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$44,000 USD is the average salary for an Accounts Payable Clerk in Des Moines, IA, based on aggregated data from Salary.com, SalaryExpert, and ZipRecruiter for 2025-2026. This page covers the full pay spectrum from entry-level invoice processors to senior AP clerks handling high-volume three-way match, ERP administration, and month-end close support. Ranges vary based on years of experience, invoice volume ownership, ERP proficiency, industry sector, and company size.
Pay in Des Moines climbs most sharply when clerks add ERP ownership and month-end close accountability to basic invoice processing skills.
$33,000 - $40,000 USD
Handles basic invoice data entry and payment runs under close supervision with minimal ERP or three-way match responsibility.
$40,000 - $48,000 USD
Independently processes high-invoice volumes, runs three-way match, supports month-end accruals, and resolves vendor discrepancies inside the ERP.
$48,000 - $54,000 USD
Owns end-to-end AP workflow for assigned vendor portfolios, leads month-end close sub-tasks, and mentors junior clerks on ERP and matching procedures.
$54,000 - $56,000 USD
Acts as functional AP lead, owns process documentation and controls, and serves as primary escalation point for vendor disputes and audit inquiries.
Most AP clerks plateau at $38,000-$41,000 because their resume only lists generic duties rather than quantified output - invoice volume processed, payment accuracy rates, or ERP modules mastered. Shifting to achievement language and adding one marketable skill can move your offer into the $44,000-$48,000 band.
Clerks in the $33K-$40K range often carry skills worth $44K-$48K - the gap is in how the resume describes them. Optimizing for ERP keywords, invoice volume metrics, and close-cycle language directly increases callback rates for higher-paying roles in Des Moines.
Higher-paying candidates typically show:
State capital and largest metro; home to finance, insurance, and government employers that push the top of the Iowa AP range.
Second-largest city with strong manufacturing and healthcare employers; pay tracks slightly below Des Moines but cost of living is comparable.
Quad Cities market bridges Iowa and Illinois wages; manufacturing-heavy demand and some cross-state remote options lift the ceiling modestly.
University of Iowa and healthcare anchor the market; AP roles here skew toward non-profit and government pay scales with good benefits.
Smaller market anchored by Iowa State University; limited private-sector competition keeps AP pay at or below the state median.
Agribusiness and food-processing employers dominate; wages are mid-range for Iowa but cost-of-living advantage is significant.
Most AP clerk roles in Des Moines are non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay, which can meaningfully increase total annual compensation during busy month-end and year-end close periods. Performance bonuses are uncommon at the clerk level but become more frequent above $48,000 or in Clerk II and Specialist titles. Factor in overtime potential when comparing hourly-rate offers versus salaried positions.
Des Moines employers in finance and insurance typically offer strong benefits packages including 401(k) matching, health insurance, and paid time off that add $8,000-$14,000 in effective compensation on top of base salary. Smaller employers and staffing-agency placements often offer leaner benefits, which narrows the real-dollar gap versus a lower-paying direct hire at a large firm. Always compare total compensation, not base salary alone.
A significant share of AP clerk openings in Des Moines are filled through staffing agencies (Robert Half, Manpower, Aerotek), which often pay $1.00-$3.00 per hour less than direct-hire equivalents for the same role. Temp-to-hire arrangements can be a foot-in-the-door strategy, but negotiate aggressively at the conversion point when the employer avoids the agency markup fee.
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Answers to the most common questions about Accounts Payable Clerk compensation in Des Moines, IA, US.
The average Accounts Payable Clerk salary in Des Moines is approximately $44,000 USD per year based on 2025-2026 data from Salary.com and SalaryExpert. The full range runs from roughly $33,000 for entry-level clerks to $56,000 for senior or lead-level positions. Des Moines pays at the top of the Iowa range due to the concentration of finance and insurance employers.
Entry-level AP clerks in Iowa with 0-2 years of experience typically earn $33,000-$40,000 USD per year. Des Moines entry-level roles trend toward the top of that band. Starting pay is influenced by ERP familiarity, education level, and whether the role involves PO-based three-way match from day one.
Clerks who own high monthly invoice volumes (300+ invoices per month) and can document accuracy rates are consistently placed in higher pay bands by Des Moines employers. Invoice volume is a proxy for capacity and reliability, both of which directly support a case for Clerk II or AP Specialist reclassification. Quantifying volume on your resume increases both callback rates and initial salary offers.
Yes - ERP proficiency is one of the strongest individual salary drivers for AP clerks in Des Moines. Clerks fluent in SAP, Oracle Financials, or NetSuite typically earn $3,000-$6,000 more annually than those with only generic software skills. Finance and insurance employers in the metro actively filter resumes by ERP system keywords.
Finance, insurance, and professional services are the highest-paying sectors for AP clerks in Des Moines, often 10-20% above retail or food-service employers. Principal Financial Group, EMC Insurance, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Hy-Vee corporate are among the larger employers with structured AP pay bands.
