Audit assistant vs accounts payable clerk

The differences between audit assistants and accounts payable clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an audit assistant and an accounts payable clerk. Additionally, an audit assistant has an average salary of $58,744, which is higher than the $38,333 average annual salary of an accounts payable clerk.

The top three skills for an audit assistant include audit reports, CPA and risk assessments. The most important skills for an accounts payable clerk are customer service, data entry, and purchase orders.

Audit assistant vs accounts payable clerk overview

	Audit Assistant	Accounts Payable Clerk
Yearly salary	$58,744	$38,333
Hourly rate	$28.24	$18.43
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	12,692	89,564
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an audit assistant do?

It is the job of an audit assistant to monitor and analyze the financial reports of a business enterprise. Audit assistants prepare the financial reports and ensure compliance with the tax regulations. They determine both the strengths and weaknesses of the finances of an organization. Their job includes checking the accuracy of accounting procedures and systems. They make a review, assessment, and recommendations for changes in business unit accounting systems and controls.

What does an accounts payable clerk do?

An accounts payable clerk is responsible for supporting the accounting department by performing clerical duties to file financial reports timely and accurately. Accounts payable clerks manage and verify invoices documents, reconcile balance spreadsheets, process payments for suppliers and vendors, resolve billing discrepancies, confirm and post account statements, record outstanding credits, and maintain an organized record of transactions. An accounts payable clerk must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles to deliver high-quality services and help the business minimize excessive financial loss.

Audit assistant vs accounts payable clerk salary

Audit assistants and accounts payable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Audit Assistant	Accounts Payable Clerk
Average salary	$58,744	$38,333
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $70,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Delaware	Massachusetts
Best paying company	State Street	Jane Street
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between audit assistant and accounts payable clerk education

There are a few differences between an audit assistant and an accounts payable clerk in terms of educational background:

	Audit Assistant	Accounts Payable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Audit assistant vs accounts payable clerk demographics

Here are the differences between audit assistants' and accounts payable clerks' demographics:

	Audit Assistant	Accounts Payable Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between audit assistant and accounts payable clerk duties and responsibilities

Audit assistant example responsibilities.

Manage quarterly reviews (10-Q) and annual audit (10-K) of two public companies as per PCAOB standards.
Communicate with health facility staff, consultants and CPA regarding the resolution of technical, accounting and conceptual errors.
Go on audit with team, work with clients collecting data they already have prepared and pass out to each CPA.
Submit payroll information on all associates bi-weekly.
Generate PowerPoint presentations as required for various staff members.
Participate in SOX compliance audit for an international medical manufacturing company.

Accounts payable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Match, code, and process vendor payments via MAS90 accounting system - including check runs and ACH payments.
Perform duties in compliance with GAAP, company and department policies and procedures, internal controls, and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
Process division payroll in coordination with ADP payroll systems for semi-monthly and weekly union contract employees.
Scan and store documents daily, retrieve W2 and W9 information along with service provider agreements when or if need.
Print, review, research, edit, code and batch invoices for processing via the various ERP financial systems.

Audit assistant vs accounts payable clerk skills

Common audit assistant skills

Audit Reports, 30%
CPA, 11%
Risk Assessments, 8%
Audit Procedures, 6%
Analytical Review, 5%
Sarbanes-Oxley, 4%

Common accounts payable clerk skills

Customer Service, 13%
Data Entry, 10%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Expense Reports, 6%
Vendor Invoices, 6%
Vendor Statements, 5%

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Audit Assistant vs Accounts Payable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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