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The differences between accountant assistants and accounts payable/administrative 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 accountant assistant, becoming an accounts payable/administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an accounts payable/administrative assistant has an average salary of $41,382, which is higher than the $40,537 average annual salary of an accountant assistant.
The top three skills for an accountant assistant include customer service, data entry and payroll taxes. The most important skills for an accounts payable/administrative assistant are purchase orders, data entry, and vendor invoices.
| Accountant Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,537 | $41,382 |
| Hourly rate | $19.49 | $19.90 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,247 | 56,780 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 44 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An accountant assistant is responsible for assisting the operations of a finance department, performing administrative and clerical tasks as advised. Accountant assistants create budget reports, process invoices, and manage accounts receivable. They also document purchase orders, monitor the payroll release, complete bank reconciliations, update the company's account statements and escalate discrepancies, assist with audit preparations, and sort financial documents. An accountant assistant must be familiar with the accounting processes and financial industry, as well as have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks under minimal supervision.
An accounts payable/administrative assistant works alongside the department head. This position focuses on the administrative side of a budgeting department. They are responsible for organizing a company's financial records, which include all documentation of financial transactions, such as invoices and receipts. They also manage all paperwork needed by their department.
Accountant assistants and accounts payable/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accountant Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,537 | $41,382 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $58,000 | Between $30,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | East Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Rodeo Realty | Gypsum Management and Supply |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Construction |
There are a few differences between an accountant assistant and an accounts payable/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Accountant Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accountant assistants' and accounts payable/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Accountant Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 6.6% Female, 93.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 16.8% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |