Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk

The differences between payroll bookkeepers and accounts receivable 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 accounts receivable clerk takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a payroll bookkeeper has an average salary of $46,087, which is higher than the $36,425 average annual salary of an accounts receivable clerk.

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

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk overview

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Yearly salary	$46,087	$36,425
Hourly rate	$22.16	$17.51
Growth rate	-3%	-5%
Number of jobs	8,176	87,935
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	48	51
Years of experience	4	6

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk salary

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

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Average salary	$46,087	$36,425
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $60,000	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 payroll bookkeeper and accounts receivable clerk education

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

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

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk demographics

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

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Clerk
Average age	48	51
Gender ratio	Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2%	Male, 13.7% Female, 86.3%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	7%

Differences between payroll bookkeeper and accounts receivable 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.

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.

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable clerk skills

Common payroll bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 9%
General Ledger, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Tax Returns, 4%
Bank Reconciliations, 4%
Payroll Processing, 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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Payroll Bookkeeper
Payroll Bookkeeper vs Accounts Receivable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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