Accounts payable assistant vs accounts payable administrator

The differences between accounts payable assistants 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 accounts payable assistant and an accounts payable administrator. Additionally, an accounts payable administrator has an average salary of $41,860, which is higher than the $37,145 average annual salary of an accounts payable assistant.

The top three skills for an accounts payable assistant include data entry, purchase orders and vendor invoices. The most important skills for an accounts payable administrator are purchase orders, data entry, and vendor invoices.

Accounts payable assistant vs accounts payable administrator overview

	Accounts Payable Assistant	Accounts Payable Administrator
Yearly salary	$37,145	$41,860
Hourly rate	$17.86	$20.12
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	31,341	79,272
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounts payable assistant do?

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.

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.

Accounts payable assistant vs accounts payable administrator salary

Accounts payable assistants and accounts payable administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounts Payable Assistant	Accounts Payable Administrator
Average salary	$37,145	$41,860
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $46,000	Between $32,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Santa Cruz, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Emerson College	Ducommun
Best paying industry	Construction	Finance

Differences between accounts payable assistant and accounts payable administrator education

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

	Accounts Payable Assistant	Accounts Payable Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounts payable assistant vs accounts payable administrator demographics

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

	Accounts Payable Assistant	Accounts Payable Administrator
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	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%	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 accounts payable assistant and accounts payable administrator duties and responsibilities

Accounts payable assistant example 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 payroll for salary and hourly personnel, including necessary reports for regulatory bodies.
Respond to payroll accounting inquires; provide resolution, information, or direction accordingly.

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.

Accounts payable assistant vs accounts payable administrator skills

Common accounts payable assistant skills

Data Entry, 15%
Purchase Orders, 10%
Vendor Invoices, 9%
Payroll, 6%
Vendor Statements, 5%
Financial Reports, 4%

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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Accounts Payable Assistant
Accounts Payable Assistant vs Accounts Payable Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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