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The differences between accounts payable clerks 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 clerk, 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 $38,333 average annual salary of an accounts payable clerk.
The top three skills for an accounts payable clerk 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 Clerk | Accounts Payable Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,333 | $47,325 |
| Hourly rate | $18.43 | $22.75 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 89,564 | 23,079 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 51 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An accounts payable clerk is responsible for supporting the accounting department by performing clerical duties to file financial reports timely and accurately. Accounts payable clerks manage and verify invoices documents, reconcile balance spreadsheets, process payments for suppliers and vendors, resolve billing discrepancies, confirm and post account statements, record outstanding credits, and maintain an organized record of transactions. An accounts payable clerk must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles to deliver high-quality services and help the business minimize excessive financial loss.
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 clerks and accounts payable technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounts Payable Clerk | Accounts Payable Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,333 | $47,325 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $48,000 | Between $33,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Juneau, AK |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Jane Street | Baptist Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an accounts payable clerk and an accounts payable technician in terms of educational background:
| Accounts Payable Clerk | Accounts Payable Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between accounts payable clerks' and accounts payable technicians' demographics:
| Accounts Payable Clerk | Accounts Payable Technician | |
| Average age | 51 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8% | Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% 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% |