Accounts Payable Clerk Jobs Overview
Accounts payable clerk jobs give you the opportunity to use your organizational and mathematical skills. In this position, you're responsible for handling and paying the bills your company receives.
As an accounts payable clerk, your priority is recording information and transferring funds. You'll receive bills from vendors and service providers, verify that the invoice is correct, send the payment to the company, and record all transaction details. You might also assist with payroll and ensure your coworkers get paid accurately and promptly.
Depending on the business, accounts payable clerk jobs can be full-time or part-time. You'll likely work standard weekday business hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in an accounts payable department.
Salary for Accounts Payable Clerk Jobs
The median pay for an accounts payable clerk is $43,851 per year. Typical annual wages can range from $36,230 to $55,875. Accounts payable clerks handling extra responsibilities and working with bigger businesses often make higher wages.
You'll also earn more if you work in certain areas. Cities with the highest wages for accounts payable clerks include New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA. See how much you could make in your area by exploring our salary calculator.
Finding Your Ideal Accounts Payable Clerk Jobs
Although there are a variety of accounts payable clerk jobs available, it's not a good use of your time to apply for every possible position. Be selective and focus only on jobs that suit your needs to find the perfect position. Before applying for any job listing, ask yourself the following questions.
Does the Job Fit Your Skills?
Before you start, make a list of skills you have that would suit an accounts payable clerk position. Some options to consider include computer, organizational, or accounting skills. Then, look at listings to see whether the company is asking for someone with your main skills.
Make sure you are comfortable performing all listed job duties. Also check to see if the description asks for education beyond high school, like an associate degree in accounting, or experience with a specific type of software, such as QuickBooks.
Will the Job Suit Your Lifestyle?
Next, think about the practical aspects of the job. Is the office a reasonable commute from your home, or does it offer convenient remote working opportunities? Would the schedule fit in with any other responsibilities you have, such as school or childcare?
Search for the company online to see what it's like to work for them. The ideal job posting will be with a company that's known for having satisfied employees and a work culture you'd enjoy.
Does the Job Provide Opportunities for Growth?
For many people, an accounts payable clerk job is a position that leads to other career opportunities. Think about your plans for the future, and decide if you wish to remain an accounts payable clerk long-term.
If not, make sure to select a job where you can learn helpful new skills and gain valuable experience. Check to see if the company has a large bookkeeping, accounting, or HR department that may give you chances for promotions. The best jobs for growing your career may include free training to help advance your accounting skills.
How to Apply for an Accounts Payable Clerk Job
Read over the job listing before writing your application to make it easier to appeal to the company's hiring manager. Check the listing to see what skills and qualifications it mentions as well as other characteristics and working styles they value. Then, take those details and work them into your resume.
For example, if the listing asks for a candidate who has excellent communication skills and can work in a high-volume environment, use your resume to mention your typing speed and list communication as one of your main skills.
Create an Effective Resume
Your resume is your chance to put your best foot forward. It should clearly list your skills, experience, and education. You can highlight your organizational abilities by creating a tidy document with bullet points, headers, and chronological lists.
Keep in mind that many hiring departments use applicant tracking software to quickly analyze submitted resumes. You can help yours stand out by including these in-demand resume keywords for accounts payable clerks:
- invoicing
- data entry
- expense reports
- accounts payable
- QuickBooks
- general ledger
- bookkeeping
If you want an effective resume written for you, try the Monster Professional Resume Writing Service. You can also get ideas for your resume by checking out our helpful accounts payable resume sample.
Craft a Customized Cover Letter
Most applications will call for an accounts payable cover letter. Write a brief cover letter stating your qualifications and interest so that the hiring manager can see you have the communication skills needed for an accounts payable clerk job and get a sense of who you are as a person.
Fill Out Your Application Carefully
An accounts payable clerk position is all about entering data precisely and accurately, so any mistakes on your application will count against you. For best results, follow the application steps and read all instructions carefully.
The typical listing will ask you to fill out a form and attach some documents to your application. Make sure you've spelled everything correctly, and double-check to see that you've provided all requested information before you submit.
