Finance & Accounting
An AP/AR specialist handles both sides of the sub-ledgers: paying vendors and collecting from customers. The role suits lean finance teams that need one person to keep cash going out and coming in accurately.
Median pay
$50,670a year
Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, U.S. BLS, May 2025
The role
Employers at small and mid-sized companies hire one when volume does not justify separate payables and receivables staff but the owner or controller is still doing the work.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
Usually three or more years in combined payables and receivables work; an associate degree in accounting or a related field is common.
At a glance
The essentials for planning the hire: level, background, how you can hire and what the role typically pays.
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FAQ
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An AP/AR specialist handles both sides of the sub-ledgers: paying vendors and collecting from customers. The role suits lean finance teams that need one person to keep cash going out and coming in accurately. Typical responsibilities include: process vendor invoices and prepare weekly payment runs; apply customer receipts and post daily deposits; issue customer invoices and monthly statements.
Look for invoice processing, cash application, bank reconciliation, vendor and customer relations, month-end close and excel. Experience with QuickBooks, Bill.com, NetSuite, Excel and Sage Intacct is common in this role.
Yes. An AP/AR specialist is one of the roles employers most often hire on contract, for projects, busy periods, leave cover and vacancies. Contract-to-hire is also an option if you want to work together before making a permanent offer.
A common sign is when one person spends most of the week on one side and the other falls behind, or when segregation of duties becomes an audit concern. Anyone who both pays vendors and receives cash should be reviewed by a controller.
It works well while transaction volume is manageable and a controller reviews the work. It becomes a risk when one person can both create vendors and release payments, so keep approvals and bank access separated even in a small team.
Related roles
Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
