Accounting internship vs accountable clerk

The differences between accounting interns and accountable 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 internship and an accountable clerk. Additionally, an accountable clerk has an average salary of $38,120, which is higher than the $30,642 average annual salary of an accounting internship.

The top three skills for an accounting internship include reconciliations, data entry and payroll. The most important skills for an accountable clerk are data entry, financial reports, and purchase orders.

Accounting internship vs accountable clerk overview

	Accounting Internship	Accountable Clerk
Yearly salary	$30,642	$38,120
Hourly rate	$14.73	$18.33
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	80,299	81,209
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does an accounting internship do?

An accounting internship is a trainee who reports to an organization's accountant in order to learn about the accounting field, complete financial projects and files taxes, and financial reports. An intern should be a graduate of a Bachelor's or Master's in Accounting and should have an aptitude for mathematics and proficiency with computers. In order to prepare financial reports, an intern should possess knowledge with bookkeeping software. An intern must also know how to handle sensitive information with honesty and integrity.

What does an accountable clerk do?

The duties of an accountable clerk vary in one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the financial aspects of a company, including revenue and budget. They mostly process payments and income, ensuring accuracy in every detail and transaction. An accountable clerk may also have clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, answering calls and correspondence, coordinating with various department personnel, and maintaining a database of information. Should there be any issues, it is essential to report to a manager right away.

Accounting internship vs accountable clerk salary

Accounting interns and accountable clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Internship	Accountable Clerk
Average salary	$30,642	$38,120
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	BWX Technologies	Wayne County, Michigan
Best paying industry	Telecommunication	Government

Differences between accounting internship and accountable clerk education

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

	Accounting Internship	Accountable Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting internship vs accountable clerk demographics

Here are the differences between accounting interns' and accountable clerks' demographics:

	Accounting Internship	Accountable Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7%	Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between accounting internship and accountable clerk duties and responsibilities

Accounting internship example responsibilities.

Acquire training on the automated ADP payroll system which lead to a recommendation for the payroll manager position.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Prepare and process accounts payable checks and ACH payments.
Code diagnosis and add appropriate modifiers to CPT codes.
Prepare and maintain monthly departmental reports to maintain SOX compliance.
Demonstrate knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9 codes, and CPT codes.

Accountable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage the accurate and timely processing of AP invoices for multiple companies.
Manage resident's private information for insurance verification, billing, and eligibility to apply for Medicaid.
Scan incoming A/P, A/R, bank statements, mail, etc.
Review AR aging to ensure compliance.
Process, distribute, and maintain AR invoices.
Review and handle in-clearing reject items (ACH and checks) and process check adjustments.

Accounting internship vs accountable clerk skills

Common accounting internship skills

Reconciliations, 14%
Data Entry, 7%
Payroll, 6%
First Hand, 6%
Work Ethic, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 5%

Common accountable clerk skills

Data Entry, 11%
Financial Reports, 10%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Process Payroll, 8%
Office Equipment, 4%

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Accounting Internship
Accounting Internship vs Accountable Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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