Accounting Technician

Accounting technicians do much of the detailed work within accounting. They prepare the financial information which professional accountants or business managers use when giving financial advice or making decisions.

The Work

You could be:

• working in any branch of accountancy, in any one of a wide variety of jobs


• dealing with invoices from suppliers and settling them


• monitoring expenses


• keeping and checking financial records


• managing the system that pays company wages and salaries


• calculating sales, profits and the value of stock


• preparing financial statements or company tax returns


• collecting, organising and checking financial information for professional accountants and business managers


• involved in auditing (examining company accounts).

Conditions

• As an accounting technician, you could work in a wide range of organisations, including manufacturing companies, local and central government, the health service, banks, insurance companies and private accountancy firms.


• You would be based in an office and work normal hours. You may have to spend some time out of the office visiting clients.


• In a small organisation, you would have a variety of duties. In a larger organisation, you might specialise in one area of work.


• You would do much of your work at a computer, using financial software packages or spreadsheet applications.

Getting In

• There are no set entry requirements, but most employers prefer a good group of Standard grades, including English and Maths. You may need one or more Highers.
• You could enter through a Modern Apprenticeship. For this, you usually need Standard grades or possibly a Higher, including English and Maths.


• You could take a college course before starting work. There are courses in accounting at various levels: National Certificate (NC), National Qualification (NQ), Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND).
• For some NCs and NQs you do not need formal qualifications; others require up to 3 Standard grades. For an HNC or HND course you need 1-2 Highers and some Standard grades. English and Maths are preferred.


• If you have an NQ, NC, HNC or HND you may get exemption from some of the accountancy technician examinations.

What Does It Take?

You need to have:

• ability with figures


• good computer skills


• an interest in finance


• a methodical approach.

• pay attention to detail
• understand and handle complex information


• communicate clearly both in speech and writing


• work well under pressure and meet deadlines


• be discreet when handling confidential information.

Training

• Training through a Modern Apprenticeship involves on the job and off the job training and leads to a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) in Accounting at Level 3, as well as AAT qualifications (see below).


• As a trainee not on a Modern Apprenticeship you would work with an employer and study for accounting technician examinations. There are two main qualifications: that of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Scheme.
• The AAT qualification is supported by four professional accountancy bodies: the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).


• The Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Scheme is run by another professional accountancy body – the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).


• There is also another training route: the qualification awarded by the Institute of Accounting Technicians in Ireland (IATI), a partner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI).


• Full details of entry requirements, examinations and exemptions are on the websites.


• You can study for the examinations by day or block release or evening classes, by distance or open learning or by a combination of these. You must be prepared to study in your own time.


• The length of training varies depending on your initial entry qualifications.


• As each of the accountancy technician qualifications is linked to one or more professional accountancy bodies, there are clear, well-established training routes so that you can progress from technician to professional level accountancy.

Getting On

• You could move between employers to widen your experience and gain promotion.
• Many accounting technicians achieve senior positions in their firm.


• You may choose to use your technician qualification to train as a professional accountant.
• There may be opportunities to work abroad.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:

• where you work


• the size of the company or organisation you work for


• the demand for the job.

More Information

Some people enter accountancy as a second career. Individual accountancy professional bodies may have special training schemes for these applicants. You should check this with the association or institute concerned.

Addresses

The following organisation(s) may be able to provide further information.