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The differences between accounts payable assistants and accounts payable 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 accounts payable assistant and an accounts payable clerk. Additionally, an accounts payable clerk has an average salary of $38,333, 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 clerk are customer service, data entry, and purchase orders.
| Accounts Payable Assistant | Accounts Payable Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $37,145 | $38,333 |
| Hourly rate | $17.86 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 31,341 | 89,564 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
An accounts payable clerk is responsible for supporting the accounting department by performing clerical duties to file financial reports timely and accurately. Accounts payable clerks manage and verify invoices documents, reconcile balance spreadsheets, process payments for suppliers and vendors, resolve billing discrepancies, confirm and post account statements, record outstanding credits, and maintain an organized record of transactions. An accounts payable clerk must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles to deliver high-quality services and help the business minimize excessive financial loss.
Accounts payable assistants and accounts payable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounts Payable Assistant | Accounts Payable Clerk | |
| Average salary | $37,145 | $38,333 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $30,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Cruz, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Emerson College | Jane Street |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between an accounts payable assistant and an accounts payable clerk in terms of educational background:
| Accounts Payable Assistant | Accounts Payable Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounts payable assistants' and accounts payable clerks' demographics:
| Accounts Payable Assistant | Accounts Payable Clerk | |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8% | Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8% |
| 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, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |