Accounting bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator

The differences between accounting bookkeepers and accounts payable administrators 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 bookkeeper and an accounts payable administrator. Additionally, an accounting bookkeeper has an average salary of $51,406, which is higher than the $41,860 average annual salary of an accounts payable administrator.

The top three skills for an accounting bookkeeper include data entry, reconciliations and payroll taxes. The most important skills for an accounts payable administrator are purchase orders, data entry, and vendor invoices.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator overview

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Yearly salary	$51,406	$41,860
Hourly rate	$24.71	$20.12
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	40,579	79,272
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounting bookkeeper do?

An Accounting Bookkeeper supervises the financial data and compliance of a company. Accounting Bookkeepers maintain accurate books on accounts receivable and payable, daily financial reconciliations and entries, and payroll. They are in charge of recording various transactions like income and outgoings and posting these transactions to different accounts.

What does an accounts payable administrator do?

An accounts payable administrator is an individual who reviews and verifies the invoices of suppliers and grants payment requests. Accounts payable administrators must prepare invoice batches and input them in the accounts payable module of the financial information system every day to ensure that payments meet weekly and monthly deadlines. When warranted, they seek clarifications or explanations from submitters and responds to inquiries from suppliers, consultants, and clients regarding the status of their payments. Accounts payable administrators must also ensure that reimbursements are properly approved.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator salary

Accounting bookkeepers and accounts payable administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Average salary	$51,406	$41,860
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $66,000	Between $32,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Vallejo, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Delaware	New York
Best paying company	GrowthForce	Ducommun
Best paying industry	Professional	Finance

Differences between accounting bookkeeper and accounts payable administrator education

There are a few differences between an accounting bookkeeper and an accounts payable administrator in terms of educational background:

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator demographics

Here are the differences between accounting bookkeepers' and accounts payable administrators' demographics:

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting bookkeeper and accounts payable administrator duties and responsibilities

Accounting bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Process bi-weekly payroll through ADP on-line system; manage distribution of live checks.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
General ledger entries for AR and AP, parts and sales of power equipment.
Prepare and print AP checks.
Report payroll to ADP system and reconcile payroll account.
Work with client's CPA firm for reporting and tax preparation.

Accounts payable administrator example responsibilities.

Manage payroll transactions utilizing ADP payroll software.
Maintain a cash flow chart of checks issue and clear, ACH payments, incoming collections, and wire transfers.
Solve complex general accounting functions, including preparation of journal entries, account analysis and balance sheet reconciliations.
Set up new vendors, maintain new supplier forms and proper W8 and W9 reporting.
Implement standard form to vendors to complete and return along with W9 and a sample invoice.
Review and record vendor bills utilizing QuickBooks.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator skills

Common accounting bookkeeper skills

Data Entry, 8%
Reconciliations, 8%
Payroll Taxes, 8%
Journal Entries, 7%
Vendor Invoices, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%

Common accounts payable administrator skills

Purchase Orders, 12%
Data Entry, 9%
Vendor Invoices, 8%
Expense Reports, 6%
Credit Card, 5%
Vendor Statements, 5%

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Accounting Bookkeeper
Accounting Bookkeeper vs Accounts Payable Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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