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Accounting, Tax, and Payroll Services
Deloitte, EY, H&R Block
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
These clerks keep financial records accurate by entering transactions, checking invoices, and fixing mismatches before they turn into bigger problems. The work is mostly computer-based and detail-heavy, but the tradeoff is clear: routine tasks are increasingly easy to automate, which helps explain why employment is expected to decline even though employers still need a steady flow of replacements.
Also known as Bookkeeping ClerkAccounting ClerkAccounting AssistantAccounts ClerkLedger Clerk
Median Salary
$49,210
Mean $52,020
U.S. Workforce
~1.5M
170K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-5.8%
1613.4K to 1519.1K
Entry Education
Some college, no degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing 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 ~1.5M workers, with a median annual pay of $49,210 and roughly 170K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 1613.4 K in 2024 to 1519.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Accounting Assistant and can progress toward Accounting Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Mathematics, QuickBooks, Xero & Accounting Software, and Microsoft Excel, PivotTables & Formulas, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Reading Comprehension.
Core Responsibilities
- Enter sales, payments, and other transactions into accounting software and spreadsheets.
- Check invoices, purchase orders, and account records to catch mistakes or missing information.
- Look up account details in the system and answer routine questions from coworkers, customers, or vendors.
- Calculate totals, balances, discounts, interest, and other amounts needed to keep records current.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Enter sales, payments, and other transactions into accounting software and spreadsheets.
02 Check invoices, purchase orders, and account records to catch mistakes or missing information.
03 Look up account details in the system and answer routine questions from coworkers, customers, or vendors.
04 Calculate totals, balances, discounts, interest, and other amounts needed to keep records current.
05 Sort, code, and file financial documents according to company rules.
06 Follow federal, state, and company rules when handling records and reconciling accounts.
Industries That Hire
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Banking and Financial Services
JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo
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Healthcare
Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, HCA Healthcare
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Government and Public Administration
Internal Revenue Service, City of New York, State of California
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Retail and Wholesale Trade
Walmart, Target, Costco Wholesale
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can enter the field without a degree in many cases, and BLS says moderate-term on-the-job training is enough to get started.
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The work is common across industries, so your skills can move from one employer to another without starting over.
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Annual openings are still large at about 170.0 thousand, so turnover creates steady hiring even though the occupation is shrinking.
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Much of the job is computer-based, which can make it easier to build efficiency and work in office or remote settings.
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Median pay of $49,210 is decent for a role that usually does not require years of school.
Challenges
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The occupation is projected to lose 5.8% of jobs by 2034, so long-term demand is moving in the wrong direction.
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A lot of the work is routine data entry, invoice matching, and checking numbers, which software can increasingly do faster.
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Pay is not high for the amount of accuracy required, with mean annual pay at $52,020 and a median of $49,210.
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There is a real career ceiling unless you add more training, a degree, or move into a related role like payroll or accounting.
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The job can be repetitive and unforgiving, because a small typo or wrong code can throw off balances and take time to fix.
Career Progression
Accounting Assistant
0-2 years
$34K-$42K
You handle basic data entry, file documents, and support more experienced accounting staff while learning the systems and routines.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk
2-5 years
$43K-$57K
You manage routine transactions, check records for errors, and keep accounts organized with limited supervision.
Senior Accounting Clerk THIS ROLE
5-8 years
$58K-$71K
You take on more complex reconciliations, help solve account issues, and may train newer clerks.
Accounting Supervisor
8+ years
$72K-$88K
You oversee day-to-day accounting support work, assign tasks, and make sure procedures and deadlines are followed.
Education Paths
High school diploma
A common entry route, with 40.89% of workers in the O*NET distribution reporting this level.
Post-secondary certificate in bookkeeping or accounting
A short certificate program is another common route, shown by 20.79% of workers in the O*NET distribution.
Some college, no degree
BLS lists this as the typical entry point, and 4.72% of workers in the O*NET distribution report some college courses.
Associate degree in accounting or business
An associate degree is a useful alternative route, with 8.54% of workers in the O*NET distribution reporting this level.
Key Skills
Technical
Mathematics 68%
QuickBooks, Xero & Accounting Software 66%
Microsoft Excel, PivotTables & Formulas 65%
NetSuite, Sage & ERP Accounting Systems 64%
Accounts Payable/Receivable Software 63%
OCR Scanning, Digital Filing & Document Management 60%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingWritingTime Management Job Outlook and Trends
+-5.8%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
170K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 1613.4K to 1519.1 K over the next decade, representing -5.8% growth. Around 170 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.