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Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable technician

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 vs accounts payable technician overview

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Technician
Yearly salary$38,333$47,325
Hourly rate$18.43$22.75
Growth rate-5%6%
Number of jobs89,56423,079
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age5140
Years of experience64

What does an accounts payable clerk do?

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.

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 clerk vs accounts payable technician salary

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

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Technician
Average salary$38,333$47,325
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $48,000Between $33,000 And $66,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCJuneau, AK
Highest paying stateMassachusettsAlaska
Best paying companyJane StreetBaptist Health Care
Best paying industryTechnologyManufacturing

Differences between accounts payable clerk and accounts payable technician education

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

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaSUNY Farmingdale

Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable technician demographics

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

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Technician
Average age5140
Gender ratioMale, 17.2% Female, 82.8%Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage7%2%

Differences between accounts payable clerk and accounts payable technician duties and responsibilities

Accounts payable clerk example responsibilities.

  • Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
  • Match, code, and process vendor payments via MAS90 accounting system - including check runs and ACH payments.
  • Perform duties in compliance with GAAP, company and department policies and procedures, internal controls, and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
  • Process division payroll in coordination with ADP payroll systems for semi-monthly and weekly union contract employees.
  • Scan and store documents daily, retrieve W2 and W9 information along with service provider agreements when or if need.
  • Print, review, research, edit, code and batch invoices for processing via the various ERP financial systems.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable technician skills

Common accounts payable clerk skills
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Data Entry, 10%
  • Purchase Orders, 8%
  • Expense Reports, 6%
  • Vendor Invoices, 6%
  • Vendor Statements, 5%
Common accounts payable technician skills
  • FAA, 13%
  • A/P, 9%
  • Powerplant, 9%
  • Airframe, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 7%
  • Hand Tools, 5%

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