Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable specialist

The differences between payroll bookkeepers and accounts receivable specialists 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 specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a payroll bookkeeper has an average salary of $46,087, which is higher than the $39,873 average annual salary of an accounts receivable specialist.

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

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable specialist overview

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Specialist
Yearly salary	$46,087	$39,873
Hourly rate	$22.16	$19.17
Growth rate	-3%	-8%
Number of jobs	8,176	61,988
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	48	46
Years of experience	4	12

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable specialist salary

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

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Specialist
Average salary	$46,087	$39,873
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $60,000	Between $31,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	InfosysPublicService
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between payroll bookkeeper and accounts receivable specialist education

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

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable specialist demographics

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

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Accounts Receivable Specialist
Average age	48	46
Gender ratio	Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2%	Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 3.9% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between payroll bookkeeper and accounts receivable specialist 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 specialist example responsibilities.

Manage profitable accounts receivable ledgers for existing and new clientele maintaining accuracy of monies enter to appropriate relate account.
Perform accounts reconciliations, complex invoice research, statement reconciliations, complex invoice research, statement reconciliation and journal entries.
Follow company's standard operating procedures in cooperation with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance providers to resolve billing issues.
Cash and credit allocation of customer payments in ROSS ERP system.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations, word documents, letters and spreadsheets while meeting deadlines.
Reconcile direct billing accounts and adjust product pricing utilizing JD Edwards EnterpriseONE ERP system.

Payroll bookkeeper vs accounts receivable specialist 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 specialist skills

Customer Service, 15%
Patients, 9%
Data Entry, 5%
Credit Card Payments, 4%
Reconciliations, 4%
Accounts Receivables, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Payroll Bookkeeper
Payroll Bookkeeper vs Accounts Receivable Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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