Applying for accounts payable clerk jobs is quick and easy when you use Monster. After you sign up for an account, we give you all the helpful tools you need to succeed, including free resume reviews and personalized recommendations. Submit your application today!
How to Follow Up
After you send in your application, you don't have to just wait to hear back from the company. Following up can be a helpful way of proving you're proactive and motivated enough for the job.
The ideal follow-up for accounts payable clerk jobs should take place around one week after applying. This is enough time to ensure the hiring manager gets your application but probably not enough time to have filled the position. To find the right person to follow up with, check to see if contact information is listed on the job posting, if not, browse the company's website, or call the company and ask for the HR department.
Check out our tips for great job application follow-ups, such as being polite and professional. Restate your interest in the job and briefly emphasize the skills you have that would make you a good accounts payable clerk. Finish the email by encouraging the company to reach out to you with updates on their hiring process.
Interviewing for Accounts Payable Clerk Jobs
Accounts payable clerk interviews tend to be quite traditional. They consist of a meeting, during which you sit down and talk about your qualifications with a hiring manager or supervisor in the accounting department. Some positions may also have a small practical session where you prove your typing speed or familiarity with accounting software by performing some tasks on a computer.
Acing the interview is all about preparing ahead of time. By researching the company and knowing what to expect, you can stay confident and ensure your best qualities are apparent to the hiring manager. Here are some essential details to keep in mind while getting ready for an accounts payable clerk interview.
- If your resume mentions being proficient in any specific software, make sure to review it before the interview to ensure you remember all concepts clearly.
- Look up the company ahead of time, and mention some of its accomplishments in the interview to show you care about the organization.
- Go over common interview questions like, "What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?" to get an idea of how you would answer these questions.
- Whenever possible, use interview questions as a way of mentioning past successes, such as identifying a bank error in your employer's favor or working out a payment plan with a client.
- The interviewer is also assessing whether you have good communication skills, so be professional yet friendly while you answer the interview questions.
- If you get easily flustered in interviews, explore a step-by-step method for replying to interview questions, such as the STAR method. This helps you include all relevant information in a simple and easily understandable answer.
- Make sure to email a thank-you note to the interviewer within 24 hours of meeting with them.
- If you don't hear back within a week, send a follow-up email to reiterate your interest and ask for feedback on your interview.
What to Do With a Job Offer
If your interview goes well, you might get the exciting news that the company is interested in hiring you. When this happens, pat yourself on the back. Then, instead of accepting the job right away, thank the company and ask how long you have to consider the offer.
Taking some time before you accept helps you carefully weigh your needs and your priorities. Most accounts payable clerk job offers will consist of a clearly worded email or document that describes the job's responsibilities and compensation. Going over that and comparing it to other offers is an important part of the job hunt.
Start by looking at the salary and other benefits. Make sure you're getting paid a fair amount for accounts payable clerks in your area. If the salary seems a little low, check to see whether other benefits like 401K matching make up for it.
Next, read over the job duties. Ideally, they should be the same as the responsibilities mentioned in the job listing, so they'll be things you're comfortable performing. Consider if you’re comfortable performing all tasks and if they are reasonable.
If the job offer isn't quite up to par, it's acceptable to negotiate your wages in the accounting industry. Ask the hiring manager whether the salary is flexible and always come to the table with comparative research. This can help you negotiate an agreement that satisfies all parties.
Career Paths
Accounts payable clerk jobs provide a lot of advancement opportunities. Look for promotions within the company that put you in a position of more responsibility. Options like accounts payable manager can be a great way to earn more while putting your previous skills to good use.
You can also expand your career to include other facets of accounting and bookkeeping. If you have a bachelor's degree, you can become an accountant and have even more interesting financial responsibilities to explore.
Another career path accounts payable clerks may want to consider is administration. You can take your office skills and transition to another department. Some accounts payable clerk jobs can lead to careers in human resources, office management, or purchasing.
Similar occupations
Interested in accounts payable clerk jobs? You might also want to consider these career options: