General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator

The differences between general ledger bookkeepers and accounts payable administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a general ledger bookkeeper and an accounts payable administrator. Additionally, a general ledger bookkeeper has an average salary of $44,940, which is higher than the $41,860 average annual salary of an accounts payable administrator.

The top three skills for a general ledger bookkeeper include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and CPA. The most important skills for an accounts payable administrator are purchase orders, data entry, and vendor invoices.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator overview

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Yearly salary	$44,940	$41,860
Hourly rate	$21.61	$20.12
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	56,765	79,272
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does a general ledger bookkeeper do?

A general ledger bookkeeper conducts daily recording and maintenance of all of a business' financial transactions. These transactions include purchases, expenses, invoices, sales revenue, and payments, all of which are summarized in the general ledger. They are expected to prepare journal entries and ensure data is accurate. Furthermore, at the end of a specific period, they are expected to transfer the entries to the ledger. They ensure that the transactions reported meet accounting standards.

What does an accounts payable administrator do?

An accounts payable administrator is an individual who reviews and verifies the invoices of suppliers and grants payment requests. Accounts payable administrators must prepare invoice batches and input them in the accounts payable module of the financial information system every day to ensure that payments meet weekly and monthly deadlines. When warranted, they seek clarifications or explanations from submitters and responds to inquiries from suppliers, consultants, and clients regarding the status of their payments. Accounts payable administrators must also ensure that reimbursements are properly approved.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator salary

General ledger bookkeepers and accounts payable administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Average salary	$44,940	$41,860
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $59,000	Between $32,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Ducommun
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between general ledger bookkeeper and accounts payable administrator education

There are a few differences between a general ledger bookkeeper and an accounts payable administrator in terms of educational background:

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator demographics

Here are the differences between general ledger bookkeepers' and accounts payable administrators' demographics:

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Payable Administrator
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between general ledger bookkeeper and accounts payable administrator duties and responsibilities

General ledger bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Report to owner and outside CPA.
Prepare cross reference work papers to substantiate journal entries according to GAAP.
Organize and maintain bills, receipts, and vehicle logs to send to CPA.
Ensure accuracy of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and compliance to internal policies.
Prepare investment funds roll forward schedule for annual audit, and reconcile investment relate general ledgers for annual audit.

Accounts payable administrator example responsibilities.

Manage payroll transactions utilizing ADP payroll software.
Maintain a cash flow chart of checks issue and clear, ACH payments, incoming collections, and wire transfers.
Solve complex general accounting functions, including preparation of journal entries, account analysis and balance sheet reconciliations.
Set up new vendors, maintain new supplier forms and proper W8 and W9 reporting.
Implement standard form to vendors to complete and return along with W9 and a sample invoice.
Review and record vendor bills utilizing QuickBooks.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts payable administrator skills

Common general ledger bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 16%
General Ledger Accounts, 12%
CPA, 6%
Bank Statements, 4%
Payroll Taxes, 4%
Credit Card, 4%

Common accounts payable administrator skills

Purchase Orders, 12%
Data Entry, 9%
Vendor Invoices, 8%
Expense Reports, 6%
Credit Card, 5%
Vendor Statements, 5%

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General Ledger Bookkeeper vs Accounts Payable Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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