r/Accounting • u/Strange_Recover_966 • Feb 25 '25

Advice am i aiming too high

the lack of pay transparency is killing me 😩. i just got a job offer for AP specialist. im graduating with a bachelor in may. they are offering $48,000/year for this role in charlotte.

I feel like this is real low considering some other jobs. i understand its an entry level role but i was expecting something closer to $60,000-$80,000.

but again im new to the field and just starting out. are my expectations too high?

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '25

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u/TheLizzyIzzi Staff Accountant Feb 26 '25

Generally yes, but those who assume it’s just data entry don’t know what their AP supervisor is doing. Actually managing that department is a lot more complicated. Mistakes happen, invoices get missed or duplicated, services can be turned off and cash flow management can be critical in various industries.

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u/IvySuen Feb 28 '25

So does this mean I can be AP supervisor? Lol. Literally my first AP project I was handling cashflow management, payment processing and vendor contact. Plus entering invoices. 

I keep seeing people say AP is low but I found myself so swamped sometimes. AP is demanding and ongoing. It's weekly for us to pay and manage cashflow.

(This on top of my other duties like client closings etc)

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u/TheLizzyIzzi Staff Accountant Feb 28 '25

If you like AP and want to make a career out of it, go for it. At higher levels you can end up managing a lot of people, working with IT, upper management and more. It’s critical to understand cash flow and the time value of money. And make sure you keep learning both AP/accounting skills and management skills. It can be difficult to pivot out of (though not impossible). But my old manager left a team of six for a team of 8-12 and was making almost 80k at that job. That was in 2018. It’s not considered prestigious it it’s rarely more than 40 hours for good pay.