How To Become An Accounts Payable Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is an accounts payable assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Jodi Olson

As an Accounts Payable Assistant, you will monitor the billing transactions of a company to ensure accurate completion of the company or business' financial obligations while being efficient. You will be processing invoices, resolving account discrepancies, and managing reports and databases.

Since you have quite a heavy job, there are certain skills and traits you need to possess. For example, you need to have good computer skills since you will mainly be using a computer to accomplish your tasks. Next, you also need to be detail-oriented. There is little to no room for mistakes as an Accounts Payable Assistant. Lastly, integrity is essential in this job. You need to be honest at all times, even when no one is looking.

You can earn around $34,341 per year on average as an Accounts Payable Assistant. You also have the chance to further your career. You can be an Accounts Payable Clerk, a Staff Accountant, an Accountant, or an Accounting Manager. This will all depend on the career path you plan to take.

What's a day at work look like for an accounts payable assistant?

Jodi Olson

Assistant Accounting Professor, Winona State University

Graduates could see a range of possibilities from working entirely remotely to fully on-site with precautions in place, based on recent graduate and internship experiences we have seen during the pandemic. Except for a very few internships cut short or cancelled immediately at the onset of the pandemic as the profession adapted to unknowns and putting safety measures in place, we have not seen a significant change in the demand for interns or graduates. Some new graduates expect their first day on the jobs to be remote and feel ready to meet that challenge being familiar with the technology required to be productive and communicate virtually. It has become an assumption that precautions are in place, regardless of the remote or in-person setting. It seems that both graduates and employers are working hard together to achieve success, both with caution and the usual high professional standards.

ScoreAccounts Payable AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,145

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 6.54%

Black or African American 6.76%

Hispanic or Latino 14.38%

Unknown 3.96%

White 67.72%

Gender

female 84.78%

male 15.22%

Age - 53

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 53

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an accounts payable assistant

Explore accounts payable assistant education requirements

Most common accounts payable assistant degrees

Bachelor's

48.6 %

Associate

28.7 %

High School Diploma

11.3 %

Start to develop specific accounts payable assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	14.98%
Purchase Orders	10.09%
Vendor Invoices	9.02%
Payroll	6.38%
Vendor Statements	5.11%

Complete relevant accounts payable assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New accounts payable assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an accounts payable assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real accounts payable assistant resumes.

Gain additional accounts payable assistant certifications

Accounts payable assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific accounts payable assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for accounts payable assistants include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research accounts payable assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Issue weekly payments to vendors by check, ACH, domestic wire, and international wire in USD and other currencies.
Assist in accounts payable/receivable including check deposits, credit card payments, ACH payments, credits, check runs, etc.
Compose effective accounting reports summarizing accounts payable data using QuickBooks.

Prepare your accounts payable assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your accounts payable assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an accounts payable assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable accounts payable assistant resume templates

Build a professional accounts payable assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your accounts payable assistant resume.