Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting clerk

The differences between accounting bookkeepers and accounting clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an accounting bookkeeper and an accounting clerk. Additionally, an accounting bookkeeper has an average salary of $51,406, which is higher than the $38,683 average annual salary of an accounting clerk.

The top three skills for an accounting bookkeeper include data entry, reconciliations and payroll taxes. The most important skills for an accounting clerk are data entry, customer service, and purchase orders.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting clerk overview

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Yearly salary	$51,406	$38,683
Hourly rate	$24.71	$18.60
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	40,579	106,969
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounting bookkeeper do?

An Accounting Bookkeeper supervises the financial data and compliance of a company. Accounting Bookkeepers maintain accurate books on accounts receivable and payable, daily financial reconciliations and entries, and payroll. They are in charge of recording various transactions like income and outgoings and posting these transactions to different accounts.

What does an accounting clerk do?

Accounting clerks are employees assigned to manage administrative and clerical tasks in the accounting department. Accounting clerks handle office accounting records and ensure that files are properly labeled and stored. They validate records and check whether these are updated. They also sort through documents to ensure that they are in their proper storage bins. Aside from document handling, they also help with creating and validating financial statements and bookkeeping. As such, accounting clerks should have a strong background in accounting to manage their tasks better.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting clerk salary

Accounting bookkeepers and accounting clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Average salary	$51,406	$38,683
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $66,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Vallejo, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Delaware	New York
Best paying company	GrowthForce	Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker Llp
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between accounting bookkeeper and accounting clerk education

There are a few differences between an accounting bookkeeper and an accounting clerk in terms of educational background:

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting clerk demographics

Here are the differences between accounting bookkeepers' and accounting clerks' demographics:

	Accounting Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%	Male, 20.0% Female, 80.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting bookkeeper and accounting clerk duties and responsibilities

Accounting bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Process bi-weekly payroll through ADP on-line system; manage distribution of live checks.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
General ledger entries for AR and AP, parts and sales of power equipment.
Prepare and print AP checks.
Report payroll to ADP system and reconcile payroll account.
Work with client's CPA firm for reporting and tax preparation.

Accounting clerk example responsibilities.

Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Perform balance sheet reconciliations and resolve open items by notifying employees and vendors of transaction discrepancies.
Assist in monthly financial close process by analyzing preliminary departmental expense reports and making necessary adjustments and accruals.
Develop a spreadsheet that pulls all data relate to project hours by operation from the ERP system.
Process all incoming payments receive via ACH, EFT, or the web; ensure accounts are accurately balance and reconcile.
Digitize proof of delivery receipts into ERP system (AS400) serving as an easy backup for employees to verify occurrence.

Accounting bookkeeper vs accounting clerk skills

Common accounting bookkeeper skills

Data Entry, 8%
Reconciliations, 8%
Payroll Taxes, 8%
Journal Entries, 7%
Vendor Invoices, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%

Common accounting clerk skills

Data Entry, 15%
Customer Service, 10%
Purchase Orders, 9%
Reconciliations, 6%
Vendor Invoices, 6%
QuickBooks, 3%

Accounting Bookkeeper vs. similar jobs

Accounting Bookkeeper related careers

Accounting Bookkeeper related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Accounting Bookkeeper
Accounting Bookkeeper vs Accounting Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs