Mid-Level

Disbursement Clerk

On the accounts payable side, the Disbursement Clerk processes outgoing payments — vendor checks, ACH transfers, expense reimbursements, and the documentation each requires — making sure the money leaves on time and the records reconcile cleanly with what the GL expects.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
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Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
C
E
S
R
I
A
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Disbursement Clerks
Employment concentration · ~400 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Disbursement Clerk

A typical day tends to involve batch payment runs, invoice and approval verification, expense report processing, vendor inquiries, and the reconciliations that catch the small errors before they become large ones. The work cycles with payment runs and month-end close — quieter stretches followed by intense cutoffs when timing matters.

Coordination tends to span AP, treasury, controllers, vendors who want to know where their payment is, and internal employees waiting on reimbursements. Vendor inquiries can become tense when payments are late — even when the delay isn't your fault, you're the person they reach. Audit trails and supporting documentation matter for every disbursement.

People who tend to thrive here are methodical, calm with numbers, and comfortable with the routine pressure of recurring deadlines. If you need creative variety or fast-moving work, the procedural rhythm can feel slow. If you find satisfaction in a clean payment batch, a tied-out reconciliation, and vendors paid on time, the role can be steady and respected within finance operations.

RelationshipsModerate
SupportModerate
AchievementLower
IndependenceLower
Working ConditionsLower
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

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

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Disbursement Clerks (SOC 41-2011.00, 43-4131.00), 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.
Also appears in: Sales
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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.

$23K–$66K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
3.3M
U.S. Employment
-6.1%
10yr Growth
556K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

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

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingComplex Problem SolvingSocial PerceptivenessActive LearningJudgment and Decision MakingTime Management
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
41-2011.0043-4131.00

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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.