Post job

Accounts payable supervisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an accounts payable supervisor. Accounts payable supervisors usually study accounting, business, or finance. 60% of accounts payable supervisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 8,016 real accounts payable supervisor resumes to see exactly what accounts payable supervisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for accounts payable supervisors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online accounts payable supervisor courses to help get the education required to be an accounts payable supervisor.

There are certain accounts payable supervisor certifications that you should consider. These accounts payable supervisor certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become an accounts payable supervisor?

What degree do you need to be an accounts payable supervisor?

The most common degree for accounts payable supervisors is bachelor's degree, with 60% of accounts payable supervisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Associate, 24%
  • Master's, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an accounts payable supervisor?

You should major in accounting to become an accounts payable supervisor. 45% of accounts payable supervisors major in accounting. Other common majors for an accounts payable supervisor include business and finance.

Most common colleges for accounts payable supervisors

Accounts payable supervisors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for accounts payable supervisors in the US based on their resumes.
Accounts payable supervisor common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix31.82%
Strayer University6.91%
DeVry University6.00%
University of Houston5.27%
Baruch College of the City University of New York5.09%

Best majors for accounts payable supervisors

RankMajorPercentages
1Accounting44.7%
2Business31.9%
3Finance4.8%
4Management2.5%
5Psychology1.7%

Best colleges for accounts payable supervisors

The best colleges for accounts payable supervisors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

An accounts payable supervisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for accounts payable supervisors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become accounts payable supervisors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

10. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,670

Enrollment

2,758

20 best online courses for accounts payable supervisors

Advertising disclosure

1. Accounting 101: Accounts Payable Best Practices For 2023

udemy
4.4
(1,180)

Avoid common mistakes and pitfalls when it comes to Accounts Payable. No more fraud, incorrect payments or voided checks...

2. Accounts Payable in SAP

udemy
4.3
(529)

Learn Accounts Payable sub-module of SAP FICO in this step-by-step training course. Become a successful SAP Consultant...

3. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course

udemy
4.3
(736)

Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...

4. Financial Accounting - Subsidiary Ledgers & Special Journals

udemy
4.5
(580)

Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...

5. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

udemy
4.6
(930)

Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

6. Financial Accounting-Debits & Credits-Accounting Transaction

udemy
4.5
(781)

Masterclass: Learn Accounting Principles, Financial Statements, Transactions & More in this Comprehensive Course...

7. Excel Accounting Problem

udemy
4.3
(348)

Learn How to Create an Accounting Worksheet Using Microsoft Excel from a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)...

8. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries

udemy
4.4
(1,649)

Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...

9. Xero Bookkeeping & Accounting, w/ Set-up & Reporting

udemy
4.3
(263)

From Set-up to Bookkeeping, Accounting, Reporting, & Financial Statements in Xero with a Certified Xero Advisor...

10. Financial Accounting: A Comprehensive Guide with E-book

udemy
4.5
(3,466)

Unlock Financial Accounting Mastery: Comprehensive Course for Students, Professionals, and Business Owners...

11. Financial Accounting: The Complete Introductory Crash Course

udemy
4.5
(1,604)

Learn the Basics of Financial Accounting: Financial Statements, Debits and Credits, The Accounting Cycle and More!...

12. Accounting 101 - The Principles Of Accounting

udemy
4.4
(647)

The Easiest Course In Accounting!...

13. Principles of Financial Accounting

udemy
4.5
(875)

Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...

14. Accounting & Bookkeeping Masterclass - Beginner to Advanced

udemy
4.5
(4,371)

Accounting, Bookkeeping Introduction, Accounting, Bookkeeping Entries, Accounting, Bookkeeping Adjustments & Reports...

15. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training

udemy
4.6
(16,804)

Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...

16. Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial Analysis (Accounting)

udemy
4.5
(521)

Accounting & Bookkeeping Basics. Accounting & Financial Analysis Concepts. Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping...

17. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily

udemy
4.5
(280)

Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...

18. Governmental Accounting 100

udemy
4.6
(355)

Fund accounting-governmental accounting-General Fund & government-wide activity transactions-modified accrual method...

19. Financial Bookkeeping and Accountancy: Complete Accounting

udemy
4.3
(501)

A Complete Course on Book-keeping & Accounting Course For Level 1 & 2 aspirants...

20. Accounting Made Easy: A Quick Guide to Financial Accounting

udemy
4.5
(2,757)

Accounting is not about Math, it is about concepts. And no one said it has to be hard. Learn the basics in just 2 hours!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for accounts payable supervisors

The most affordable schools for accounts payable supervisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for accounts payable supervisors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for accounts payable supervisors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for accounts payable supervisors

The hardest universities for accounts payable supervisors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for accounts payable supervisors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for accounts payable supervisors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for accounts payable supervisors

The easiest schools for accounts payable supervisors to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an accounts payable supervisor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for accounts payable supervisors.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

Average accounts payable supervisor salary by education level

According to our data, accounts payable supervisors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,215 annually. Accounts payable supervisors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $73,913.
Accounts payable supervisor education levelAccounts payable supervisor salary
Master's Degree$73,913
High School Diploma or Less$58,363
Bachelor's Degree$66,782
Doctorate Degree$78,215
Some College/ Associate Degree$60,055

Accounts payable supervisor education FAQs

Search for accounts payable supervisor jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

Browse office and administrative jobs