Bookkeeper vs finance clerk

The differences between bookkeepers and finance 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 a finance clerk. Additionally, a bookkeeper has an average salary of $40,337, which is higher than the $39,225 average annual salary of a finance clerk.

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

Bookkeeper vs finance clerk overview

	Bookkeeper	Finance Clerk
Yearly salary	$40,337	$39,225
Hourly rate	$19.39	$18.86
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	38,481	143,372
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 a finance clerk do?

Finance clerks are financial professionals who are responsible for performing various administrative tasks such as keeping financial records, preparing bills, and delivering excellent customer service. These clerks are required to process bills, checks, receipts, and other documents to ensure that they are all properly signed and distributed. They must verify financial and other data so that they can enter those data into the database and maintain updated records. Finance clerks must also assist with account reconciliations and should report the status of accounts and discrepancies to the management.

Bookkeeper vs finance clerk salary

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

	Bookkeeper	Finance Clerk
Average salary	$40,337	$39,225
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $52,000	Between $27,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	NTT Data International L.L.C.	United States Courts
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between bookkeeper and finance clerk education

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

	Bookkeeper	Finance Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Bookkeeper vs finance clerk demographics

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

	Bookkeeper	Finance Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%	Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%
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, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between bookkeeper and finance 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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Finance clerk example responsibilities.

Manage resident's private information for insurance verification, billing, and eligibility to apply for Medicaid.
Collaborate with insurance company representatives, case managers and physicians to obtain treatment authorization for potential kidney and kidney/pancreas transplant patients.
Write checks in the QuickBooks software to vendors and to reimburse employees.
Establish customer files in QuickBooks, write and test work instructions for clients, log and close complete files.
Produce PowerPoint presentations in order to brief the command team of the on goings within the company.
Used an automate information system (PeopleSoft) to edit, modify, and verify customers personal and payment information.

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Bookkeeper vs finance clerk skills

Common bookkeeper skills

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

Common finance clerk skills

Data Entry, 16%
Purchase Orders, 9%
HR, 5%
Bank Statements, 5%
Bank Deposits, 5%
Credit Card, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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