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The differences between accounting assistants and accounts payable assistants 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 assistant and an accounts payable assistant. Additionally, an accounting assistant has an average salary of $39,569, which is higher than the $37,145 average annual salary of an accounts payable assistant.
The top three skills for an accounting assistant include data entry, customer service and reconciliations. The most important skills for an accounts payable assistant are data entry, purchase orders, and vendor invoices.
| Accounting Assistant | Accounts Payable Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,569 | $37,145 |
| Hourly rate | $19.02 | $17.86 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 63,945 | 31,341 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An accounting assistant is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the business' accounting department, from reviewing financial transactions to the submission of financial reports. Accounting assistants' duties include performing data entry and clerical tasks, maintaining a safe record of account statements, updating and analyzing transactions, verifying the accuracy of financial records, and managing customers and vendors' inquiries as immediate as possible. An accounting assistant must have a broad knowledge of the accounting principles and processes, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills, especially on meeting strict deadlines and doing complex tasks as needed.
An accounts payable assistant is responsible for monitoring the company's billing transactions, ensuring the accurate and efficient completion of the business' financial obligations. Accounts payable assistants process invoices, resolve account discrepancies, manage bank reconciliation, create expense reports, and updating account information on the company's database. They work within a team of the accounting and finance department, assisting with tax filing and audit processes as needed. An accounts payable assistant must have excellent knowledge of the financial industry and accounting principles to perform various duties, as well as doing administrative and clerical tasks as needed.
Accounting assistants and accounts payable assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting Assistant | Accounts Payable Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,569 | $37,145 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $50,000 | Between $29,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Santa Cruz, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Emerson College |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Construction |
There are a few differences between an accounting assistant and an accounts payable assistant in terms of educational background:
| Accounting Assistant | Accounts Payable Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounting assistants' and accounts payable assistants' demographics:
| Accounting Assistant | Accounts Payable Assistant | |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% | Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |