Bookkeeper vs accounting clerk

The differences between 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 a bookkeeper and an accounting clerk. Additionally, a bookkeeper has an average salary of $40,337, which is higher than the $38,683 average annual salary of an accounting clerk.

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

Bookkeeper vs accounting clerk overview

	Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Yearly salary	$40,337	$38,683
Hourly rate	$19.39	$18.60
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	38,481	106,969
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does a bookkeeper do?

Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. 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. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.

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.

Bookkeeper vs accounting clerk salary

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

	Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Average salary	$40,337	$38,683
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $52,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	NTT Data International L.L.C.	Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker Llp
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between bookkeeper and accounting clerk education

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

	Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Bookkeeper vs accounting clerk demographics

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

	Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%	Male, 20.0% Female, 80.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% 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 bookkeeper and accounting clerk duties and responsibilities

Bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform journal entries, balance ledger, perform bank reconciliations, control inventory, coordinate proper guest accommodation.
Post and update of daily sales and purchases into QuickBooks system.
Execute monthly collection of Medicaid surplus funds from clients on a monthly basis.
Post resident receipts, Medicaid remittance, and process adjusting entries to the A/R detail.
Work closely with QC personnel for the planning of tooling and the flow process of PWB's.

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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.

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Bookkeeper vs accounting clerk skills

Common bookkeeper skills

Payroll Tax Returns, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Reconciliations, 10%
Data Entry, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Financial Transactions, 4%

Common accounting clerk skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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