Accounts payable technician vs accountable clerk

The differences between accounts payable technicians and accountable clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an accounts payable technician, becoming an accountable clerk takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an accounts payable technician has an average salary of $47,325, which is higher than the $38,120 average annual salary of an accountable clerk.

The top three skills for an accounts payable technician include FAA, A/P and powerplant. The most important skills for an accountable clerk are data entry, financial reports, and purchase orders.

Accounts payable technician vs accountable clerk overview

	Accounts Payable Technician	Accountable Clerk
Yearly salary	$47,325	$38,120
Hourly rate	$22.75	$18.33
Growth rate	6%	-5%
Number of jobs	23,079	81,209
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	40	51
Years of experience	4	6

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.

What does an accountable clerk do?

The duties of an accountable clerk vary in one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the financial aspects of a company, including revenue and budget. They mostly process payments and income, ensuring accuracy in every detail and transaction. An accountable clerk may also have clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, answering calls and correspondence, coordinating with various department personnel, and maintaining a database of information. Should there be any issues, it is essential to report to a manager right away.

Accounts payable technician vs accountable clerk salary

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

	Accounts Payable Technician	Accountable Clerk
Average salary	$47,325	$38,120
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $66,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Juneau, AK	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Baptist Health Care	Wayne County, Michigan
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between accounts payable technician and accountable clerk education

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

	Accounts Payable Technician	Accountable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	University of Pennsylvania

Accounts payable technician vs accountable clerk demographics

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

	Accounts Payable Technician	Accountable Clerk
Average age	40	51
Gender ratio	Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%	Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9%
Race ratio	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%	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	2%	7%

Differences between accounts payable technician and accountable clerk duties and responsibilities

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.

Accountable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage the accurate and timely processing of AP invoices for multiple companies.
Manage resident's private information for insurance verification, billing, and eligibility to apply for Medicaid.
Scan incoming A/P, A/R, bank statements, mail, etc.
Review AR aging to ensure compliance.
Process, distribute, and maintain AR invoices.
Review and handle in-clearing reject items (ACH and checks) and process check adjustments.

Accounts payable technician vs accountable clerk skills

Common accounts payable technician skills

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

Common accountable clerk skills

Data Entry, 11%
Financial Reports, 10%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Process Payroll, 8%
Office Equipment, 4%

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Accounts Payable Technician
Accounts Payable Technician vs Accountable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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