Accounts payable clerk vs bookkeeper

The differences between accounts payable clerks and bookkeepers 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 a bookkeeper. Additionally, a bookkeeper has an average salary of $40,337, 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 a bookkeeper are payroll tax returns, customer service, and reconciliations.

Accounts payable clerk vs bookkeeper overview

	Accounts Payable Clerk	Bookkeeper
Yearly salary	$38,333	$40,337
Hourly rate	$18.43	$19.39
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	89,564	38,481
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

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 a bookkeeper do?

Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.

Accounts payable clerk vs bookkeeper salary

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

	Accounts Payable Clerk	Bookkeeper
Average salary	$38,333	$40,337
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $48,000	Between $30,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	Jane Street	NTT Data International L.L.C.
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between accounts payable clerk and bookkeeper education

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

	Accounts Payable Clerk	Bookkeeper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounts payable clerk vs bookkeeper demographics

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

	Accounts Payable Clerk	Bookkeeper
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounts payable clerk and bookkeeper 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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Bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform journal entries, balance ledger, perform bank reconciliations, control inventory, coordinate proper guest accommodation.
Post and update of daily sales and purchases into QuickBooks system.
Execute monthly collection of Medicaid surplus funds from clients on a monthly basis.
Post resident receipts, Medicaid remittance, and process adjusting entries to the A/R detail.
Work closely with QC personnel for the planning of tooling and the flow process of PWB's.

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Accounts payable clerk vs bookkeeper 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 bookkeeper skills

Payroll Tax Returns, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Reconciliations, 10%
Data Entry, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Financial Transactions, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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