Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

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.

Also Known As:

Account Clerk Accounting Assistant Accounting Associate Accounting Clerk Accounting Specialist Accounting Technician Accounts Payable Clerk Accounts Payable Specialist Accounts Payables Clerk Accounts Receivable Clerk

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in United States

Job Outlook Bright

New job opportunities are very likely in the future

United States 2034 Projected Employment

1,519,100

-6% Change From 2024

Explore Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Perform general office duties, such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.
Access computerized financial information to answer general questions as well as those related to specific accounts.
Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records.
Match order forms with invoices, and record the necessary information.
Classify, record, and summarize numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records, using journals and ledgers or computers.
Complete and submit tax forms and returns, workers' compensation forms, pension contribution forms, and other government documents.
Calculate, prepare, and issue bills, invoices, account statements, and other financial statements according to established procedures.
Compile statistical, financial, accounting, or auditing reports and tables pertaining to such matters as cash receipts, expenditures, accounts payable and receivable, and profits and losses.
Prepare purchase orders and expense reports.
Maintain inventory records.
Prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to banks.
Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes.
Perform financial calculations, such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal.
Reconcile records of bank transactions.
Compile budget data and documents, based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets.
Compare computer printouts to manually maintained journals to determine if they match.
Prepare trial balances of books.
Prepare and process payroll information.
Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software.
Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers.
Calculate costs of materials, overhead, and other expenses, based on estimates, quotations and price lists.
Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information.
Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
Monitor status of loans and accounts to ensure that payments are up to date.
Transfer details from separate journals to general ledgers or data processing sheets.
Perform general office duties, such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
Prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to banks.
Prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to banks.
Calculate and prepare checks for utilities, taxes, and other payments.
Code documents according to company procedures.
Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.