Online Jobs | Job Opportunities | Career Information

Bookkeeping Jobs – What is the Job of a Accountant Bookkeeper? What do Bookkeeping Jobs Involve?

Accountants and bookkeepers are responsible for keeping the financial records of private individuals, government institutions, or corporations. Accounting records will usually include expenditures, accounts payable, accounts receivable, receipts, profit and loss statements, and other financial reports.

Bookkeepers will have a wide variety of tasks and make many computations daily using computers. Bookkeeping clerks and bookkeepers usually have the responsibility of keeping the general ledger, which were record all transactions made during the year, including debits and credits.

From the general ledger, bookkeepers will then produce financial statements and prepare bank deposits, verifying payments in the form of cash, checks, or electronic payment. Bookkeeping jobs may also involve keeping payroll for companies and preparing invoices for overdue accounts.

Accounting clerk jobs involve specialized tasks such as handling accounts payable or accounts receivable in a large company. Entry level accounting clerks will have the responsibility of mundane tasks such as calculating interest charges and recording day to day financial transactions.

In addition, accounting clerks work by reviewing invoices and computer printouts, in addition to recording transactions on computer files. Bookkeeping clerks review these invoices in order to make sure that the statements are correct, and to be reconciled with operating reports.

Auditing clerk jobs involve finding records of transactions that were created by other accountants or workers and the company. Auditor clerks check figures and documents in order to make sure that they are mathematically correct encoded properly. An auditing clerk will notify accountants of any errors during their auditing procedure.

Specialized computer software and accounting spreadsheets are used with computer programs in order to simplify financial records. Computer technology has greatly allowed bookkeepers, accountants, and auditing clerks to take on a host of responsibilities in companies that once would have taken entire teams of accounting professionals.

Working Conditions for Accounting Clerk Jobs – How is the Working Environment for Accountant Bookkeeper Jobs?

The working conditions for bookkeeping jobs and other accounting professionals usually involves a 40 hour workweek, although extra hours may be needed during busy season such as tax time for corporations and private individuals. Headaches and muscle strain, as well as injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of using computers for long periods of time, can result from extended book keeping employment.

The job of bean counting is usually low stress, although audits can be a difficult process, especially if a corporation is in financial difficulties.

Bookkeeper Education – How to Become a Accounting Clerk – How to Receive Your Accountant Bookkeeper Training

A bachelor’s degree in accounting or bookkeeping is essential in order to obtain bookkeeping employment as an accountant or related professional. Sometimes lesser positions can be used in order to obtain access to a regular book keeping or accounting clerk job. Under the guidance of the more experienced employee, auditing clerks will learn company procedures and receive classroom training if necessary.

Most new bookkeeping training involves using specialized computer database software in order to enter or check information. Employers prefer employees who have extensive knowledge of computer technology, such a spreadsheet software or word processing.

Other traits that experienced bookkeeper or accounting clerks should include a detail oriented nature, which is not prone to making mistakes. Accounting clerks should be trustworthy when dealing with confidential information and have good communication skills when working with customers.

Bookkeeper Training Requirements – How to Become a Accounting Clerk

Bookkeeper certification is available from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, which offers the certified bookkeeper accreditation, to those who are charged with working on payroll and balancing accounts. In order to receive this accounting clerk certification, accounting candidates must have two years of experience in the auditing or bookkeeping field, and pass an exhaustative four part examination.

Bookkeepers will usually advance by obtaining a track record in the business in which they work. Accounting clerks may be promoted to managerial positions as their additional skills make them more useful and valuable to a corporation.

Accountant Bookkeeper Employment – What is the Future of Accounting Clerk Jobs?

Over the next decade, accountant bookkeepers and clerk careers will experience employment growth of about 12%. An increased demand for transparency in financial records resulting from accounting fraud is fueling the demand for professional bookkeeping and accounting clerks, even though technology has made some day to day tasks obsolete.

Tax preparation software has eliminated some positions, but for the most part the demand for auditing clerks and similar professionals is far outpacing supply. Due to the relatively slow rate of pay, many clerks will leave the field each year in order to pursue further education to become an professional accountant or bookkeeper.

Book Keeper Salary Pay Scale – How Much Does Freelance Bookkeeping Earn?

In 2006, bookkeeping clerks, accounting clerks, and auditing clerks had a median annual salary of $30,560. Benefits packages for auditing clerks varied depending on the nature of their employment and the size of their employer.