Payroll clerk vs accounts payable clerk

The differences between payroll clerks and accounts payable 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 clerk, becoming an accounts payable clerk takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a payroll clerk has an average salary of $41,602, which is higher than the $38,333 average annual salary of an accounts payable clerk.

The top three skills for a payroll clerk include data entry, payroll system and photocopying. The most important skills for an accounts payable clerk are customer service, data entry, and purchase orders.

Payroll clerk vs accounts payable clerk overview

	Payroll Clerk	Accounts Payable Clerk
Yearly salary	$41,602	$38,333
Hourly rate	$20.00	$18.43
Growth rate	-3%	-5%
Number of jobs	71,944	89,564
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	48	51
Years of experience	4	6

What does a payroll clerk do?

A payroll clerk is responsible for managing the payroll process by collecting the necessary information needed to release payments. Payroll clerks' duties include verifying timesheets, calculating necessary deductions, issuing paychecks timely, managing payment discrepancies and disputes, updating employee's payment information in the database, and creating payroll reports. A payroll clerk must have strong analytical and organization skills, as well as a clear understanding of the organization's payroll policies, ensuring that the process follows regulatory procedures.

What does an accounts payable clerk do?

An accounts payable clerk is responsible for supporting the accounting department by performing clerical duties to file financial reports timely and accurately. Accounts payable clerks manage and verify invoices documents, reconcile balance spreadsheets, process payments for suppliers and vendors, resolve billing discrepancies, confirm and post account statements, record outstanding credits, and maintain an organized record of transactions. An accounts payable clerk must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles to deliver high-quality services and help the business minimize excessive financial loss.

Payroll clerk vs accounts payable clerk salary

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

	Payroll Clerk	Accounts Payable Clerk
Average salary	$41,602	$38,333
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $55,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Massachusetts
Best paying company	MDU Resources	Jane Street
Best paying industry	Government	Technology

Differences between payroll clerk and accounts payable clerk education

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

	Payroll Clerk	Accounts Payable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll clerk vs accounts payable clerk demographics

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

	Payroll Clerk	Accounts Payable Clerk
Average age	48	51
Gender ratio	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	7%

Differences between payroll clerk and accounts payable clerk duties and responsibilities

Payroll clerk example responsibilities.

Manage all worker compensation and cobra benefit issues and filings.
Manage employee drug and background screenings, train new hires and verify I9 information.
Process payroll; assist in establishing new time and attendance (KRONOS) computer system; balance insurance billings.
View, key, post and monitor time and labor, absences and leave balances in PeopleSoft HRIS system.
Compile data and enter information into ADP payroll processing system.
Process payroll and transmit electronically to outside computer service for preparation of payroll checks and reports.

Accounts payable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Match, code, and process vendor payments via MAS90 accounting system - including check runs and ACH payments.
Perform duties in compliance with GAAP, company and department policies and procedures, internal controls, and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
Process division payroll in coordination with ADP payroll systems for semi-monthly and weekly union contract employees.
Scan and store documents daily, retrieve W2 and W9 information along with service provider agreements when or if need.
Print, review, research, edit, code and batch invoices for processing via the various ERP financial systems.

Payroll clerk vs accounts payable clerk skills

Common payroll clerk skills

Data Entry, 19%
Payroll System, 10%
Photocopying, 7%
Excellent Organizational, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
ADP, 5%

Common accounts payable clerk skills

Customer Service, 13%
Data Entry, 10%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Expense Reports, 6%
Vendor Invoices, 6%
Vendor Statements, 5%

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Payroll Clerk vs Accounts Payable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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