Accounts Payable Specialist duties and responsibilities
Some Accounts Payable Specialists help with a wide range of tasks while others have more specialized roles preparing income taxes, creating budgets and more. Accounts Payable Specialists work for a wide variety of companies, or they may be employed with an accounting firm that serves multiple organizations. Duties and responsibilities in an Accounts Payable Specialist job description may include:
- Changing paper records to a digital format through data entry
- Accurately calculating billing amounts
- Recording daily, weekly, and monthly expenses
- Meeting with Auditors, as needed
- Explaining bills to customers and collecting payments
- Maintaining inventory levels by placing orders with suppliers as needed
- Searching for vendor discounts and other savings opportunities
- Anticipating future costs like equipment upgrades or repairs
- Distributing payments to suppliers and employees, including granting or denying petty cash requests
Accounts Payable Specialist skills and qualifications
Successful Accounts Payable Specialists usually have a combination of social and technical skills, and are organized and professional. Some top skills and qualifications for Accounts Payable Specialists include:
- Customer service
- Inventory management
- Written and verbal communication
- Data entry skills
- Ability to use bookkeeping programs and other financial software
- Basic understanding of how banking and financial systems work
- Good comprehension of basic math
Accounts Payable Specialist experience requirements
Many Accounts Payable Specialist jobs require three to five years experience. However, you can expand hiring options and reduce salary costs by considering candidates with less experience. It’s often a good option to hire Accounts Payable Specialists with less experience as long as they have plenty of education.
Accounts Payable Specialist education and training requirements
Some Accounts Payable Specialist positions require a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or a related field, while others will consider applicants with an associate’s degree or equivalent. No professional licenses or certifications are mandatory in Canada, but candidates should be willing to go through on-the-job training.
Accounts Payable Specialist salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Accounts Payable Specialist is $19.92 per hour. Pay rates for individuals can depend on locations, education and experience levels, and the employer.
Job description samples for similar positions
If an Accounts Payable Specialist isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, here are some other job description samples that may fit your needs: