An accounting assistant’s job description includes budgeting, reporting, and bookkeeping. These finance professionals also help manage accounts and prepare financial records. Unlike accounting clerks, accounting assistants provide administrative support to an organization’s accounts department.
- Entry-level accounting clerks work as junior members of an accounting department and report to accountants or senior bookkeepers.
- Still, the outlook for accounting clerks somewhat depends on factors like location, experience, education, and industry.
- Their day-to-day tasks may include recording financial transactions, reconciling accounts, producing invoices, and preparing financial reports.
- The accounting clerk profession features several benefits that make it an appealing career option.
Scroll down and find how to apply or mode of application for this job after the job description. You’re thinking it’s finally time for a bookkeeper but how can you be sure – and prepared? Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has worked as a university accounting instructor, accountant, and consultant for more than 25 years. He is the sole author of all the materials on AccountingCoach.com. Ultimately, a successful Accounting Clerk will ensure that the company’s daily accounting functions run accurately and effectively.
Many employers value credentials like the certified bookkeeper (CB) or certified public bookkeeper (CPB), which demonstrate a solid grasp of accounting clerks’ responsibilities. Other helpful credentials include certified accounts payable professional (CAPP) and certified internal auditor (CIA). Accounting clerks handle organizations’ financial records, tracking all activities and keeping accounts accurate and updated. They may also manage transactions, such as payroll, bill payments, and accounts payable and receivable. At [Company X], our financial success is fueled by the accuracy of our facts and figures. That’s why we’re proud to have some of the most skilled finance experts on our staff.
#3 – Payroll Clerk
These courses should give you the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this field. I also suggest pursuing internships or entry-level irs form w positions in accounting to get a feel for the job. The most important skill accounting clerks need to succeed is attention to detail.
- Candidates without a college degree may benefit from a professional certification.
- Additionally, Payscale’s August 2022 data notes that accounting clerks with more than 10 years of experience earn, on average, about $2.60 more per hour than entry-level professionals.
- You know what a bookkeeper does and what their day-to-day responsibilities look like.
- Bookkeepers can also present your business’s financial standing.
- This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
With advanced degrees and certifications, accounting assistants can progress to senior roles such as accountant, auditor, or certified public accountant (CPA). Explore this guide to learn more about the tasks and skills of an accounting assistant. Junior accountants maintain the financial records of companies through the analysis of their general ledger accounts and balance sheets.
What skills are needed for an accounting clerk?
Professionals can pursue many degrees and certifications to boost their accounting clerk qualifications. Continuing and advanced education can lead to more job security, higher earnings, and new opportunities. With a bachelor’s or master’s degree, for example, accounting clerks can access more advanced accounting roles or management positions. The typical career path for accounting clerks starts with an entry-level job and on-the-job training.
What is an Accounting Clerk?
Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors. If the information on these documents is consistent, the supplier’s invoice is sent forward for payment. If the information is not consistent, the accounts payable clerk must resolve the differences before sending the invoice forward for payment. Over 1.8 million professionals use CFI to learn accounting, financial analysis, modeling and more. Start with a free account to explore 20+ always-free courses and hundreds of finance templates and cheat sheets. At this point, you could confidently answer, “What does a bookkeeper do?
This role differs from the work of bookkeepers and accounting assistants. Bookkeepers typically analyze financial information to help organizations make informed decisions. In contrast, accounting clerks organize and verify financial information.
#5 – Accounts Payable/Receivable Clerk
Their duties include providing administrative assistance to accountants as well as preparing statements that confirm the accuracy of database information. Working in both accounts payable and receivable gave me a well-rounded understanding of the accounting process. I was able to see how all of the different pieces fit together, which has been helpful in my current role as a senior accountant.
Accounting assistants must possess excellent mathematical aptitude and attention to detail. The most rewarding aspect would be working through a problem and finding a solution that you know is right and works. Sometimes it requires a lot of digging and time investment before knowing which solution is best.
With experience and additional education and credentials, accounting clerks can access more advanced accounting positions. They may qualify for accounting roles, auditing positions, or finance careers. Accountants with bachelor’s or master’s degrees and extensive experience can also pursue certified public accountant credentials. An accounting clerk is similar to an accounting assistant in that they both provide support to the accounting department. However, accounting assistants typically have more responsibilities, such as preparing financial statements and tax returns. They may also have supervisory duties, whereas accounting clerks typically do not.
Similar job titles include Assistant Accountant, Staff Accountant, Junior Accountant. Bryan Sharpe is a senior accountant at Solar Panels Network USA. He has worked in accounting for over 20 years, and has experience with both small and large businesses.
They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system.
Those that know from the start that they want to do accounting and become a CPA usually need their master’s degree before they can sit for the exams. If getting a degree will be a longer journey for you but you need to work, I recommend finding entry-level accounting jobs like accounts payable clerk or accounts receivable clerk. Faster job progression tends to come after you have your degree, especially if you start at a public accounting firm. This entry-level to mid-senior position requires at least a bachelor’s degree. With higher education and experience, staff accountants can hold more advanced roles and even take charge of an accounts department.
Accounting Clerk Job Outlook and Salary
Bookkeepers can also present your business’s financial standing. But what do all of these figures really mean, and where do you go from there? While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both accounting clerk and bookkeeper positions are skilled in data entry, customer service, and purchase orders. If you’re considering a career as an accounting clerk, I recommend taking classes in accounting, finance, and business administration.
The accountant’s post journal entries, maintain accounts receivable and payable, and update financial statements. They pay payroll every month, reconcile ledgers, and submit payroll taxes. The skills necessary for this job include analytical skills, problem-solving, information confidentiality, and proficiency in accounting software and technology. Entry-level accounting clerks work as junior members of an accounting department and report to accountants or senior bookkeepers. Their responsibilities include entering financial information into databases, filing documents, and verifying the accuracy of invoice information and monthly statements. Companies large enough to have one or more accountants on staff often hire accounting clerks to assist the accountants with routine tasks.
