How much does an AR Specialist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an AR Specialist in the United States is $49,712 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $24.

However, an AR Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $58,853
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $46,174 to $54,497
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $42,953

Key Factors That Influence AR Specialist Salaries

An AR Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects AR Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an AR Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $43,703
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $49,360
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $55,098
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $72,854
  • Expert (over 8 years): $87,183
Levels Salary
Accounts ... Level AR Specialist$43,703
AR Specia... Level AR Specialist$49,360
Accounts ... Level AR Specialist$55,098
Accounts ... Level AR Specialist$72,854
Accounts ... Level AR Specialist$87,183

Top Paying Cities for AR Specialists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $62,701
  • San Francisco: $62,015
  • Oakland: $60,708

What Skills Can Increase an AR Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 4.81% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Microsoft Excel (Mentioned in 2.84% Job Postings): Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It features calculation or computation capabilities, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications.
  • Bookkeeping (Mentioned in 0.95% Job Postings): Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and is part of the process of accounting in business. Transactions include purchases, sales, receipts, and payments by an individual person or an organization/corporation. There are several standard methods of bookkeeping, including the single-entry and double-entry bookkeeping systems. While these may be viewed as "real" bookkeeping, any process for recording financial transactions is a bookkeeping process. Bookkeeping is the work of a bookkeeper (or book-keeper), who records the day-to-day financial transactions of a business. They usually write the daybooks (which contain records of sales, purchases, receipts, and payments), and document each financial transaction, whether cash or credit, into the correct daybook—that is, petty cash book, suppliers ledger, customer ledger, etc.—and the general ledger. Thereafter, an accountant can create financial reports from the information recorded by the bookkeeper.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 4.81%
Microsoft Excel 2.84%
Bookkeeping 0.95%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an AR Specialist's salary.

  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Process Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Analysis $53,689
8%
Leadership $52,694
6%
Process Improvement $52,694
6%

AR Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For AR Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, AR Specialist positions in Retail & Wholesale or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view AR Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an AR Specialist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$69,596$33.040%
Biotechnology$64,625$31.030%

How Education impacts an AR Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many AR Specialists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an AR Specialist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $46,751 and $49,586).

AR Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for AR Specialist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.0%
High School 38.5%
Associates 23.0%
Bachelors 33.8%
Masters 3.5%
Doctorate 0.1%

AR Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an AR Specialist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$46,174
Average $49,712/year
$54,497
$3,848
Average $4,143/month
$4,541
$888
Average $956/week
$1,048
$22
Average $24/hour
$26
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $54,497 $4,541 $1,048 $26
Average $49,712 $4,143 $956 $24
25th Percentile $46,174 $3,848 $888 $22

Most common benefits for AR Specialist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for AR Specialist

Here are companies hiring for AR Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about AR Specialist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for AR Specialist?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for AR Specialist roles, with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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