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Careers›Roles›Accounts Payable Associate
Mid-Level

Accounts Payable Associate

You process vendor invoices and help manage the payment cycle. From verifying charges and matching purchase orders to preparing payment batches, you're handling the workflow that ensures suppliers get paid correctly and on time.

Accounts Payable Associate pay typically runs $40K–$56K at this level, and jobs in this field are projected to hold roughly steady through 2034.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
C
E
R
I
S
A
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Accounts Payable Associates
Healthcare · 43%Professional Services · 13%Administrative Services · 7%Financial Services · 5%Wholesale & Distribution · 4%Retail · 4%
Job markets for Accounts Payable Associates
Where Accounts Payable Associate jobs concentrate · ~391 metro areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
Admin & Office
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
Jump to:What it's likeCareer pathsBy the numbers

While you’re learning about the Accounts Payable Associate role, anything we can help you with this week?

What it's like

What it's like to be an Accounts Payable Associate

As an Accounts Payable Associate, your day typically involves processing vendor invoices and managing payment workflows. You're verifying invoices, matching them to purchase orders and receiving documents, entering information into AP systems, preparing payment batches, and ensuring vendors get paid accurately and on time — handling the detailed work that keeps payables flowing.

The collaboration often centers on working with vendors, purchasing, and accounting teams. You're resolving discrepancies with vendors about invoices, coordinating with purchasing about PO matches, working with accounting about proper coding, and ensuring payments process smoothly. You're part of the AP function that maintains vendor relationships through reliable payment.

What's harder than expected is often the volume and variety of invoices combined with pressure to process quickly and accurately. Vendors have different formats, exceptions require research and judgment, and payment deadlines are firm. Missing a payment or paying incorrectly creates vendor problems and internal headaches. People who thrive here tend to handle detailed, high-volume work well, can maintain accuracy under processing pressure, and find satisfaction in being part of the reliable payment operation that keeps vendor relationships strong.

What people in this role value
RelationshipsModerate
SupportModerate
IndependenceModerate
Working ConditionsLower
AchievementLower
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns

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Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

Earning potential across this track
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
Energy & Utilities$84K+67%
Professional Services$83K+64%
Technology & Information$79K+58%
Financial Services$77K+53%
Government$69K+37%
Compared to Admin & Office average across all industries
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Accounts Payable Associates (SOC 43-3021.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Related rolesExplore Admin & Office →
Accounts Payable AssociateComptometer OperatorBilling RepresentativeStatement Distribution ClerkInvoice Control ClerkPre-Audit ClerkReconciliation ClerkToll Settlement ClerkMedical Billing ClerkSettlement ClerkTraffic Rate ComputerToll Ticket ClerkBookkeeping AssistantYard Demurrage ClerkReceipt ClerkAccounting Machine OperatorRevising ClerkReconciliation ProcessorDelivery Service PricerPosting Machine OperatorTax ClerkReconciling ClerkReport ClerkAccounts Receivable Coordinator (AR Coordinator)Rate Clerk+1 more

Still figuring out what you want to become
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$36K–$65K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
418K
U.S. Employment
-0.4%
10yr Growth
42K
Annual Openings

How Accounts Payable Associate pay & employment are changing

$64K$61K$59K$56K$53K201920202021202220232024$53K$64K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Reading ComprehensionMathematicsActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingTime ManagementMonitoringWritingJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem Solving
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mapped SOC Codes
43-3021.00

Explore related roles

Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths

midComptometer Operator$47KmidBilling Representative$47KmidStatement Distribution Clerk$47KmidInvoice Control Clerk$47KmidPre-Audit Clerk$47KmidReconciliation Clerk$48K
View all Admin & Office roles →

Common questions about what it's like to be an Accounts Payable Associate

What does an Accounts Payable Associate do?

You process vendor invoices and help manage the payment cycle. From verifying charges and matching purchase orders to preparing payment batches, you're handling the workflow that ensures suppliers get paid correctly and on time.

How much does an Accounts Payable Associate make?

Median pay for an Accounts Payable Associate is about $47K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $36K to $65K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).

What skills does an Accounts Payable Associate need?

Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Active Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking.

What education do you need to be an Accounts Payable Associate?

Most people in this role hold an associate's degree.

Is an Accounts Payable Associate in demand?

Employment in this field is projected to decline about 0.4% through 2034, with roughly 417,500 people working in it today (BLS).

What jobs are similar to an Accounts Payable Associate?

Closely related roles include Comptometer Operator, Billing Representative, and Statement Distribution Clerk.

Career advice

Accounts Payable Associate career advice

Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.

  • ConversationLearn what the people you work with need from you, and to tell them what you need.Ask what success looks like to them
  • Simple exerciseRevisit your goals with your manager, stay aligned, and avoid surprises later.Check you're aimed at what matters
  • Simple exerciseSee a company the way its own people do, before you ask to join it.Understand a company before you apply
  • Simple exerciseSet expectations as the new person, so your team knows what to expect from you and how to help.Tell your new team how you'll ramp up

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More career advice

  • Learn one skill in public
  • Ask for more than salary
  • Say when they'll hear back
  • Hand off work so nothing drops
  • Agree how you'll work together
  • Repeat the ask back before you start
  • Find out what your work pays elsewhere
  • Understand your performance improvement plan

We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.

Browse career advice

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.

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