Accounting administrator vs accountable clerk

The differences between accounting administrators and accountable clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an accounting administrator and an accountable clerk. Additionally, an accounting administrator has an average salary of $48,068, which is higher than the $38,120 average annual salary of an accountable clerk.

The top three skills for an accounting administrator include customer service, data entry and reconciliations. The most important skills for an accountable clerk are data entry, financial reports, and purchase orders.

Accounting administrator vs accountable clerk overview

	Accounting Administrator	Accountable Clerk
Yearly salary	$48,068	$38,120
Hourly rate	$23.11	$18.33
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	97,934	81,209
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounting administrator do?

An accounting administrator is responsible for reviewing and analyzing account statements, managing deposits, and resolving bank discrepancies and financial disputes. Accounting administrators handle the efficient and accurate cash flow within an organization, including payroll release and filing of petty cash. They maintain an organized record of payments and billing statements for reference and audit purposes to generate reports for the management. An accounting administrator must have extensive knowledge of the accounting principles, as well as excellent communication and analytical skills to perform duties effectively, even under minimal supervision.

What does an accountable clerk do?

The duties of an accountable clerk vary in one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the financial aspects of a company, including revenue and budget. They mostly process payments and income, ensuring accuracy in every detail and transaction. An accountable clerk may also have clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, answering calls and correspondence, coordinating with various department personnel, and maintaining a database of information. Should there be any issues, it is essential to report to a manager right away.

Accounting administrator vs accountable clerk salary

Accounting administrators and accountable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Administrator	Accountable Clerk
Average salary	$48,068	$38,120
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $70,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Clifton, NJ	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Cambridge Associates	Wayne County, Michigan
Best paying industry	Technology	Government

Differences between accounting administrator and accountable clerk education

There are a few differences between an accounting administrator and an accountable clerk in terms of educational background:

	Accounting Administrator	Accountable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting administrator vs accountable clerk demographics

Here are the differences between accounting administrators' and accountable clerks' demographics:

	Accounting Administrator	Accountable Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1%	Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting administrator and accountable clerk duties and responsibilities

Accounting administrator example responsibilities.

Manage cash flow; online banking, initiates ACH transactions, deposits and transfer of funds.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Monitor and resolve accounts overdue, return ACH and collection calls.
Import time into the ADP batch and process any expenses or miscellaneous reimbursements.
Work directly with the owners & CPA providing weekly/monthly financial reporting and year end tax preparation.
Record dividends and loan payments, also consult with CPA and business owners for tax preparation.

Accountable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage the accurate and timely processing of AP invoices for multiple companies.
Manage resident's private information for insurance verification, billing, and eligibility to apply for Medicaid.
Scan incoming A/P, A/R, bank statements, mail, etc.
Review AR aging to ensure compliance.
Process, distribute, and maintain AR invoices.
Review and handle in-clearing reject items (ACH and checks) and process check adjustments.

Accounting administrator vs accountable clerk skills

Common accounting administrator skills

Customer Service, 13%
Data Entry, 9%
Reconciliations, 7%
Purchase Orders, 6%
Journal Entries, 5%
Credit Card Payments, 4%

Common accountable clerk skills

Data Entry, 11%
Financial Reports, 10%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Process Payroll, 8%
Office Equipment, 4%

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Accounting Administrator
Accounting Administrator vs Accountable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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