules of standard objectives, financial statements, and reports. Furthermore, they monitor accounts payable, accounts receivable, and bank deposits for irregularities. Also, they oversee the separation of duties and internal control procedures.

Employers seek candidates with at least a high school diploma with a strong interest in business and finance. Candidates must be able to use office equipment. They must be familiar with general bookkeeping procedures or principles. Likewise, they must know about payroll systems, accounts payable, and general accounting ledger. Core skills include analytical, clerical, and maths skills. This personnel makes an average annual salary of $44,069. It varies between $33,000 and $59,000.

What's a day at work look like for an accounting technician?

Jodi Olson

Assistant Accounting Professor, Winona State University

Graduates could see a range of possibilities from working entirely remotely to fully on-site with precautions in place, based on recent graduate and internship experiences we have seen during the pandemic. Except for a very few internships cut short or cancelled immediately at the onset of the pandemic as the profession adapted to unknowns and putting safety measures in place, we have not seen a significant change in the demand for interns or graduates. Some new graduates expect their first day on the jobs to be remote and feel ready to meet that challenge being familiar with the technology required to be productive and communicate virtually. It has become an assumption that precautions are in place, regardless of the remote or in-person setting. It seems that both graduates and employers are working hard together to achieve success, both with caution and the usual high professional standards.

ScoreAccounting TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $41,337

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 6.49%

Black or African American 6.68%

Hispanic or Latino 14.22%

Unknown 3.96%

White 68.03%

Gender

female 77.31%

male 22.69%

Age - 53

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 53

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an accounting technician

Explore accounting technician education requirements

Most common accounting technician degrees

Bachelor's

51.4 %

Associate

28.9 %

High School Diploma

7.6 %

Start to develop specific accounting technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	11.59%
Financial Reports	10.25%
Payroll	7.66%
Purchase Orders	7.04%
Data Entry	5.52%

Complete relevant accounting technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New accounting technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an accounting technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real accounting technician resumes.

Gain additional accounting technician certifications

Accounting technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific accounting technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for accounting technicians include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA).

More About Certifications

Research accounting technician duties and 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.

Prepare your accounting technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your accounting technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an accounting technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable accounting technician resume templates

Build a professional accounting technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your accounting technician resume.