Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks: Career Overview
Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.
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The Daily Work of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Take On?
The core tasks performed by bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks cover:
- Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information.
- Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes.
- Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.
- Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers.
- Code documents according to company procedures.
- Perform financial calculations, such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal.
- Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records.
Skills and Knowledge
Top bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Account Administrator
- Account Clerk
- Account Information Clerk
- Account Receivable Clerk
- Accountant Assistant
- Accountant Clerk
- Accountant Helper
- Accounting Assistant
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 1,490,368 bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +13.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $63,707 |
| Hourly median | $30.63 |
| 10th percentile | $38,496 |
| 25th percentile | $51,102 |
| 75th percentile | $76,313 |
| 90th percentile | $88,918 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $62,470 |
| California | $57,470 |
| Connecticut | $57,290 |
| Massachusetts | $57,120 |
| New Jersey | $56,730 |
| Washington | $56,580 |
| New York | $55,880 |
| Alaska | $54,510 |
| Maryland | $54,080 |
| Colorado | $54,080 |
| Rhode Island | $53,730 |
| Minnesota | $52,350 |
| Delaware | $51,590 |
| Vermont | $51,510 |
| New Hampshire | $50,410 |
| Oregon | $50,180 |
| Maine | $49,510 |
| Nevada | $49,500 |
| Arizona | $49,030 |
| Wisconsin | $48,860 |
| Illinois | $48,840 |
| Virginia | $48,680 |
| Hawaii | $48,400 |
| North Dakota | $48,260 |
| Texas | $48,250 |
| Utah | $48,210 |
| Florida | $47,980 |
| Michigan | $47,680 |
| Georgia | $47,490 |
| Ohio | $47,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,390 |
| Iowa | $47,150 |
| Missouri | $46,990 |
| Indiana | $46,880 |
| Idaho | $46,690 |
| North Carolina | $46,640 |
| New Mexico | $46,610 |
| Tennessee | $46,540 |
| South Carolina | $46,300 |
| Nebraska | $46,140 |
| Kansas | $45,920 |
| Wyoming | $45,810 |
| Virgin Islands | $45,760 |
| Montana | $45,600 |
| Kentucky | $45,260 |
| South Dakota | $44,780 |
| Oklahoma | $44,480 |
| Louisiana | $43,550 |
| Alabama | $42,490 |
| West Virginia | $40,080 |
| Arkansas | $40,070 |
| Mississippi | $40,070 |
| Guam | $30,890 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,870 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $55,905 | 16.3% | 0.99 |
| New England | $55,029 | 4.8% | 1.01 |
| Middle Atlantic | $53,681 | 14.7% | 0.98 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,918 | 4.1% | 1.06 |
| Great Lakes | $47,988 | 13.6% | 0.96 |
| Plains States | $47,943 | 7.4% | 1.17 |
| Southwest | $47,906 | 12.4% | 0.99 |
| Southeast | $46,263 | 26.2% | 1.08 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $64,480 | 17,670 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $64,340 | 7,750 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $60,720 | 690 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $60,220 | 1,030 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $59,950 | 2,220 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $59,440 | 1,210 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $59,170 | 87,860 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $58,650 | 1,800 |
Industry Breakdown
Most bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 211,760 | $50,180 |
| Construction | 129,360 | $51,670 |
| Wholesale Trade | 116,260 | $48,810 |
| Retail Trade | 114,210 | $45,030 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 104,870 | $48,810 |
| Manufacturing | 96,350 | $50,590 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 94,010 | $48,560 |
| Finance and Insurance | 85,770 | $49,570 |
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
Getting Started in This Career
Typical bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Financial Managers (Supplemental)
- Accountants and Auditors (Supplemental)
- Credit Analysts (Supplemental)
- Loan Officers (Supplemental)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Supplemental)
- Tax Preparers (Supplemental)
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents (Supplemental)
- Bill and Account Collectors (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-3031.00 (Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks).
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