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Accounts payable assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.,

Frank Longo

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical accounts payable assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for accounts payable assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.0% of accounts payable assistant resumes contained data entry as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an accounts payable assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 accounts payable assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how accounts payable assistants use data entry:

Provided clerical support for marketing representatives including data entry, distributing mail-maintaining inventory, keeping records, issuing receipts, etc.
Processed invoices, performed data entry, filed confidential information in alphanumerical order.

2. Purchase Orders

Here's how accounts payable assistants use purchase orders:

Resolved purchase order discrepancies and documentation insuring credit was received for outstanding memos, issued stop payments and purchase orders amendments.
Assisted in reviewing invoices against approved purchase orders, receipts and verified all documents for proper authorization and accuracy.

3. Vendor Invoices

Here's how accounts payable assistants use vendor invoices:

Processed vendor invoices for payment* Posted and processed daily cash receipts* Maintained vendor files* Resolved order and invoice discrepancies with Purchasing
Optimized operations efficiency by processing high-volume payments and check runs for consultant and vendor invoices.

4. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how accounts payable assistants use payroll:

Prepared payroll for salaried and hourly personnel, including necessary reports for regulatory bodies.
Responded to payroll accounting inquires; provided resolution, information, or direction accordingly.

5. Vendor Statements

Here's how accounts payable assistants use vendor statements:

Managed vendor statements, updated database information and processed invoices of expenses incurred by college.
Resolved problems for payment of invoices and reconciled vendor statements to internal aging analysis.

6. Financial Reports

Here's how accounts payable assistants use financial reports:

Assisted CFO in preparing financial reports and performed financial analysis.
Compiled statistical financial reports for management.

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7. Expense Reports

Here's how accounts payable assistants use expense reports:

Review company expense reports for accuracy, approving in accordance with company policies/standards and posting to appropriate accounts bi-weekly.
Perform quarterly system closing including auditing inventories, reviewing customer statements and preparing company expense reports.

8. General Ledger Accounts

A general ledger account is a practice to keep a record of a company's total financial accounts. The accounts included in a general ledger lists the assets, liabilities, owners' equity, expenses, and income or revenue. It forms the basis of reporting a business's financial statements.

Here's how accounts payable assistants use general ledger accounts:

Reported monthly fixed assets for specific general ledger accounts.
Performed general ledger accounts and bank reconciliations and analysis.

9. Credit Card Statements

Here's how accounts payable assistants use credit card statements:

Reconciled Executive Director's monthly credit card statement.
Processed company credit card statements monthly.

10. Journal Entries

Journal entries can be defined as an act of keeping or making records of any transactions either economic or non-economic. The journal entries are made in the accounting systems of an organization. The entries are filled with two main fields; debit and credit. The debit and credit must be equal at the end of a journal entry else it is not considered correct. The journal entries also keep the date of transactions and the names of the accounts that were affected by the transactions.

Here's how accounts payable assistants use journal entries:

Maintained corporate general ledger in Timberline and prepared and entered monthly journal entries.
Performed general ledger maintenance, balanced journal entries and performed account reconciliation.

11. Accounts Payables

Here's how accounts payable assistants use accounts payables:

Developed and updated documentation for support and functional requirements for accounts payables and receivables.
Managed accounts payables documentation and files; ensured information was up-to-date and accurate.

12. ACH

Automated Clearing House, ACH is a computerized electronic network to process, coordinate and manage transactions (credit and debit) and automated money transfers between banks and other financial institutions without the use of paper checks, electronic transfers, credit cards, or cash networks. The ACH network is regulated by the federal government and managed by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA).

Here's how accounts payable assistants use ach:

Audited 60-100 ACH and WIRE payments twice a week to insure accuracy of payments to vendors and service providers.
Processed high volume of Payment Batches (checks), Wires and ACH Transactions for various Large Banks.

13. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how accounts payable assistants use hr:

Back up HR here locally by maintaining corporate files, as this function is performed at a remote location.
Work closely with CFO, Controller, Accounting Department, and managers on various projects and HR policies.

14. Vendor Accounts

Here's how accounts payable assistants use vendor accounts:

Monitored vendor accounts for payments processed and resolved any invoice discrepancy.
Verified vendor accounts by reconciling monthly statements alongside respective account documents.

15. Invoice Processing

Here's how accounts payable assistants use invoice processing:

Insured that receiving was properly documented for invoice processing.
Control all aspects of A/P including invoice processing, check and electronic payments, vendor statement reconciliation, and closing procedures.

