Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

Median salary

$50,670

Average salary

$53,560

Employment

1,373,680

Projected growth

5.8% decline

Annual openings

170,000

Typical entry education

Some college, no degree

What Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 5.2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
Administrativeimportance 3.9/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.8/5
English Languageimportance 3.4/5
Economics and Accountingimportance 3.4/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.2/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.7/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail4.9/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
Telephone Conversations4.8/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.7/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Human Resources Specialists97% skill match
Accountants and Auditors97% skill match
Brokerage Clerks96% skill match
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers96% skill match
Clergy96% skill match
Loan Officers96% skill match
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks96% skill match
Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Service Orientationimportance 2.9/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.8/5
Persuasionimportance 2.3/5
Negotiationimportance 2.3/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

ACS Technologies ACS Financial Suite
ADP Pay eXpert
ADP Workforce Now
AMS Services AMS Sagitta
ATX Total Accounting Office
ATX Total Engagement Office
Accounts payable software
Accounts receivable software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Integrity
Achievement Orientation
Perseverance
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
EnterprisingLow
InvestigativeLow
RealisticLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).