Accounts payable clerks generally work for accounting firms or organizations' accounting departments, coordinating various accounts payable functions on behalf of their organization. Their duties include, among others, performing data entry, handling customer inquiries, preparing financial statements and performing vendor maintenance. In all tasks, these clerks must maintain a high degree of accuracy.

Employers often encourage accounting clerks to make process improvements to make their job more efficient, and these clerks must follow their company's procedures and guidelines, as well as generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). They also need to follow internal audit controls and work closely with internal auditors. Accounts payable clerks must keep up to date with best practices in their field, and they may be required to train new accounts payable clerks.

A high school diploma or equivalent is generally required for this position, and relevant experience is generally required or preferred as well. An associate's degree in accounting or another relevant field may be preferred. Accounts payable clerks should be proficient with basic computer programs such as the Microsoft Office suite and any necessary accounting software. These clerks should have good interpersonal and communication skills, and they should be able to meet deadlines and pay close attention to detail. (Copyright 2018 PayScale.com)

Accounts Payable Clerk Tasks

• Issue stop-payments or purchase order amendments.
• Record, code, and process all invoices for payment.
• Prepare, enter and maintain filing of Accounts Payable.
• Perform timely account reconciliation by verifying entries and comparing to balances.