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What skills help Accounts Payable Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on accounts payable assistant resumes?

Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Co-director of the Student Managed Investment Fund, Bucknell University

The obvious trends are going to become more pronounced: coding and technology-related skills. I think we are going to see an elevation in the coding expectations. In the future, I expect employers to begin providing coding assessments to potential candidates. This is a common feature of engineering and finance jobs, and I think we will see it with respect to claims about coding prowess.

Data skills will also continue to become more prevalent across all business disciplines. Employers are looking for experience with large data sets, data visualization software (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI, Alteryx, etc.) and statistical analysis. Data has become a major currency, and employees' ability to utilize data for decision making will be critical to success in the employment marketplace.

Beyond the obvious, I think the pandemic has also shifted focus to skills surrounding resilience and motivation. I've heard employers during the pandemic express surprise at the disparity of responses to the pandemic: some employees made the pivot to remote work seamlessly, others required significantly more support. Skills that demonstrate resilience, such as group work, honors programs, etc. will become more important.
I would encourage job seekers to highlight skills learned during the pandemic. I would anticipate a regular interview question inquiring about how the job seeker used their extra time during the pandemic. The most common answers will likely include lots of Queen's Gambit and Tiger King, but employers will look for answers surrounding the development of new skills or acquired certifications. Imagine the employer's thoughts when you suggest that you used the extra time to pursue a lifelong dream such as learning to play the piano or guitar. If you missed the early pandemic window of opportunity, take advantage now!

This line of questions may precede a dangerous trend for employers to look for indications of mental strength. I find this possibility disheartening as we could see employers screening employees with mental health challenges at a time when the solidarity of a job could provide much needed structure.

What hard/technical skills are most important for accounts payable assistants?

Frank Longo

Assistant Professor of Business, Centenary University

Proficiency with emerging technology is an attention-getter. We should note that the Certified Public Accountants Exam will contain three sections by 2024, including Data Analytics, Tax Compliance and Planning, and Information System and Controls. A basic knowledge will be required in each of these, and the CPA candidate will identify one area of the above for more detailed testing. This change in knowledge requirements reflects the skills employers see as most important to hire. Using technology in any of these areas can move a candidate to the top of the hiring list. We should emphasize that the job candidate does not need to be an expert in each area, but the ability to effectively use technology in one area is important. Employers are looking for the ability to use technology in information security, business processes, information systems, IT audits, data analytics, and tax planning but not all of them.

Keep in mind that successful firms performed audits, prepared tax returns, advised clients on data security, and much more during the pandemic, and they often did so remotely. This can be expected to continue into the future.

What soft skills should all accounts payable assistants possess?

Frank Longo

Assistant Professor of Business, Centenary University

The skills listed above in question number one are soft skills. They are the skills that truly differentiate the candidate. All candidates are expected to possess hard skills such as excel proficiency. It is the soft skills that get the job done. The ability to solve problems and to lead a team are the top requirements. Recent studies conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers consistently arrived at this conclusion, as did a recent Centenary University survey that included New Jersey and New York employers. These skills can be demonstrated through work experience, internships, and extra-curricular activities, including clubs and sports, which can serve as examples.

What technical skills for an accounts payable assistant stand out to employers?

Jodi Olson

Assistant Accounting Professor, Winona State University

Accountants serve many industries and sectors, so a broad range of technical skills is required to be ready to meet the needs of employers. Graduates must be technically competent in areas such as accounting information systems, tax preparation, auditing, managerial/cost accounting, financial reporting, and financial statement analysis. Also, graduates are expected to have general business acumen in areas such as management information systems, business law, operations, strategic management, and ethics. All these skills are important for graduates, but the pandemic has made the accounting systems and management information systems skills operative in allowing graduates to deliver their other areas of technical expertise.

Do you want to know more?

List of accounts payable assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an accounts payable assistant resume and required skills for an accounts payable assistant to have include:

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
Invoice Processing
W-9
Payable Invoices

Vendor Inquiries
QuickBooks
Payable Transactions
Office Equipment
Bank Deposits
Computer System
Financial Statements
Bank Reconciliations
Credit Memos
Bank Statements
Payable Checks
Accounts Receivables
Wire Transfers
Vendor Payments
Payment Processing
Due Invoices
Payment Terms

Manual Checks
Vendor Checks
Bank Accounts
Accounts Payable Processing
Check Request
AS400
Travel Arrangements
PowerPoint
Customer Accounts
Cost Centers
PeopleSoft
Payable Functions
Payable Reports
Payable System
Financial Data
ADP

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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