General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk

The differences between general ledger 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 general ledger bookkeeper and an accounts receivable clerk. Additionally, a general ledger bookkeeper has an average salary of $44,940, which is higher than the $36,425 average annual salary of an accounts receivable clerk.

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

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk overview

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Yearly salary	$44,940	$36,425
Hourly rate	$21.61	$17.51
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	56,765	87,935
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
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 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.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk salary

General ledger bookkeepers and accounts receivable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Average salary	$44,940	$36,425
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $59,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	IBM
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between general ledger bookkeeper and accounts receivable clerk education

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

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk demographics

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

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%	Male, 13.7% Female, 86.3%
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, 14.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between general ledger bookkeeper and accounts receivable clerk 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 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.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk 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 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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General Ledger Bookkeeper vs Accounts Receivable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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