Accounts payable associate vs accounting assistant

The differences between accounts payable associates and accounting assistants 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 associate and an accounting assistant. Additionally, an accounting assistant has an average salary of $39,569, which is higher than the $39,270 average annual salary of an accounts payable associate.

The top three skills for an accounts payable associate include customer service, data entry and purchase orders. The most important skills for an accounting assistant are data entry, customer service, and reconciliations.

Accounts payable associate vs accounting assistant overview

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Assistant
Yearly salary	$39,270	$39,569
Hourly rate	$18.88	$19.02
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	30,845	63,945
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounts payable associate do?

An accounts payable associate is primarily responsible for processing bills and payments for a company, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Moreover, they are also responsible for maintaining records of all transactions, liaising with external agencies, coordinating with different departments to gather data, receiving and monitoring invoices, and obtaining approval from managers or supervisors when it comes to payments as needed. An accounts payable associate may also produce financial reports and statements, create presentations, train new members of the workforce, and assist audits, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

What does an accounting assistant do?

An accounting assistant is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the business' accounting department, from reviewing financial transactions to the submission of financial reports. Accounting assistants' duties include performing data entry and clerical tasks, maintaining a safe record of account statements, updating and analyzing transactions, verifying the accuracy of financial records, and managing customers and vendors' inquiries as immediate as possible. An accounting assistant must have a broad knowledge of the accounting principles and processes, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills, especially on meeting strict deadlines and doing complex tasks as needed.

Accounts payable associate vs accounting assistant salary

Accounts payable associates and accounting assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Assistant
Average salary	$39,270	$39,569
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $49,000	Between $30,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Cambridge, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Alaska	New York
Best paying company	Accenture	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Construction	Finance

Differences between accounts payable associate and accounting assistant education

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

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounts payable associate vs accounting assistant demographics

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

	Accounts Payable Associate	Accounting Assistant
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 20.6% Female, 79.4%	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% 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 associate and accounting assistant duties and responsibilities

Accounts payable associate example responsibilities.

Manage the PeopleSoft PO/Voucher/Receiver matching process for all business units.
Prepare A/R reports for BCBSM, Medicare, Medicaid and multiple HMO's.
Complete various seminars on Medicare and Medicaid.
Process and verify employees' expense reports to ensure compliance with GAAP and company policy.
Perform GL coding for expense invoices along with processing both ACH payments and check payments on a daily basis.
Verify which vendors need W9 to be mail to them at the beginning of the year for tax purposes.

Accounting assistant example responsibilities.

Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Participate in weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly audits to ensure SOX compliance and propose opportunities for improvement.
Meet with account teams to discuss job structure, new projects, client requests, billing procedures, and SOX requirements.
Reconcile departmental report cash against banking ACH transactions.
Process mortgage portfolio monthly payments and interest accruals.
Utilize online system for calculating payroll and family tuition payments.

Accounts payable associate vs accounting assistant skills

Common accounts payable associate skills

Customer Service, 11%
Data Entry, 9%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Vendor Statements, 6%
Vendor Invoices, 6%
Expense Reports, 5%

Common accounting assistant skills

Data Entry, 13%
Customer Service, 11%
Reconciliations, 8%
Purchase Orders, 7%
Credit Card Payments, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Accounts Payable Associate
Accounts Payable Associate vs Accounting Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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