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Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable supervisor

The differences between accounts payable clerks and accounts payable supervisors 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 clerk and an accounts payable supervisor. Additionally, an accounts payable supervisor has an average salary of $58,763, which is higher than the $38,333 average annual salary of an accounts payable clerk.

The top three skills for an accounts payable clerk include customer service, data entry and purchase orders. The most important skills for an accounts payable supervisor are customer service, reconciliations, and vendor invoices.

Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable supervisor overview

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Supervisor
Yearly salary$38,333$58,763
Hourly rate$18.43$28.25
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs89,56444,207
Job satisfaction-2
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age5147
Years of experience66

What does an accounts payable clerk do?

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.

What does an accounts payable supervisor do?

An accounts payable supervisor is an executive who is responsible for the timely payments of expense vouchers and vendor invoices. Accounts payable supervisors maintain the accuracy of the organization's financial records. They report to the head of the accounting department and oversee the accounts payable team. It is also part of their job to manage the company's budget reports and expense accounts. Leadership skills, strong communication, adaptability, and attention to detail are required to carry out this job.

Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable supervisor salary

Accounts payable clerks and accounts payable supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Supervisor
Average salary$38,333$58,763
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $48,000Between $43,000 And $79,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCWashington, DC
Highest paying stateMassachusettsRhode Island
Best paying companyJane StreetFUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between accounts payable clerk and accounts payable supervisor education

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

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Supervisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between accounts payable clerks' and accounts payable supervisors' demographics:

Accounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable Supervisor
Average age5147
Gender ratioMale, 17.2% Female, 82.8%Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage7%8%

Differences between accounts payable clerk and accounts payable supervisor duties and responsibilities

Accounts payable clerk example responsibilities.

  • Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
  • Match, code, and process vendor payments via MAS90 accounting system - including check runs and ACH payments.
  • Perform duties in compliance with GAAP, company and department policies and procedures, internal controls, and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
  • Process division payroll in coordination with ADP payroll systems for semi-monthly and weekly union contract employees.
  • Scan and store documents daily, retrieve W2 and W9 information along with service provider agreements when or if need.
  • Print, review, research, edit, code and batch invoices for processing via the various ERP financial systems.
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Accounts payable supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage the consolidation of multiple departments during process re-engineering, re-alignment and ERP implementation.
  • Lead year-end closing operations, process monthly, quarterly / year-end financial records, and monitor accounting reconciliations procedures.
  • Post daily transactions, cash receipts, wire transactions and EFT and ACH transactions through PeopleSoft accounts receivable module.
  • Evaluate accounting ERP system and test new system plug-ins, provide system testing evaluation reports and help with system implementation.
  • Identify opportunities for quality improvement such as working with various suppliers to set up automate invoice processing and payments via ACH.
  • Work with auditors to insure SOX compliance, update corporate travel policy, and provide training to staff for reimbursement system.
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Accounts payable clerk vs accounts payable supervisor skills

Common accounts payable clerk skills
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Data Entry, 10%
  • Purchase Orders, 8%
  • Expense Reports, 6%
  • Vendor Invoices, 6%
  • Vendor Statements, 5%
Common accounts payable supervisor skills
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Reconciliations, 6%
  • Vendor Invoices, 6%
  • Purchase Orders, 5%
  • Accruals, 4%
  • ACH, 4%

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