General ledger bookkeeper vs accounting clerk

The differences between general ledger 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 general ledger bookkeeper and an accounting clerk. Additionally, a general ledger bookkeeper has an average salary of $44,940, which is higher than the $38,683 average annual salary of an accounting clerk.

The top three skills for a general ledger bookkeeper include reconciliations, general ledger accounts and CPA. The most important skills for an accounting clerk are data entry, customer service, and purchase orders.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounting clerk overview

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Yearly salary	$44,940	$38,683
Hourly rate	$21.61	$18.60
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	56,765	106,969
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	6	6

What does a general ledger bookkeeper do?

A general ledger bookkeeper conducts daily recording and maintenance of all of a business' financial transactions. These transactions include purchases, expenses, invoices, sales revenue, and payments, all of which are summarized in the general ledger. They are expected to prepare journal entries and ensure data is accurate. Furthermore, at the end of a specific period, they are expected to transfer the entries to the ledger. They ensure that the transactions reported meet accounting standards.

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.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounting clerk salary

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

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Average salary	$44,940	$38,683
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $59,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker Llp
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between general ledger bookkeeper and accounting clerk education

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

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounting clerk demographics

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

	General Ledger Bookkeeper	Accounting Clerk
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%	Male, 20.0% Female, 80.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.1% 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 general ledger bookkeeper and accounting clerk duties and responsibilities

General ledger bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Report to owner and outside CPA.
Prepare cross reference work papers to substantiate journal entries according to GAAP.
Organize and maintain bills, receipts, and vehicle logs to send to CPA.
Ensure accuracy of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and compliance to internal policies.
Prepare investment funds roll forward schedule for annual audit, and reconcile investment relate general ledgers for annual audit.

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.

General ledger bookkeeper vs accounting clerk skills

Common general ledger bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 16%
General Ledger Accounts, 12%
CPA, 6%
Bank Statements, 4%
Payroll Taxes, 4%
Credit Card, 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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General Ledger Bookkeeper
General Ledger Bookkeeper vs Accounting Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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