Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

Accounts payable clerk skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.,

Frank Longo

One of the most important hard skills an accounts payable clerk can possess is managing vendor invoices because this will likely be a key function of the job. It's also important for accounts payable clerks to have the hard skill of managing general ledger accounts, as well as basic data entry. They may also need the hard skills of processing ACH payments, depending on the industry.

When it comes to soft skills, accounts payable clerks should have a strong attention to detail above all else. Accounts payable clerks need to manage multiple accounts at once, so great multitasking skills are also crucial.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical accounts payable clerk skills. We ranked the top skills for accounts payable clerks based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.5% of accounts payable clerk resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an accounts payable clerk needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 accounts payable clerk skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how accounts payable clerks use customer service:

Perform register sales transactions quickly and accurately in accordance with established cash control procedures and Customer Service guidelines.
General Office Duties/Inventory Database Maintenance Invoice Orders/ Customer Service/Produce & Submit Agriculture Reports Developed Company Policy and Procedures Manual

2. 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 clerks use data entry:

Provided administrative support to upper management via drafting all official company correspondence, typing, filing and performing data entry.
Conducted training for staff on vendor management, data entry and funding, ensuring consistent operations and increasing productivity.

3. Purchase Orders

Here's how accounts payable clerks use purchase orders:

Prepared documentation for manager approval issuing stop-payments or purchase order amendments.
Administered purchase orders process, verified and reconciled vendors invoices.

4. Expense Reports

Here's how accounts payable clerks use expense reports:

Prepare expense reports and ensure appropriate reimbursement, review and process travel expense vouchers for accountability and proper authorization.
Expense Report Processing: Reviews all expense reports for accuracy, completeness of documentation and appropriate approvals obtained.

5. Vendor Invoices

Here's how accounts payable clerks use vendor invoices:

Verify vendor invoices with corresponding purchase orders and receiving records or by obtaining other supporting documents as necessary.
Provided daily receipt of vendor invoices, reviewed for duplication and completeness and accuracy.

6. Vendor Statements

Here's how accounts payable clerks use vendor statements:

Developed exceptional skills in reconciling vendor statements and worked diligently with minimal direction while able to take on additional projects.
Validate vendor statements and inquiries, investigates discrepancies, communicates with vendors and internal staff to obtain information and clarify/resolve issues

Choose from 10+ customizable accounts payable clerk resume templates

Build a professional accounts payable clerk resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your accounts payable clerk resume.

7. 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 clerks use payroll:

Developed and maintained internal control and processes for payroll and other important documents.
Processed payroll, finalized office services budget and negotiated purchasing price reductions.

8. Credit Card

A type of card issued by banks and other financial institutions, that enable users to manage and borrow their finances is called a credit card. The funds borrowed from a financial institution through a credit card are meant to be paid back along with certain amounts of interest imposed by the bank.

Here's how accounts payable clerks use credit card:

Performed detailed and complex numerical computations, analysis, and tracking for multiple corporate accounts on credit card reconciliations.
Reviewed monthly credit card statements and reconciled with receipts and other documentation and ensured timely payments.

9. Reconciliations

Here's how accounts payable clerks use reconciliations:

Handled invoice reconciliations and discrepancy investigations
Performed accounts receivable duties including invoicing, cash application, discrepancies, reconciliations and responding to customer requests for documentation.

10. 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 clerks use ach:

Processed invoices submitted for payment through the Airline Clearing House (ACH) and International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Printed checks & prepared ACH payments on a weekly basis; submitted Positive Pay files to the bank for disbursement control.

11. 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 clerks use journal entries:

Prepared/entered journal entries/reports and generated cash disbursement reports for approval of the Comptroller.
Verified the accuracy of journal entries and accounting classifications assigned to various records.

12. Financial Reports

Here's how accounts payable clerks use financial reports:

Developed streamlined processes to compile financial reports and translated the results of the analysis into functional reports for personnel and management.
Prepared, examined, and analyzed accounting records, financial statements, and other financial reports to assess accuracy completeness.

13. 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 clerks use general ledger accounts:

Verify that transactions have required approvals and verify correct division/department and general ledger accounts by coding vendor invoices correctly.
Reconciled general ledger accounts and performed accounts payable duties for worldwide tour operator headquartered in Illinois.

14. 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 clerks use hr:

Implement annual campus million dollar operational budgets and provide information to HR merit data process procedures.
Collect and analyze HR data, and make recommendations to management regarding compensation guidelines.

15. Vendor Inquiries

Here's how accounts payable clerks use vendor inquiries:

Research and respond to vendor inquiries, disputes and correspondence using microfiche/microfilm or mechanical reports.
Responded to vendor inquiries and communicated with vendors regarding invoice or statement discrepancies.

5 Accounts Payable Clerk resume examples

Build a professional accounts payable clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your accounts payable clerk resume.

Create my resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

What skills help Accounts Payable Clerks 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 clerk 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 clerks?

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 clerks 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 clerk 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 clerk skills to add to your resume

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

Customer Service
Data Entry
Purchase Orders
Expense Reports
Vendor Invoices
Vendor Statements
Payroll
Credit Card
Reconciliations
ACH
Journal Entries
Financial Reports
General Ledger Accounts
HR
Vendor Inquiries
Vendor Accounts
Invoice Processing

Accounts Payable Processing
W-9
Accounts Payables
Payable Invoices
QuickBooks
Payable Transactions
Account Reconciliations
Vendor Payments
Credit Memos
Payment Terms
Payment Processing
Payable Process
W9
Wire Transfers
Computer System
System Reports
Manual Checks

Payable Checks
Payable Reports
Bank Deposits
Bank Reconciliations
Cost Centers
Payable Functions
PeopleSoft
Reconcile Accounts Payable
Financial Statements
Bank Statements
AS400
Taxation
Check Request
Payable Issues
Customer Accounts
Bank Accounts

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

Browse office and administrative jobs