Accounts receivable specialist vs accountable clerk

The differences between accounts receivable specialists and accountable clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an accounts receivable specialist, becoming an accountable clerk takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an accounts receivable specialist has an average salary of $39,873, which is higher than the $38,120 average annual salary of an accountable clerk.

The top three skills for an accounts receivable specialist include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for an accountable clerk are data entry, financial reports, and purchase orders.

Accounts receivable specialist vs accountable clerk overview

	Accounts Receivable Specialist	Accountable Clerk
Yearly salary	$39,873	$38,120
Hourly rate	$19.17	$18.33
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	61,988	81,209
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	46	51
Years of experience	12	6

What does an accounts receivable specialist do?

Accounts receivable specialists are members of the organization's finance or accounting department. They are responsible for managing the collection of payments for the company. They prepare official receipts and coordinate with account payable specialists from other companies with pending payables. They ensure that clients pay on time, and they also follow up on payments when necessary. They are responsible for checking whether the clients have already paid in full. Accounts receivable specialists are in charge of updating accounting records as well to ensure that client records are up to date.

What does an accountable clerk do?

The duties of an accountable clerk vary in one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the financial aspects of a company, including revenue and budget. They mostly process payments and income, ensuring accuracy in every detail and transaction. An accountable clerk may also have clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, answering calls and correspondence, coordinating with various department personnel, and maintaining a database of information. Should there be any issues, it is essential to report to a manager right away.

Accounts receivable specialist vs accountable clerk salary

Accounts receivable specialists and accountable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounts Receivable Specialist	Accountable Clerk
Average salary	$39,873	$38,120
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $50,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Massachusetts
Best paying company	InfosysPublicService	Wayne County, Michigan
Best paying industry	Technology	Government

Differences between accounts receivable specialist and accountable clerk education

There are a few differences between an accounts receivable specialist and an accountable clerk in terms of educational background:

	Accounts Receivable Specialist	Accountable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Accounts receivable specialist vs accountable clerk demographics

Here are the differences between accounts receivable specialists' and accountable clerks' demographics:

	Accounts Receivable Specialist	Accountable Clerk
Average age	46	51
Gender ratio	Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8%	Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 3.9% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between accounts receivable specialist and accountable clerk duties and responsibilities

Accounts receivable specialist example responsibilities.

Manage profitable accounts receivable ledgers for existing and new clientele maintaining accuracy of monies enter to appropriate relate account.
Perform accounts reconciliations, complex invoice research, statement reconciliations, complex invoice research, statement reconciliation and journal entries.
Follow company's standard operating procedures in cooperation with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance providers to resolve billing issues.
Cash and credit allocation of customer payments in ROSS ERP system.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations, word documents, letters and spreadsheets while meeting deadlines.
Reconcile direct billing accounts and adjust product pricing utilizing JD Edwards EnterpriseONE ERP system.

Accountable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage the accurate and timely processing of AP invoices for multiple companies.
Manage resident's private information for insurance verification, billing, and eligibility to apply for Medicaid.
Scan incoming A/P, A/R, bank statements, mail, etc.
Review AR aging to ensure compliance.
Process, distribute, and maintain AR invoices.
Review and handle in-clearing reject items (ACH and checks) and process check adjustments.

Accounts receivable specialist vs accountable clerk skills

Common accounts receivable specialist skills

Customer Service, 15%
Patients, 9%
Data Entry, 5%
Credit Card Payments, 4%
Reconciliations, 4%
Accounts Receivables, 3%

Common accountable clerk skills

Data Entry, 11%
Financial Reports, 10%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Process Payroll, 8%
Office Equipment, 4%

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Accounts Receivable Specialist
Accounts Receivable Specialist vs Accountable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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