How To Become A Bookkeeping Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a bookkeeping assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Jodi Olson

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a bookkeeping assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.49 an hour? That's $38,456 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -5% and produce -77,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What's a day at work look like for a bookkeeping assistant?

Jodi Olson

Assistant Accounting Professor, Winona State University

Graduates could see a range of possibilities from working entirely remotely to fully on-site with precautions in place, based on recent graduate and internship experiences we have seen during the pandemic. Except for a very few internships cut short or cancelled immediately at the onset of the pandemic as the profession adapted to unknowns and putting safety measures in place, we have not seen a significant change in the demand for interns or graduates. Some new graduates expect their first day on the jobs to be remote and feel ready to meet that challenge being familiar with the technology required to be productive and communicate virtually. It has become an assumption that precautions are in place, regardless of the remote or in-person setting. It seems that both graduates and employers are working hard together to achieve success, both with caution and the usual high professional standards.

ScoreBookkeeping AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,456

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 6.50%

Black or African American 6.71%

Hispanic or Latino 14.27%

Unknown 3.96%

White 67.93%

Gender

female 84.14%

male 15.86%

Age - 53

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 53

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a bookkeeping assistant

Explore bookkeeping assistant education requirements

Most common bookkeeping assistant degrees

Bachelor's

45.7 %

Associate

26.5 %

High School Diploma

16.1 %

Start to develop specific bookkeeping assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	16.50%
Financial Reports	6.91%
Credit Card Statements	6.24%
Bank Deposits	5.24%
General Ledger	4.55%

Complete relevant bookkeeping assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bookkeeping assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bookkeeping assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bookkeeping assistant resumes.

Gain additional bookkeeping assistant certifications

Bookkeeping assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific bookkeeping assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for bookkeeping assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Bookkeepers Certification.

More About Certifications

Research bookkeeping assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Work with all the ACH'S and cash letters.
Manage revenue ledger including other subsidiary ledgers and responsible for the reconciliation of various income accounts to ensure accuracy of postings.
Document, classify and record each transaction in accordance with GAAP standards for review by CPA.

Prepare your bookkeeping assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bookkeeping assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bookkeeping assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable bookkeeping assistant resume templates

Build a professional bookkeeping assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your bookkeeping assistant resume.