Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Paying close attention to accuracy, quality, instructions, and small but important details.
Using numbers, measurements, formulas, quantitative reasoning, and mathematical concepts.
Using computers, software, digital systems, and technology to complete work and solve problems.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become a Bookkeeping, Accounting, or Auditing Clerk Most bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are required to have some postsecondary
Education
. Entry requirements vary for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks. Some employers require or prefer that workers have taken college courses or have a degree in accounting or a related field. Others may hire workers who have a high school diploma. These workers also learn some of their skills on the job. Education Employers generally prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma and have completed college courses in related subjects, such as accounting. Some candidates choose to get a bachelor's degree in a field such as business.
Training
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically receive training on the job. For example, they might work alongside an experienced clerk to learn how to do their tasks. They also may receive formal training, such as that related to specialized computer software.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
Although not usually required, some bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks may choose to earn professional certification, which can help to demonstrate competency in their field. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop. Advancement With appropriate experience and additional education, some bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks may become accountants or auditors.
Your Next Step
Review training, certifications, apprenticeships, or employer-based preparation that may support entry into this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, decline. About 144,100 openings for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Technological change is expected to reduce demand for these workers. Software innovations have automated many of the tasks performed by bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks. As a result, the same amount of work can be done with fewer employees, which is expected to lead to job losses over the projections decade. With more automation of routine tasks, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are expected to take on a more analytical and advisory role over the decade. For example, rather than entering data by hand, these workers may focus on analyzing their clients’ books and pointing out potential areas for efficiency gains. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Total, all occupations 3% Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks -6% Financial clerks -7% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Do
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks compute, classify, and record data to help organizations keep complete and accurate financial records.
Duties
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically do the following:
- Use bookkeeping software, spreadsheets, and databases
- Enter (post) financial transactions into the appropriate computer software
- Receive and record cash, checks, and vouchers
- Put costs (debits) and income (credits) into the software, assigning each to an appropriate account
- Produce reports, such as balance sheets (costs compared with income), income statements, and totals by account
- Check for accuracy in figures, postings, and reports
- Reconcile or note and report any differences they find in the records
Workers in this occupation engage in a wide range of tasks. Some are full-charge bookkeeping clerks who maintain an entire organization’s books. Others are accounting clerks who handle specific tasks.
The records that bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work with include expenditures (money spent) and receipts (money that comes in). They also work with accounts payable (bills to be paid) and receivable (invoices, or what other people owe the organization), and they may produce profit and loss statements (reports that show the organization’s financial health).
These clerks use basic mathematics, such as addition and subtraction, throughout the day.
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks use specialized computer accounting software, spreadsheets, and databases to enter information from receipts or bills. They must be comfortable using computers to record and calculate data.
These workers also may take on additional tasks, such as payroll, billing, purchasing, and keeping track of overdue bills. Many of these functions require clerks to communicate with clients.
Bookkeeping clerks, also known as bookkeepers, often are responsible for some or all of an organization’s accounts, known as the general ledger. They record all transactions and post debits and credits.
They also produce financial statements and other reports for supervisors and managers. Bookkeepers prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to the bank.
In addition, they may handle payroll, make purchases, prepare invoices, and keep track of overdue accounts.
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 organization’s procedures.
Auditing clerks check figures, postings, and documents to ensure that they are mathematically accurate and properly coded. For small errors, such as those in transcriptions, they may make corrections themselves. For major discrepancies, they typically notify senior staff, including accountants and auditors.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks held about 1.5 million jobs in 2025. The largest employers of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks were as follows:
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14% |
| Construction | 8 |
| Retail trade | 7 |
| Wholesale trade | 7 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 6 |
The professional, scientific, and technical services industry includes the accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services subindustry.
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks usually work in an office setting. Bookkeepers who work for multiple firms may visit their clients’ places of business. They often work alone, but sometimes they collaborate with accountants, managers, and auditing clerks from other departments.
Work Schedules
Most bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work full time. They may work extra hours to meet deadlines at the end of the fiscal year, during tax time, or when monthly or yearly accounting audits are performed.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Analytical skills. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks must be able to evaluate financial records and identify issues. Computer skills. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks need to be comfortable using computer spreadsheets and bookkeeping software. Detail oriented. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are responsible for producing accurate financial records, which requires them to pay close attention in order to recognize and avoid making errors. Integrity. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks have control of an organization’s financial documentation, which they must use properly and keep confidential. It is vital that they keep records transparent and guard against misusing an organization’s funds. Math skills. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks deal with numbers daily and should be comfortable with basic arithmetic.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.