How to hire an accounts payable lead

How to hire an accounts payable lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step accounts payable lead hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an accounts payable lead job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new accounts payable lead
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an accounts payable lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The accounts payable lead hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect accounts payable lead also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of accounts payable leads.

   Type of Accounts Payable Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Accounts Payable Lead	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks produce financial records for organizations. They record financial transactions, update statements, and check financial records for accuracy.	$19-37
   Billing Analyst	A billing analyst is responsible for supporting the operations of an accounting department, evaluating and issuing invoices, and analyzing the financial transactions of the company. Billing analysts assist with creating financial statements and reports, managing billing discrepancies, updating recent account statements on the company's database, and checking the accuracy of balance sheets... Show more	$16-35
   Charge Bookkeeper	A full charge bookkeeper's primary job is to manage and handle all the accounts of a small or medium-sized business. They are responsible for overseeing the accounting duties for a company, including billing customers, preparing bank statements and tax returns, and processing timesheets... Show more	$17-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • FAA
   • Purchase Orders
   • Vendor Invoices
   • Reconciliations
   • Data Entry
   • ACH
   • Expense Reports
   • Accruals
   • Vendor Statements
   • General Ledger Accounts
   • Process Improvement
   • Financial Reports
   • Shared Services
   • ERP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage weekly payment scheduling to expedite and efficiently meet vendor payment deadlines; including check run dates, wires and ACH.
   • Manage payroll transactions utilizing ADP payroll software.
   • Process check runs: set payments within the system, verify accuracy, and print checks launch ACH payments.
   • Assist in the implementation of new ERP system by testing and providing information need to meet the accounts payable processes.
   • Process invoices, check requests, employee reimbursements, and credit memos and ensure compliance with SOX documentation and approval guidelines.
   • Transmit monthly payroll information for bank reconciliation.

   More accounts payable lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your accounts payable lead job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An accounts payable lead salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an accounts payable lead in Kansas may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level accounts payable lead usually earns less than a senior-level accounts payable lead. Additionally, an accounts payable lead with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average accounts payable lead salary

   $57,175yearly

   $27.49 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level accounts payable lead salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average accounts payable lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$73,521	$35
   2	Maryland	$67,183	$32
   3	California	$64,880	$31
   4	Texas	$62,533	$30
   5	North Carolina	$58,309	$28
   6	Illinois	$57,309	$28
   7	Florida	$56,952	$27
   8	Virginia	$56,240	$27
   9	Ohio	$56,129	$27
   10	Georgia	$53,383	$26
   11	Washington	$53,295	$26
   12	Oklahoma	$52,571	$25
   13	Colorado	$51,778	$25
   14	Arizona	$51,671	$25
   15	Missouri	$51,060	$25
   16	Minnesota	$50,831	$24
   17	Indiana	$48,175	$23

   Average accounts payable lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NV Energy	$91,778	$44.12
   2	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research	$81,854	$39.35
   3	Curo Health Services	$78,674	$37.82
   4	Tesla	$78,278	$37.63
   5	Edward Jones	$77,185	$37.11
   6	Student Conservation Association	$74,443	$35.79
   7	American Water	$73,323	$35.25
   8	Array Networks	$68,373	$32.87
   9	Palantir	$64,916	$31.21
   10	PACCAR	$60,528	$29.10
   11	Cleveland Clinic	$60,155	$28.92
   12	UnitedHealth Group	$59,506	$28.61	36
   13	Elbit Systems of America	$58,891	$28.31
   14	AAR	$57,202	$27.50	9
   15	MetroPlus	$56,875	$27.34
   16	Kroger	$56,649	$27.24	31
   17	Creative Financial Staffing	$56,391	$27.11
   18	Hatco	$56,388	$27.11
   19	Shockwave Medical	$56,183	$27.01
   20	Timco Aviation Services	$56,112	$26.98

4. Writing an accounts payable lead job description

   A good accounts payable lead job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an accounts payable lead job description:

   Accounts payable lead job description example

   Monitor aircraft maintenance and accurately complete all aircraft paperwork to insure safety and timely delivery.
   ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   Establish work priorities and supervise the work of up to 15 mechanics. Insure work performed adheres to high quality standards. Able to perform heavy maintenance tasks without supervision. Able to perform any type of aircraft rigging. Able to use FAA approved data i.e. IPC, M M, OHM, SRM proficiently. Effectively interact with customer representatives. All other duties as assigned.
   
   CORE COMPETENCIES
   
   Dependability: personally responsible, completes work in a timely manner, and performs tasks accurately Motivation: must maintain a positive attitude and strong work energy Organization: very detail oriented and always comes prepared Communication: excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills Initiative: plans work and carries out tasks without detailed instructions, prepares for problems or opportunities in advance, undertakes additional responsibilities Problem Solving: ability to develop and implement new ideas to improve processes
   
   Qualifications
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
   
   EDUCATION and or EXPERIENCE
   
   High school diploma or general education degree GED required. Must have a minimum of 1 year related experience and or training. Must have an A & P License.
   
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS WORK ENVIRONMENT
   
   The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach and move about the facility. The environmental characteristic for this position is a warehouse setting. Candidates should be able to adapt to a traditional warehouse environment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right accounts payable lead for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with accounts payable leads they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit accounts payable leads who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your accounts payable lead job on Zippia to find and attract quality accounts payable lead candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit accounts payable leads, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new accounts payable lead

   Once you have selected a candidate for the accounts payable lead position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an accounts payable lead?