Bookkeeper Job Description

A bookkeeper can expect to earn a salary in the range of $30,000-$60,000 a year in the US. However, compensation will widely vary depending on the employer, location, and candidate experience. Bigger companies tend to offer better compensation for bookkeepers; this is largely due to the increased volume of transactions and data.

At the same time, the number of predicted bookkeeping job openings per year over that period is 197,600. Compare this to the expected 136,400 annual openings for accountants and auditors (BLS, September 2022). Aspiring bookkeepers don’t need work experience to apply for entry-level roles. Start building the professional skills you need to get a job as a bookkeeper in under four months with the Intuit Bookkeeping Professional Certificate on Coursera. Learn at your own pace from industry experts while getting hands-on experience working through real-world accounting scenarios. Two of the most common are single-entry bookkeeping and double-entry bookkeeping.

Typically, single entry bookkeeping is suitable for keeping track of cash, taxable income, and tax deductible expenses. Customers schedule an appointment to have a bookkeeper review their transactions, and  multiple schedules are available to choose from. You will have access to a client management portal, and can communicate with customers through video conferencing and messaging. As more people move to working from home, freelancing, or starting their own businesses, you may want to learn how to become a virtual bookkeeper. A virtual bookkeeper must meet the same educational requirements as an in-house or in-person bookkeeper. Someformal certifications include the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) and the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB).

Career Benefits

A bookkeeper’s job comprises maintaining and balancing financial records, including transactions from coworkers. Find out more on bookkeeping accounting skills, how to earn accounting degrees and bookkeeping certifications, getting jobs, salary expectations, and more. You may be able to get on-the-job training through a bookkeeping job that only requires a high school diploma, such as an internship or training placement. You may also pursue certification programs or use online courses to become a self-taught bookkeeper. If you find that you have a talent for and enjoy the process, you may consider starting your own bookkeeping business providing this service to others.

1. A bookkeeping certificate can help you find a bookkeeping role, either as an in-house bookkeeper or as a freelancer.
2. A client’s financial activities will include all transactions related to their income and expenses and a bookkeeper is responsible for recording all of these transactions accurately.
3. You will need to learn how to start a bookkeeping business in your location, such as how to file for a license if you choose to have an in-person office.
4. If you’re considering a career as a bookkeeper, then you might consider taking a cost-effective, flexible course through Coursera.

So, bookkeepers who can add “CPB” or “CB” after their names may be more competitive than other candidates. Bookkeeping is the process of keeping track of a business’s financial transactions. These services include recording what money comes into and flows out of a business, such as payments from customers and payments made to vendors. While bookkeepers used to keep track of this information in physical books, much of the process is now done on digital software. Bookkeepers are not required to have certifications or specific education unless required by a specific employer. However, completing a bookkeeping certification program can teach you basic accounting and how to perform bookkeeping tasks and has the potential to set you apart from other bookkeepers.

The Support to Grow your Tax and Bookkeeping Career, Your Way

Kelly Main is staff writer at Forbes Advisor, specializing in testing and reviewing marketing software with a focus on CRM solutions, payment processing solutions, and web design software. Before joining the team, she was a content producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and holds an MSc in international marketing from Edinburgh Napier University.

Start by deciding on the system you want to use, whether it’s an online program, paid software or a spreadsheet. Next, set aside a dedicated time either weekly or biweekly to review your bookkeeping, reconcile transactions and complete necessary data entry. You can either keep hard copies or opt for electronic files by scanning paperwork. When an effective bookkeeping system is in place, businesses have the knowledge and information that allows them to make the best financial decisions. Tasks, such as establishing a budget, planning for the next fiscal year and preparing for tax time, are easier when financial records are accurate. Because of these factors, advancing your bookkeeping career to a role in accounting can be advantageous.

You can work with other bookkeepers and tax experts to share and expand your knowledge. Take your learning and productivity to the next level with our Premium Templates. Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact… If you’re a detail-oriented individual who enjoys working with numbers, then you might consider a career as a bookkeeper. If you’re interested in working remotely as a bookkeeper, applying directly or joining the Intuit Tax and Bookkeeping Talent Community may be the right move. What’s it like to work as a Front Office Expert or Back Office Expert for QuickBooks Live?

Every company, even a small one, requires bookkeeping to maintain a healthy financial position. Bookkeepers do not have any specific education requirements beyond a high school diploma. However, professionals in this field must have several competencies they may not have learned in high school. Detail-oriented individuals who enjoy problem-solving, math, and computers may want to become bookkeepers.

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Most employers prefer hiring new bookkeepers who will learn from more senior professionals. Recently hired bookkeepers should expect to receive around six months of guidance and even classroom training when they start their new roles. Most bookkeepers hold high school diplomas and have completed postsecondary courses in relevant https://www.quick-bookkeeping.net/what-is-a-w2-form/ subjects, like accounting. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a professional certificate, which you can put on your resume to demonstrate your skills and accomplishments to potential employers. A bookkeeping certificate can help you find a bookkeeping role, either as an in-house bookkeeper or as a freelancer.

Your job as a bookkeeper entails systematically keeping track of an organization’s financial transactions. For the information to be reported as a financial statement, it needs to last-in first-out lifo method in a perpetual inventory system be identified, accepted, classified, and recorded. Learn more about bookkeeping, how it differs from accounting, the required qualifications, and bookkeeping jobs and salaries.

If you’re ready to take bookkeeping off your plate and delegate this task to someone else, it can be hard to know where to look. Start by reaching out to other business owners for recommendations, searching online for providers and checking out reviews on Google or Yelp. If you don’t feel comfortable with a freelancer, there are many firms that offer bookkeeping services as well.

Some bookkeepers pursue certified bookkeeper certifications offered by two national bookkeeping associations. The NACPB offers a certified bookkeeping professional (CPB) designation, and AIPB confers a certified bookkeeper (CB) license. Other bookkeepers finish their high school diplomas and then seek on-the-job training. To prove they possess certain skills, they may also complete one or both professional bookkeeping certificates available.