jobfacts

Accounting technician

Financial and accounting technicians — SOC 2020 3533

Financial and accounting technicians work alongside accountants and other financial professionals in managing the financial affairs of organisations.

Also calledControllerTrust officerAudit seniorAudit technicianTechnicianGroup financial controllerand 12 more titles
Typical full-time pay£60,6002025 Provisional
People in the job38,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month1,800↓ 0.1%on last year · 103rd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time accounting technicians earn between £36,900 and £76,300 a year.

What full-time accounting technicians earn, 2025
£60,600 typical£27,500lowest 10%£36,90025%£76,30075%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£36,900–£76,300)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£27,500
Lowest 20% earn less than£33,900
25%£36,900
Median£60,600
75%£76,300
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £60,600
Yorkshire and The Humber!£63,100
Scotland!£55,600
North West!£51,400
East of England!£44,700
North EastNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £60,600
Yorkshire and The Humber£63,100 (small sample)
Scotland£55,600 (small sample)
North West£51,400 (small sample)
East of England£44,700 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £47,900
  • 2024 £48,400
  • 2025 Provisional£60,600
↑ 26% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,800 jobs for accounting technicians are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (4 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,988
Jul 20261,699
Jun 20262,066
May 20261,709
Apr 20261,664
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026Not published
Jan 20262,074
Dec 20251,291
Nov 20251,832
Oct 20252,139
Sept 20251,904
Aug 20251,998
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20252,029
Apr 20251,661
Mar 20251,956
Feb 20251,951
Jan 20252,042
Dec 20241,279
Nov 20241,900
Oct 20241,731
Sept 20241,977
Aug 20241,860
Jul 20242,176
Jun 20242,049
May 20242,153
Apr 20242,660
Mar 20241,849
Feb 20242,199
Jan 20243,109
Dec 20232,326
Nov 20232,594
Oct 20232,700
Sept 20232,335
Aug 20232,397
Jul 20232,828
Jun 20233,342
May 20233,364
Apr 20233,214
Mar 20233,503
Feb 20233,450
Jan 20233,887
Dec 20223,241
Nov 20223,628
Oct 20223,877
Sept 20223,742
Aug 20223,421
Jul 20223,470
Jun 20223,562
May 20224,257
Apr 20223,253
Mar 20224,100
Feb 20224,196
Jan 20224,413
Dec 20213,628
Nov 20213,120
Oct 20213,272
Sept 20213,535
Aug 20213,425
Jul 20213,759
Jun 20213,486
May 20214,145
Apr 20213,318
Mar 20214,257
Feb 20212,926
Jan 20213,256
Dec 20202,296
Nov 20202,807
Oct 20202,648
Sept 20202,255
Aug 20202,071
Jul 20202,208
Jun 20201,932
May 20201,669
Apr 20202,432
Mar 20204,497
Feb 20204,405
Jan 20204,588
Dec 20193,272
Nov 20194,168
Oct 20194,038
Sept 20193,848
Aug 20194,639
Jul 20195,637
Jun 20195,977
May 20195,799
Apr 20193,523
Mar 20194,745
Feb 20194,315
Jan 20194,326
Dec 20182,936
Nov 20184,005
Oct 20183,707
Sept 20183,850
Aug 20183,478
Jul 20183,843
Jun 20184,334
May 20184,150
Apr 20184,267
Mar 20184,399
Feb 20183,914
Jan 20185,030
Dec 20173,500
Nov 20173,742
Oct 20174,447
Sept 20173,864
Aug 20173,859
Jul 20173,678
Jun 20175,100
May 20173,801
Apr 20173,660
Mar 20174,366
Feb 20173,782
Jan 20174,955
Is there a shortage of accounting technicians?
Critical

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsWell above usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
24%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for business and public service associate professionals, which includes accounting technicians. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,094
Manchester226
Leeds120
Birmingham117
Bristol, City of101
Belfast88
Glasgow City83
Buckinghamshire80
Milton Keynes69
Nottingham61
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where accounting technicians are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 44 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from France, China, Pakistan, ranking it 146th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of accounting technicians
18%!
22%!
26%!
21%!
8.8%!
4.6%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2418% (small sample)
25–3422% (small sample)
35–4426% (small sample)
45–5421% (small sample)
55–648.8% (small sample)
65+4.6% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent69%
Higher education below degree!3.5%
A levels or equivalent!17%
GCSEs or equivalent!4.3%
Other qualifications!6.1%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent69%
Higher education below degree3.5% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent17% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent4.3% (small sample)
Other qualifications6.1% (small sample)

Main employers: accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy (19%), other activities auxiliary to financial services, except insurance and pension funding (11%), business and other management consultancy activities (6.9%), other monetary intermediation (6.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
69%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
1
from level 4
Apprenticeships take
18 months
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

College

There are several courses you could take to become a trainee accounting technician, such as:

  • accounting
  • bookkeeping and accountancy
  • T Level in Accounting
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, for example:

  • Accounts or Finance Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Assistant Accountant Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Professional Accounting Technician or Professional Taxation Technician, Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start with an organisation as an accounts clerk or bookkeeper. You could then do training while you work to become an accounting technician.

The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) have information on accounting courses.

Apply directly

You can apply directly to employers if you have some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this role.

Employers will look for up to 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths. A level business studies, maths, economics or equivalent qualifications can also be useful.

Previous experience of office work or working in an accounts or finance department will be helpful.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Experience of using accounting software and spreadsheets could help when looking for work.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Association of Accounting Technicians for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in accountancy from the:

  • Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
  • Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for accounting technician. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

1 for this job
Level 4About 18 months

Professional accounting technician

Leads to
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
AAT Level 4 Diploma for Professional Accounting TechniciansHigher technical4

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • maintains profit and loss accounts, budgets, cash flow forecasts and other accounting records
  • produces, collates and reports financial information for managers
  • liaises with clients to ensure that payments are made on time and credit limits are not exceeded
  • ensures invoices and payments are correct and sent out on time
  • monitors accounting systems to determine accounts are being maintained effectively and provides information on accounting practices to auditors

Skills

  • allocate bills
  • attach accounting certificates to accounting transactions
  • follow the statutory obligations
  • follow up accounts receivables
  • identify accounting errors
  • issue sales invoices
  • maintain financial records
  • manage the general ledger
  • prepare financial statements
  • prepare trial accounting balances
  • use accounting systems
  • calculate tax
  • handle financial transactions
  • interpret financial statements

Knowledge

  • accounting department processes
  • accounting entries
  • accounting techniques
  • bookkeeping regulations
  • company policies
  • depreciation
  • financial statements
  • tax legislation

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Leading and persuading

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business and public service associate professionals, a group of 26 jobs that includes accounting technicians.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 1.2%about 26,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

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