Bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk

The differences between bookkeepers and accounts receivable clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a bookkeeper and an accounts receivable clerk. Additionally, a bookkeeper has an average salary of $40,337, which is higher than the $36,425 average annual salary of an accounts receivable clerk.

The top three skills for a bookkeeper include payroll tax returns, customer service and reconciliations. The most important skills for an accounts receivable clerk are customer service, data entry, and collection calls.

Bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk overview

	Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Yearly salary	$40,337	$36,425
Hourly rate	$19.39	$17.51
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	38,481	87,935
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does a bookkeeper do?

Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.

What does an accounts receivable clerk do?

An Accounts Receivable Clerk specializes in processing payment records and bill statements of a company or organization. Among the duties include calculating total revenues and unpaid invoices, maintaining financial records and keeping a detailed and organized database, and verifying financial transactions and payment delinquencies. Furthermore, an Accounts Receivable Clerk must resolve and examine deductions, prepare invoices and necessary documentation, and review customer payment plans and history records and coordinate with the collections department should there be any issues.

Bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk salary

Bookkeepers and accounts receivable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Average salary	$40,337	$36,425
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $52,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	NTT Data International L.L.C.	IBM
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between bookkeeper and accounts receivable clerk education

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

	Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk demographics

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

	Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%	Male, 13.7% Female, 86.3%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between bookkeeper and accounts receivable clerk duties and responsibilities

Bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform journal entries, balance ledger, perform bank reconciliations, control inventory, coordinate proper guest accommodation.
Post and update of daily sales and purchases into QuickBooks system.
Execute monthly collection of Medicaid surplus funds from clients on a monthly basis.
Post resident receipts, Medicaid remittance, and process adjusting entries to the A/R detail.
Work closely with QC personnel for the planning of tooling and the flow process of PWB's.

Accounts receivable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor weekly bank deposit runs and record deposits into QuickBooks.
Manage profitable accounts receivable ledgers for existing and new clientele maintaining accuracy of monies enter to appropriate relate account.
Obtain online reports of bank transactions, including deposits, ACH, EFT and wire payments from multiple banking institutions.
Utilize QuickBooks accounting software for billing/invoices, generate statements.
Perform necessary adjustments using knowledge of Medicare and all third party insurance.
Investigate and resolve any out-of-balances including credit card discrepancies / lockbox exceptions.

Bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk skills

Common bookkeeper skills

Payroll Tax Returns, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Reconciliations, 10%
Data Entry, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Financial Transactions, 4%

Common accounts receivable clerk skills

Customer Service, 12%
Data Entry, 9%
Collection Calls, 8%
Financial Data, 7%
Credit Card Payments, 5%
Process Payments, 5%

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Bookkeeper vs Accounts Receivable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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