Accounts Payable Specialist: Job Duties, Skills and Salary 2025

What Does an Accounts Payable Specialist do?

Accounts payable specialists manage the full cycle of payments, track invoices, verify amounts, and ensure timely payments. They maintain accurate records and work closely with vendors.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Accounts Payable Specialists in the Accounting field handle essential tasks and contribute significantly to achieving team and organizational goals. Here are some of their primary responsibilities:

Payment Processing

• Manages payment cycles to ensure timely transactions
• Handles complex invoice processing and approval

Dispute Resolution

• Investigates and resolves invoice discrepancies
• Communicates with vendors to settle disputes

Compliance & Reporting

• Ensures compliance with financial policies
• Prepares reports on accounts payable status

How to Become an Accounts Payable Specialist

Launching a career as an Accounts Payable Specialist requires a specific education. We outline the essential qualifications, skills, and steps to enter this field.

Qualification

• Associate’s degree in accounting or finance
• 2+ years of experience in accounts payable
• Experience with invoicing and vendor management

Requirements & Skills

• Exceptional attention to detail
• Robust organizational skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Effective corporate communication skills
• Consistent ability to meet deadlines
• Outstanding data entry skills
• Demonstrated experience in accounts payable
• Superior attention to detail
• Strong organizational proficiency
• Effective communication skills
• Familiarity with accounting software packages

Accounts Payable Specialist Salary Guide

Wondering what Accounts Payable Specialists earn? Explore salary ranges by experience, and career tips to maximize your earning potential.

The average salary for an Accounts Payable Specialist in the U.S. is approximately $54,300 per year and can vary from entry-level to senior positions. Accounts Payable Specialists may receive a wide range of benefits.

Accounts Payable Specialist Salary Career Steps

Level	Experience	Avg. Salary per Year
Veteran	20+ years	$67,875
Senior	11+ years	$59,730
Experienced	6-10 years	$54,300
Mid Level	3-5 years	$48,870
Entry Level	0-2 years	$40,725

How to Advance Your Career

Accounts Payable Specialists typically start their careers with foundational experience in accounting roles, focusing on accounts payable tasks. With mastery of payment cycle management and regulatory compliance, they may advance to supervisory positions such as Accounts Payable Team Leader or Manager.

Career progression from there can lead to roles such as Controller or Director of Accounts Payable, where responsibilities expand to oversee all payment operations and possibly other accounting functions. For those who continue to enhance their skills and pursue further education or certifications, such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Accounts Payable Professional (CAPP), opportunities to move into higher executive roles like Chief Financial Officer (CFO) become accessible.

Continuous professional development and a deep understanding of evolving accounting technologies and regulations are crucial for advancement in this field.

Typical Work Environment

Accounts Payable Specialists work primarily in office settings within the finance or accounting departments of various organizations, including corporations, government entities, and non-profits.

Their daily environment is typically centered around desk work involving extensive use of computers and accounting software to manage invoices, process payments, and ensure accurate financial records. The work often requires attention to detail and good organizational skills in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

The standard work schedule for Accounts Payable Specialists is usually full-time during normal business hours, although some may experience occasional overtime during periods such as month-end or year-end closings, or during annual audits. With the increasing adoption of digital tools and cloud-based systems, remote work opportunities are also becoming more common for specialists in this role.