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Healthcare
Kaiser Permanente, HCA Healthcare, UnitedHealth Group
Billing and Posting Clerks
Billing and posting clerks keep invoices, payments, and account records lined up so customers are charged correctly and businesses get paid on time. The work is very detail-driven: one wrong amount, missing document, or mismatched record can delay payment and create a follow-up call. It offers an accessible entry point into office work, but the tradeoff is that much of the job is repetitive, tightly checked, and vulnerable to software automation.
Also known as Billing ClerkBilling SpecialistInvoice ClerkPosting ClerkAccounts Receivable Clerk
Median Salary
$47,170
Mean $49,490
U.S. Workforce
~418K
42.2K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-0.4%
429.8K to 427.9K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Billing and Posting Clerks sits in the Business category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~418K workers, with a median annual pay of $47,170 and roughly 42.2K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 429.8 K in 2024 to 427.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Some college coursework in business or accounting, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Office Assistant / Data Entry Clerk and can progress toward Accounts Receivable Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Reading Comprehension, Microsoft Excel & Spreadsheets, and Mathematics, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Monitoring.
Core Responsibilities
- Call or email customers to confirm account details, explain charges, or gather missing information.
- Create itemized bills and invoices, then send them to the right customer or department.
- Check billing records against orders, shipments, or service records and correct errors before they become payment problems.
- Enter charges, payments, and account updates into bookkeeping or billing software.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Call or email customers to confirm account details, explain charges, or gather missing information.
02 Create itemized bills and invoices, then send them to the right customer or department.
03 Check billing records against orders, shipments, or service records and correct errors before they become payment problems.
04 Enter charges, payments, and account updates into bookkeeping or billing software.
05 Match invoices with supporting paperwork and keep files organized so records can be audited later.
06 Track down mismatched accounts, fix small equipment or system issues, and flag larger problems to repair staff.
Industries That Hire
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Insurance
State Farm, Progressive, The Hartford
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Retail
Walmart, Target, The Home Depot
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Logistics and Shipping
UPS, FedEx, DHL
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Utilities
Duke Energy, Con Edison, Southern Company
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can get started with a high school diploma, and the role does not require prior work experience; the usual setup is moderate on-the-job training.
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The work is computer-based and predictable, which is a good fit for people who like routines, records, and clear deadlines.
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There are still a lot of openings: about 42.2 thousand annual openings are projected, even though overall employment is flat.
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The skills transfer well to bookkeeping, payroll, accounts receivable, and other office jobs if you want to move up later.
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The job gives you direct experience with invoices, payments, and account reconciliation, which is useful in many finance and operations teams.
Challenges
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Pay is solid but not high for the amount of detail required: the median is $47,170 and the mean is $49,490, so it is usually a modest wage rather than a high one.
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Growth is weak, with employment projected to slip by 0.4% from 2024 to 2034, so the field is not expanding much overall.
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A lot of the work is repetitive and exacting, and small errors can turn into billing disputes, delayed payments, or extra follow-up calls.
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Billing software and automated invoice systems can reduce the number of clerical jobs over time, which is a structural risk for the occupation.
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The job has a fairly low ceiling unless you move into accounting, payroll, or supervision, so advancement often means leaving the title rather than growing within it.
Career Progression
Office Assistant / Data Entry Clerk
0-2 years
$31K-$37K
Beginners handle filing, data entry, and simple customer follow-up while learning basic billing terminology and office software.
Accounts Receivable Clerk
1-4 years
$37K-$43K
Workers start matching payments to invoices, checking balances, and resolving routine account questions with supervision.
Billing and Posting Clerk THIS ROLE
2-5 years
$44K-$54K
This level manages invoice creation, payment posting, record checks, and error correction across a steady flow of accounts.
Senior Billing Specialist
5-8 years
$54K-$66K
Experienced clerks handle harder discrepancies, train newer staff, and work on more complex accounts or reporting tasks.
Accounts Receivable Supervisor
8+ years
$66K-$80K
Supervisors oversee billing workflows, set priorities, review exceptions, and coordinate with finance or customer service teams.
Education Paths
Some college coursework in business or accounting
The most common path, held by 51.49% of workers in this role, often built from office, bookkeeping, or accounting classes without a full degree.
High school diploma or equivalent
A substantial share, 20.7%, enter with only a high school diploma and learn the billing systems and procedures on the job.
Post-secondary certificate in billing, bookkeeping, or office administration
Another 16.61% have a post-secondary certificate, which can help candidates get hired with focused training in invoices, records, and accounting basics.
Associate's degree in accounting or business
A smaller group, 9.24%, have an associate's degree, which can help with bookkeeping and reconciliation but is not required.
Key Skills
Technical
Reading Comprehension 72%
Microsoft Excel & Spreadsheets 70%
Mathematics 65%
QuickBooks, Sage & Invoicing Software 63%
Data Entry & Recordkeeping Systems 61%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringSpeakingTime ManagementWriting Job Outlook and Trends
+-0.4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
42.2K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 429.8K to 427.9 K over the next decade, representing -0.4% growth. Around 42.2 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.