Accounts payable associate vs accounting technician

The differences between accounts payable 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 accounts payable associate and an accounting technician. Additionally, an accounting technician has an average salary of $41,337, which is higher than the $39,270 average annual salary of an accounts payable associate.

The top three skills for an accounts payable associate include customer service, data entry and purchase orders. The most important skills for an accounting technician are customer service, financial reports, and payroll.

Accounts payable associate vs accounting technician overview

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Technician
Yearly salary	$39,270	$41,337
Hourly rate	$18.88	$19.87
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	30,845	39,972
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounts payable associate do?

An accounts payable associate is primarily responsible for processing bills and payments for a company, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Moreover, they are also responsible for maintaining records of all transactions, liaising with external agencies, coordinating with different departments to gather data, receiving and monitoring invoices, and obtaining approval from managers or supervisors when it comes to payments as needed. An accounts payable associate may also produce financial reports and statements, create presentations, train new members of the workforce, and assist audits, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

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.

Accounts payable associate vs accounting technician salary

Accounts payable associates and accounting technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Technician
Average salary	$39,270	$41,337
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $49,000	Between $31,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Cambridge, MA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Accenture	W. R. Berkley
Best paying industry	Construction	Government

Differences between accounts payable associate and accounting technician education

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

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounts payable associate vs accounting technician demographics

Here are the differences between accounts payable associates' and accounting technicians' demographics:

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Technician
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 20.6% Female, 79.4%	Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% 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 accounts payable associate and accounting technician duties and responsibilities

Accounts payable associate example responsibilities.

Manage the PeopleSoft PO/Voucher/Receiver matching process for all business units.
Prepare A/R reports for BCBSM, Medicare, Medicaid and multiple HMO's.
Complete various seminars on Medicare and Medicaid.
Process and verify employees' expense reports to ensure compliance with GAAP and company policy.
Perform GL coding for expense invoices along with processing both ACH payments and check payments on a daily basis.
Verify which vendors need W9 to be mail to them at the beginning of the year for tax purposes.

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.

Accounts payable associate vs accounting technician skills

Common accounts payable associate skills

Customer Service, 11%
Data Entry, 9%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Vendor Statements, 6%
Vendor Invoices, 6%
Expense Reports, 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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Office and Administrative Industry
Accounts Payable Associate
Accounts Payable Associate vs Accounting Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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