Three-way match (purchase order, receiving report, and invoice reconciliation) is expected at the mid-career level and above, particularly in manufacturing, distribution, and healthcare companies. Clerks without three-way match experience are typically limited to the entry and lower mid-career bands. Adding it to your skill set - even through a lateral move - is one of the fastest ways to cross the $44,000 threshold.
Holding an associate's or bachelor's degree in accounting or finance typically yields 10-15% higher pay than a high school diploma alone for AP clerk roles in Iowa. That translates to roughly $3,500-$6,000 more per year at the mid-career level. Degree credentials also open access to AP Specialist and Accounting Clerk II titles that carry higher pay bands.
Active AP clerk employers in the Des Moines metro include Principal Financial Group, EMC Insurance, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hy-Vee, Mercy Medical Center (MercyOne), Polk County government, ITA Group, and staffing firms such as Robert Half and Manpower that place clerks on temp-to-hire contracts. Job boards including ZipRecruiter and Indeed show ongoing postings for the metro area.
Explore salary ranges for similar accounting and administrative roles in Des Moines and comparable markets.
| Job title | Entry Level | Mid-Career | Senior | AP Specialist / Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts Payable Clerk | $33,000 - $39,000 USD | $39,000 - $46,000 USD | $46,000 - $53,000 USD | $53,000 - $58,000 USD |
| Accounts Payable Clerk | $38K - $44K CAD | $44K - $52K CAD | $52K - $60K CAD | $60K - $68K CAD |
| Bookkeeper | $33,000 - $42,000 USD | $42,000 - $52,000 USD | $52,000 - $63,000 USD | $63,000 - $73,000 USD |
| Billing Clerk | $36K - $42K CAD | $42K - $54K CAD | $54K - $64K CAD | $64K - $68K CAD |
| Payroll Assistant | $40,000 - $52,000 CAD | $53,000 - $68,000 CAD | $68,000 - $82,000 CAD | $82,000 - $95,000 CAD |
| Executive Assistant | $42,000 - $55,000 USD | $55,000 - $72,000 USD | $72,000 - $90,000 USD | $90,000 - $105,000 USD |
| Office Manager | $42K - $52K CAD | $52K - $68K CAD | $68K - $82K CAD | $82K - $95K CAD |
| Insurance Claims Assistant | $30,000 - $36,000 USD | $36,000 - $44,000 USD | $44,000 - $52,000 USD | $52,000 - $58,000 USD |
Build on your AP clerk expertise with guidance on resume optimization, salary negotiation, and career advancement in finance roles.
Learn proven strategies for negotiating your compensation package based on market data like the $44,000 average salary for AP clerks in Des Moines.
Read article →Discover how to highlight your AP clerk skills like ERP proficiency, three-way matching, and month-end close experience to pass ATS systems and attract recruiters.
Read article →Explore best practices for presenting administrative and clerical expertise in finance roles, with formatting tips that showcase your invoice processing and compliance skills.
Read article →Salary ranges on this page were compiled from publicly available compensation surveys, job-posting aggregates, and ERI Assessor Platform estimates covering the Iowa and Des Moines market for the 2025-2026 period. Data points were cross-referenced across sources and rounded to the nearest thousand; outliers at the extreme low and high ends were noted but not used to set band midpoints.
The following perspectives are drawn from public forums, employer review platforms, and accounting community threads as of 2024-2025. They reflect real sentiment and should be read as directional context, not statistically representative data.
“I've been doing AP for 4 years in Des Moines and just hit $45K after switching companies - loyalty doesn't pay here.”
Reflects the well-documented pattern of job-hopping yielding faster salary gains than annual merit increases, which in the Des Moines market commonly run 2-3%.
“Month-end close is brutal but knowing the full cycle is what finally got me above $47K.”
Confirms that month-end close involvement is a real differentiator employers recognize and reward at the Clerk II and Specialist levels.
“They listed Oracle as required but trained me on it after hire - put it on your resume if you've touched it at all.”
Highlights that ERP keywords on resumes function as ATS filters even when employers are willing to train; listing specific systems increases screening pass-through rates.
“Took a temp-to-hire AP role through Robert Half at $18/hr and converted to $42K salaried after 90 days.”
Illustrates that staffing-agency placements are a common entry path in Des Moines, but the conversion salary negotiation is the critical leverage point - not the temp hourly rate.
“Companies here expect you to handle 400+ invoices a month but won't pay more unless you ask with numbers.”
Underscores the importance of quantifying invoice volume in both resume language and salary negotiations; employers respond to data-backed asks more than tenure-based ones.
Principal Financial Group · EMC Insurance · Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield · Hy-Vee · MercyOne (Mercy Medical Center) · Polk County · ITA Group · CUNA Mutual Group · Pella Corporation · Robert Half · Manpower · Aerotek
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