Payroll bookkeeper vs accountable clerk

The differences between payroll bookkeepers and accountable clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a payroll bookkeeper, becoming an accountable clerk takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a payroll bookkeeper has an average salary of $46,087, which is higher than the $38,120 average annual salary of an accountable clerk.

The top three skills for a payroll bookkeeper include reconciliations, general ledger and journal entries. The most important skills for an accountable clerk are data entry, financial reports, and purchase orders.

Payroll bookkeeper vs accountable clerk overview

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accountable Clerk
Yearly salary	$46,087	$38,120
Hourly rate	$22.16	$18.33
Growth rate	-3%	-5%
Number of jobs	8,176	81,209
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	48	51
Years of experience	4	6

Payroll bookkeeper vs accountable clerk salary

Payroll bookkeepers and accountable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accountable Clerk
Average salary	$46,087	$38,120
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $60,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Wayne County, Michigan
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between payroll bookkeeper and accountable clerk education

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

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accountable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll bookkeeper vs accountable clerk demographics

Here are the differences between payroll bookkeepers' and accountable clerks' demographics:

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accountable Clerk
Average age	48	51
Gender ratio	Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2%	Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	7%

Differences between payroll bookkeeper and accountable clerk duties and responsibilities

Payroll bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform financial management functions including monthly financial statement preparation and bank reconciliations.
Maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable including handling cash and deposits; process reconciliations and financial reports using SchoolFunds.
Process 1099 and W2's.
Process ACH rejections and stop payments.
Post receivables of checks, ACH and credit card payments.

Accountable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage the accurate and timely processing of AP invoices for multiple companies.
Manage resident's private information for insurance verification, billing, and eligibility to apply for Medicaid.
Scan incoming A/P, A/R, bank statements, mail, etc.
Review AR aging to ensure compliance.
Process, distribute, and maintain AR invoices.
Review and handle in-clearing reject items (ACH and checks) and process check adjustments.

Payroll bookkeeper vs accountable clerk skills

Common payroll bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 9%
General Ledger, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Tax Returns, 4%
Bank Reconciliations, 4%
Payroll Processing, 4%

Common accountable clerk skills

Data Entry, 11%
Financial Reports, 10%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Process Payroll, 8%
Office Equipment, 4%