Accounting clerks: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Accounting clerks typically work for larger companies and have more specialized tasks. Their titles, such as accounts payable clerk or accounts receivable clerk, often reflect the type of accounting they do.
The responsibilities of accounting clerks frequently vary by level of experience. Entry-level accounting clerks may post details of transactions (including date, type, and amount), add up accounts, and determine interest charges. They may also monitor loans and accounts to ensure that payments are up to date.
More advanced accounting clerks may add and balance billing vouchers, ensure that account data are complete and accurate, and code documents according to an organizations procedures.
- Education Required
- Employers generally require bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks to have some postsecondary education, particularly coursework in accounting. However, some candidates can be hired with just a high school diploma.
- Training Required
- Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks usually get on-the-job training. Under the guidance of a supervisor or another experienced employee, new clerks learn how to do their tasks, such as double-entry bookkeeping. In double-entry bookkeeping, each transaction is entered twice, once as a debit (cost) and once as a credit (income), to ensure that all accounts are balanced.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: -1% (Little or no change)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- With appropriate experience and additional education, some bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks may become accountants or auditors.
- Licenses/Certifications
- Some bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks become certified. For those who do not have postsecondary education, certification is a particularly useful way to gain expertise in the field. The Certified Bookkeeper (CB) designation, awarded by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, shows that those who have earned it have the skills and knowledge needed to carry out all bookkeeping tasks, including overseeing payroll and balancing accounts, according to accepted accounting procedures.
- Median pay: How much do Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks make?
- $38,390 Annual Salary
- $18.46 per hour
Careers for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Accounts payable clerks
- Accounts receivable assistants
- Accounts receivable clerks
- Auditing clerks
- Bookkeepers
- Bookkeeping clerks
- Clerks
- Financial clerks
- Fixed capital clerks
- Foreign exchange position clerks
- Full-charge bookkeepers
- Mortgage accounting clerks