How to hire a senior accounts payable specialist

How to hire a senior accounts payable specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior accounts payable specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior accounts payable specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior accounts payable specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior accounts payable specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior accounts payable specialist you need to hire. Certain senior accounts payable specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior accounts payable specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior accounts payable specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents senior accounts payable specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Accounts Payable Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Accounts Payable Specialist	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks produce financial records for organizations. They record financial transactions, update statements, and check financial records for accuracy.	$20-39
   Bookkeeper	Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work... Show more	$14-25
   Charge Bookkeeper	A full charge bookkeeper's primary job is to manage and handle all the accounts of a small or medium-sized business. They are responsible for overseeing the accounting duties for a company, including billing customers, preparing bank statements and tax returns, and processing timesheets... Show more	$17-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Vendor Statements
   • Expense Reports
   • Purchase Orders
   • Data Entry
   • Accruals
   • Reconciliations
   • ACH
   • Journal Entries
   • Accounts Payable Processing
   • Vendor Invoices
   • Vendor Inquiries
   • ERP
   • Vendor Accounts
   • Payable Process

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage payroll garnishments to accurately comply with applicable state and municipal laws.
   • Prepare, process, and submit check files, wire transfers, ACH payments, and positive pay.
   • Maintain W9 forms for all vendors in the system.
   • Verify if all vendors W9's are on file.
   • Analyze and prepare the monthly/quarterly payments to IRS for FICA/FUTA taxes.
   • Train new staff on ERP software, AP policy and procedures, and customer service.

   More senior accounts payable specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior accounts payable specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior accounts payable specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior accounts payable specialists' average salary in west virginia is 45% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior accounts payable specialists 48% less than senior-level senior accounts payable specialists.
   • Certifications. A senior accounts payable specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior accounts payable specialist's salary.

   Average senior accounts payable specialist salary

   $60,557yearly

   $29.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior accounts payable specialist salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average senior accounts payable specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$84,205	$40
   2	California	$75,307	$36
   3	Virginia	$72,856	$35
   4	New Jersey	$71,818	$35
   5	Maryland	$70,863	$34
   6	Massachusetts	$68,324	$33
   7	Oregon	$66,956	$32
   8	Pennsylvania	$64,583	$31
   9	Ohio	$63,133	$30
   10	Texas	$61,101	$29
   11	North Carolina	$60,774	$29
   12	Minnesota	$60,532	$29
   13	Arizona	$60,440	$29
   14	Georgia	$58,226	$28
   15	Kansas	$55,617	$27
   16	Washington	$55,283	$27
   17	Florida	$54,916	$26
   18	Missouri	$54,655	$26
   19	Colorado	$54,588	$26
   20	Alabama	$54,253	$26

   Average senior accounts payable specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$92,763	$44.60	8
   2	Earthjustice	$90,013	$43.28
   3	MTS Systems	$89,274	$42.92
   4	First Republic Bank	$87,204	$41.92
   5	Vista Equity Partners	$84,795	$40.77	3
   6	Tufts Health Plan	$83,124	$39.96
   7	Mastech Digital	$74,205	$35.68
   8	Gyrodata	$73,423	$35.30
   9	Novavax	$72,974	$35.08
   10	Dewberry	$71,825	$34.53	3
   11	Sedgwick LLP	$71,104	$34.18	2
   12	Dahl Consulting	$69,268	$33.30	4
   13	Shutterstock	$66,484	$31.96
   14	ProAssurance	$65,960	$31.71
   15	Navient	$65,224	$31.36
   16	Berlin Packaging	$65,102	$31.30	1
   17	Seagen	$64,467	$30.99
   18	ITW	$64,412	$30.97	7
   19	GBMC Healthcare	$63,616	$30.58	2
   20	RCM Technologies	$63,262	$30.41

4. Writing a senior accounts payable specialist job description

   A good senior accounts payable specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a senior accounts payable specialist job description:

   Senior accounts payable specialist job description example

   As an Accounts Payable Specialist you will impact the lives of everyday people and help them go from surviving to thriving with innovative digital personal finance solutions. This position plays a key role with the responsibility to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of all disbursements while maintaining adequate internal controls. Works within the AP team to help establish the processes and system improvements to increase the efficiency of the department based on best practices. Our ideal candidate is a dedicated team player with an entrepreneurial spirit who is self-motivated. You will work closely with all departments and will be seen as the subject matter expert (SME).
   Join Achieve, change the future
   
   At Achieve, we're changing millions of lives. From the single parent trying to catch up on bills to the entrepreneur needing a loan for the next phase of growth, you'll get to be a part of their journey to a better financial future. We're proud to have over 2,700 employees in mostly hybrid or remote roles across Arizona, California, and Texas and are strategically growing our teams to better serve our members. A career at Achieve is more than a job-it's a place where you can make a true impact, have a sense of belonging, establish a fulfilling career, while putting your well-being first.
   
   What you'll do:
   Respond timely and accurately to vendor inquiries. Process invoices correctly and timely in Oracle Fusion Make timely payments within Oracle Fusion. Setting up ACH Payments, wire transfers, and one-off checks , in Oracle Fusion Provide supporting documentation for audits Reconcile Accounts Payable transactions Assist with the monthly close process Assist in preparation of 1099's Creating new vendors Expense report processing in Concur Expense
   
   What you'll bring:
   Bachelor's or Associate's degree or comparable work experience is required Three to seven years of Mid to Large company work experience Large ERP experience preferred Oracle, Oracle Fusion, NetSuite General accounting knowledge is desirable but not required Must have the ability to work across teams and work together with one goal in mind. Full cycle accounts payable experience Must be hands-on, organized, detail-oriented, accurate, and have strong multi-tasking skills Must be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment Should demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to interact professionally with internal and external customers, with great customer service. Proficiency in Excel Must have public and private company experience Ability to work within a team to achieve the team's specific and overall goals
   
   Achieve well-being with:
   
   Hybrid and remote work opportunities 401 (k) with employer match Medical, dental and vision with HSA and FSA Competitive and flexible PTO, including dedicated volunteer days
   Meet Achieve
   
   Achieve is a leading digital personal finance company. We help everyday people move from struggling to thriving by providing innovative, personalized financial solutions. By leveraging proprietary data and analytics, our solutions are tailored for each step of our member's financial journey to include personal loans, home equity loans, debt consolidation, financial tools and education. Every day, we get to help our members move their finances forward with care, compassion, and an empathetic touch. We put people first and treat them like humans, not account numbers.
   
   Attention Agencies & Search Firms: We do not accept unsolicited candidate resumes or profiles. Please do not reach out to anyone within Achieve to market your services or candidates. All inquiries should be directed to Talent Acquisition only. We reserve the right to hire any candidates sent unsolicited and will not pay any fees without a contract signed by Achieve's Talent Acquisition leader.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior accounts payable specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior accounts payable specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior accounts payable specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior accounts payable specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality senior accounts payable specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior accounts payable specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior accounts payable specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior accounts payable specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new senior accounts payable specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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