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The differences between accounts payable technicians and accounting assistants 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 accounting assistant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an accounts payable technician has an average salary of $47,325, which is higher than the $39,569 average annual salary of an accounting assistant.
The top three skills for an accounts payable technician include FAA, A/P and powerplant. The most important skills for an accounting assistant are data entry, customer service, and reconciliations.
| Accounts Payable Technician | Accounting Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $47,325 | $39,569 |
| Hourly rate | $22.75 | $19.02 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 23,079 | 63,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 40 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
An accounting assistant is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the business' accounting department, from reviewing financial transactions to the submission of financial reports. Accounting assistants' duties include performing data entry and clerical tasks, maintaining a safe record of account statements, updating and analyzing transactions, verifying the accuracy of financial records, and managing customers and vendors' inquiries as immediate as possible. An accounting assistant must have a broad knowledge of the accounting principles and processes, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills, especially on meeting strict deadlines and doing complex tasks as needed.
Accounts payable technicians and accounting assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounts Payable Technician | Accounting Assistant | |
| Average salary | $47,325 | $39,569 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $66,000 | Between $30,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Juneau, AK | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Baptist Health Care | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an accounts payable technician and an accounting assistant in terms of educational background:
| Accounts Payable Technician | Accounting Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounts payable technicians' and accounting assistants' demographics:
| Accounts Payable Technician | Accounting Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0% | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% |
| 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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 7% |