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Banking and consumer finance
JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America
Financial Clerks, All Other
Financial clerks in this catchall role handle the routine paperwork that keeps money moving and records clean. The work is less about analysis than about catching errors, matching records, and fixing small problems before they turn into accounting headaches. The tradeoff is straightforward: the job is accessible with little formal schooling, but the pay and advancement path are usually limited unless you move into a more specialized finance role.
Also known as Finance ClerkAccounting ClerkAccounts ClerkBilling ClerkFinancial Operations Clerk
Median Salary
$52,150
Mean $55,330
U.S. Workforce
~37K
4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1.4%
38.9K to 39.4K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Financial Clerks, All Other sits in the Finance 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 ~37K workers, with a median annual pay of $52,150 and roughly 4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 38.9 K in 2024 to 39.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Accounting Assistant and can progress toward Finance Operations Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Microsoft Excel, Pivot Tables & Reconciliation, QuickBooks, Sage & Accounting Software, and ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle NetSuite & Workday Financials), paired with soft skills such as Attention to detail, Organization, and Clear communication.
Core Responsibilities
- Check invoices, payment records, and other financial paperwork for missing information or obvious mistakes.
- Enter charges, payments, and corrections into accounting or finance software.
- Compare bank statements, internal ledgers, and transaction records to find and fix differences.
- Follow up with vendors, customers, or coworkers when paperwork is incomplete or a payment does not match the records.
Keep exploring: more Finance careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Check invoices, payment records, and other financial paperwork for missing information or obvious mistakes.
02 Enter charges, payments, and corrections into accounting or finance software.
03 Compare bank statements, internal ledgers, and transaction records to find and fix differences.
04 Follow up with vendors, customers, or coworkers when paperwork is incomplete or a payment does not match the records.
05 Prepare routine summaries, status reports, and filing updates for supervisors or accounting staff.
06 Organize and store financial documents so they are easy to find during audits, month-end close, or internal reviews.
Industries That Hire
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Insurance
State Farm, Progressive, Allstate
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Healthcare finance
Kaiser Permanente, HCA Healthcare, CVS Health
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Government and public administration
Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, City of Los Angeles
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Retail and logistics
Walmart, Amazon, Target
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The entry bar is low: BLS says a high school diploma is usually enough, with no prior work experience required.
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The role is relatively stable, with about 37,030 jobs now and 4.0 thousand projected openings each year.
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Pay is solid for clerical work, with a median annual wage of $52,150 and a mean of $55,330.
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The work teaches practical systems skills like Excel, accounting software, and reconciliation that transfer to other office jobs.
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It can be a good doorway into bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable, or finance operations because you see how money records are handled.
Challenges
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Growth is very slow: employment is projected to rise only 1.4% over the next decade, which means the field is not expanding much.
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The pay ceiling is modest for the amount of detail work required, and even the mean wage is only $55,330.
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A lot of the work is repetitive and rule-based, so the job can feel monotonous if you want variety or creative problem-solving.
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Automation is a real threat because invoicing, data entry, and basic reconciliation are easy for accounting software and workflow tools to absorb.
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Because this is a catchall occupation, advancement often means leaving the role for a more specialized finance job instead of moving up within the title itself.
Career Progression
Accounting Assistant
0-2 years
$34K-$42K
You handle data entry, filing, and simple payment tracking while learning the finance system and the company's recordkeeping rules.
Financial Clerk
2-5 years
$46K-$58K
You process routine transactions, compare records, and resolve everyday mismatches between payments, invoices, and ledgers.
Senior Financial Clerk THIS ROLE
5-8 years
$58K-$71K
You take on trickier reconciliations, handle exceptions, and often help train newer clerks or check their work.
Finance Operations Supervisor
8-12 years
$72K-$92K
You oversee clerical finance workflows, set priorities, review accuracy, and coordinate month-end or audit-related tasks.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
BLS lists this as the typical entry point for the role, and many employers hire new workers with short-term on-the-job training.
Certificate in bookkeeping or accounting
A short certificate can help you learn Excel, accounting software, and basic reconciliation work before applying for clerical finance jobs.
Associate degree in accounting or business administration
An associate degree can help you qualify for more competitive openings and move into more specialized clerical finance work.
Key Skills
Technical
Microsoft Excel, Pivot Tables & Reconciliation 92%
QuickBooks, Sage & Accounting Software 88%
ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle NetSuite & Workday Financials) 83%
Accounts Payable/Receivable Systems 80%
Bank Reconciliation & Ledger Matching 78%
Document Management Systems & OCR Scanning 72%
Soft Skills
Attention to detailOrganizationClear communicationTime managementConfidentialityProblem-solving Job Outlook and Trends
+1.4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 38.9K to 39.4 K over the next decade, representing 1.4% growth. Around 4 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.