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Accounts payable technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an accounts payable technician. Accounts payable technicians usually study accounting, business, or aviation. 39% of accounts payable technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 39% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,787 real accounts payable technician resumes to see exactly what accounts payable technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for accounts payable technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online accounts payable technician courses to help get the education required to be an accounts payable technician.
There are certain accounts payable technician certifications that you should consider. These accounts payable technician certifications include Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become an accounts payable technician?
What degree do you need to be an accounts payable technician?
- Bachelor's, 39%
- Associate, 39%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become an accounts payable technician?
- Accounting, 24%
- Business, 22%
- Aviation, 21%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for accounts payable technicians
| Accounts payable technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 23.36% |
| Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology | 11.68% |
| Strayer University | 7.30% |
| DeVry University | 6.57% |
| Illinois State University | 5.11% |
Best majors for accounts payable technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 24.2% |
| 2 | Business | 21.7% |
| 3 | Aviation | 20.8% |
| 4 | Automotive Technology | 6.5% |
| 5 | General Studies | 2.5% |
Best colleges for accounts payable technicians
The best colleges for accounts payable technicians are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
An accounts payable technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for accounts payable technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become accounts payable technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
6. University of Minnesota - Crookston
Crookston, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$11,822
Enrollment
1,834
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
20 best online courses for accounts payable technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for accounts payable technicians
The most affordable schools for accounts payable technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for accounts payable technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for accounts payable technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. York College of the City University of New York
Jamaica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,158
Cost of attendance
14,204
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for accounts payable technicians
The hardest universities for accounts payable technicians to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Some great schools for accounts payable technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for accounts payable technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for accounts payable technicians
The easiest schools for accounts payable technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an accounts payable technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for accounts payable technicians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average accounts payable technician salary by education level
| Accounts payable technician education level | Accounts payable technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $46,764 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,030 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,002 |
Accounts payable technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025