Accounts payable associate vs accounts payable technician

The differences between accounts payable associates and accounts payable technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an accounts payable associate, becoming an accounts payable technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an accounts payable technician has an average salary of $47,325, 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 accounts payable technician are FAA, A/P, and powerplant.

Accounts payable associate vs accounts payable technician overview

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounts Payable Technician
Yearly salary	$39,270	$47,325
Hourly rate	$18.88	$22.75
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	30,845	23,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	51	40
Years of experience	6	4

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 accounts payable technician do?

An Accounts Payable Technician performs the day-to-day processing of accounts payable transactions. They prepare and process invoices and other financial documents manually or by using specialized automated software.

Accounts payable associate vs accounts payable technician salary

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

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounts Payable Technician
Average salary	$39,270	$47,325
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $49,000	Between $33,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Cambridge, MA	Juneau, AK
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Accenture	Baptist Health Care
Best paying industry	Construction	Manufacturing

Differences between accounts payable associate and accounts payable technician education

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

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounts Payable Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY Farmingdale

Accounts payable associate vs accounts payable technician demographics

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

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounts Payable Technician
Average age	51	40
Gender ratio	Male, 20.6% Female, 79.4%	Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	2%

Differences between accounts payable associate and accounts payable 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.

Accounts payable technician example responsibilities.

Manage the FOD prevention program to reduce costly repairs and increase the participation in FOD awareness and FOD walk downs.
Utilize technical data to troubleshoot maintenance issues.
Obtain practical experience on the Garrett TPE-331 powerplant.
Maintain catalog of store A/P, A/R source documents.
Enter all invoices into a/p software, assigns g/l account numbers & appropriate cost centers.
Obtain practical experience on the TFE-731 Garrett powerplant and hot section inspection experience on the Pratt and Whitney PT6.

Accounts payable associate vs accounts payable 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 accounts payable technician skills

FAA, 13%
A/P, 9%
Powerplant, 9%
Airframe, 8%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Hand Tools, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Accounts Payable Associate
Accounts Payable Associate vs Accounts Payable Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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