How to hire an accounts payable assistant

How to hire an accounts payable assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step accounts payable assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an accounts payable assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new accounts payable assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an accounts payable assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your accounts payable assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an accounts payable assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect accounts payable assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of accounts payable assistants.

   Type of Accounts Payable Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Accounts Payable Assistant	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks produce financial records for organizations. They record financial transactions, update statements, and check financial records for accuracy.	$13-22
   Cargo Agent	A cargo agent is primarily in charge of facilitating cargo shipments, ensuring the cargo gets to their destination timely and accurately. They are responsible for preparing and processing the necessary documents and fees, routing shipments and arranging the shipping methods, weighing the parcels, and coordinating the logistics and transportation details... Show more	$12-21
   Customer Service And Billing	A customer service and billing worker primarily assists customers when it comes to billing matters. They answer calls or correspondence from customers to identify their needs, respond to inquiries, discuss product or service specifications, manage billing arrangements, provide price quotes, and offer other services... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Purchase Orders
   • Vendor Invoices
   • Payroll
   • Vendor Statements
   • Financial Reports
   • Expense Reports
   • General Ledger Accounts
   • Credit Card Statements
   • Journal Entries
   • Accounts Payables
   • ACH
   • HR
   • Vendor Accounts

   Check all skills

   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.

   More accounts payable assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your accounts payable assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An accounts payable assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, accounts payable assistants' average salary in west virginia is 44% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level accounts payable assistants earn 37% less than senior-level accounts payable assistants.
   • Certifications. An accounts payable assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an accounts payable assistant's salary.

   Average accounts payable assistant salary

   $37,145yearly

   $17.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level accounts payable assistant salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average accounts payable assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$47,285	$23
   2	New Jersey	$42,584	$20
   3	Colorado	$41,819	$20
   4	Illinois	$41,732	$20
   5	Georgia	$38,327	$18
   6	New York	$38,300	$18
   7	North Dakota	$38,143	$18
   8	Maryland	$37,811	$18
   9	Oregon	$37,600	$18
   10	Texas	$36,840	$18
   11	Virginia	$36,838	$18
   12	Arizona	$36,764	$18
   13	Pennsylvania	$35,917	$17
   14	Ohio	$35,702	$17
   15	Minnesota	$35,692	$17
   16	Florida	$35,026	$17
   17	Kansas	$34,256	$16
   18	Oklahoma	$34,211	$16
   19	Maine	$33,853	$16
   20	Missouri	$33,830	$16

   Average accounts payable assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Emerson College	$47,009	$22.60
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$46,569	$22.39
   3	USAA	$43,919	$21.11
   4	University of California	$43,841	$21.08	2
   5	Mouser Electronics	$42,904	$20.63	2
   6	General Dynamics	$42,775	$20.56	22
   7	EOG Resources	$42,771	$20.56
   8	Leggett & Platt	$42,520	$20.44
   9	HonorHealth	$42,234	$20.30
   10	ALDI USA	$42,126	$20.25
   11	University of Alaska	$41,807	$20.10	2
   12	New Jersey Economic Development Authority	$41,388	$19.90
   13	Indianapolis Public Library	$41,382	$19.90
   14	Eurofins	$41,366	$19.89	1
   15	Warner Music Group	$41,356	$19.88	1
   16	KeHE	$41,017	$19.72	6
   17	Nucor	$40,842	$19.64	1
   18	Boston College	$40,671	$19.55
   19	Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital Inc	$40,670	$19.55	1
   20	Drees Homes	$40,617	$19.53

4. Writing an accounts payable assistant job description

   An accounts payable assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an accounts payable assistant job description:

   Accounts payable assistant job description example

   The Payables Assistant is a key member of the Ware Malcomb Accounting team and is responsible for supporting the daily functions of the Accounting group by providing administrative and office services and implementing administrative procedures and policies. The Payables Assistant will work closely with both the General Accounting and Project Accounting teams to provide a high level of service to external vendors and consultants by timely processing invoices and proactively resolving invoicing issues.
   Accounts Payable Assistant Responsibilities:
   Process large volume of data entry in Vision and Payables Approval & Tracking accounting software including invoices and check requests Collaborate with multiple departments to resolve vendor payment issues and/or inquiries Assist with setting up new vendors by retrieving documentation such as W-9 forms Assist with reconciliations and compiling invoicing backup for the Project Accounting team Assist with timely processing of employee expense reports Maintain paper & electronic filing Additional duties and miscellaneous projects, as assigned
   
   Accounts Payable Assistant Qualifications:
   Experience with accounts payable a plus Must have experience with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Deltek Vision/VantagePoint software a plus Excellent written and verbal communication skills Must be able to handle a high volume of multiple tasks accurately; thrives in a fast-paced, team environment Detail-oriented, well-organized, and thorough
   
   Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world.
   
   With office locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science & technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/institutional facilities and renovation projects.
   
   Ware Malcomb offers the best of both worlds - a small-office, supportive and nurturing work environment with large company resources and support - providing an amazing opportunity for professional growth. Ware Malcomb offers a wellness-focused company culture, competitive salary and overall benefits package.
   
   Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company and a Hot Firm and Best Firm to Work For by Zweig Group!
   
   #LI-Hybrid

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find accounts payable assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any accounts payable assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level accounts payable assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your accounts payable assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit accounts payable assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit accounts payable assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new accounts payable assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the accounts payable assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an accounts payable assistant?