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The differences between accounts receivable specialists and 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 a clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an accounts receivable specialist has an average salary of $39,873, which is higher than the $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.
The top three skills for an accounts receivable specialist include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
Accounts Receivable Specialist | Clerk | |
Yearly Salary | $39,873 | $31,163 |
Hourly rate | $19.17 | $14.98 |
Growth Rate | -8% | -5% |
Number Of Jobs | 61,988 | 80,311 |
Job Satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
Average Age | 46 | 47 |
Years Of Experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
Accounts receivable specialists and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
Accounts Receivable Specialist | Clerk | |
Average Salary | $39,873 | $31,163 |
Salary Range | Between $31,000 And $50,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
Highest Paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
Highest Paying State | Connecticut | New Hampshire |
Best Paying Company | InfosysPublicService | University of Massachusetts Boston |
Best Paying Industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an accounts receivable specialist and a clerk in terms of educational background:
Accounts Receivable Specialist | Clerk | |
Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
Most Common Major | Business | Business |
Most Common College | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between accounts receivable specialists' and clerks' demographics:
Accounts Receivable Specialist | Clerk | |
Average Age | 46 | 47 |
Gender Ratio | Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
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, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |