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Best payroll bookkeeper certifications

The best certifications for a payroll bookkeeper are Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Bookkeepers Certification, and International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA).

Payroll bookkeeper certifications demonstrate your competency as a payroll bookkeeper to employers. However, not all payroll bookkeeper certifications provide the same value.

Below is a list of the best payroll bookkeeper certifications. Obtaining a payroll bookkeeper certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.

4 best certifications for payroll bookkeepers

4 best payroll bookkeeper certifications

1. Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

The CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is the advanced professional certification specifically designed to measure the accounting and financial management skills that drive business performance.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)

2. Bookkeepers Certification

The National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers' (NACPB) Uniform Certified Public Bookkeeper Examination (Exam) is the exam administered to candidates who want to obtain a Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) license. The license and Exam are developed and maintained by NACPB.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? 

3. International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA)

ACAT seeks to ensure that all accredited individuals possess both the theoretical knowledge and the practical knowledge necessary to be successful practitioners. For that reason, candidates for accreditation must satisfy an experience requirement before becoming fully credentialed: three years of related work experience, up to two of which may be satisfied through college credit. Related work experience includes verifiable experience in accounting, financial services, or other field requiring a practical and theoretical knowledge of the subject matter covered on the ACAT Comprehensive Examination for the International Accredited Business Accountant. Those who pass the exam but who have not met the experience requirement may market themselves as having passed the ACAT Comprehensive Examination for International Accredited Business Accountant, but are not entitled to use the IABA designation.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? No

4. Payroll Certification

NBA's Payroll Certification assures employers you have payroll knowledge and skill. You obtain the Certification by passing the Uniform Payroll Certification Examination.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? 

What is the best certification for a payroll bookkeeper?

The best payroll bookkeeper certification is Certified Management Accountant (CMA). The Certified Management Accountant (CMA) is awarded by the The Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business. This certification is great to have as it shows an improvement in your competency to perform your role. You can earn this certification at the beginning of your career, as it often doesn't require a minimum education level and work experience.

Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this payroll bookkeeper certification:

  • To become a certified Certified Management Accountant (CMA), you need to pass the exam.
  • This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
  • Renew certification every 1 year.

What certifications can impact a payroll bookkeeper career and salary?

The Certified Management Accountant certification will help you to secure a accounting coordinator position, which will increase your pay and career trajectory. A accounting coordinator's average salary is $46,752 whereas payroll bookkeepers make an average salary of $46,087.

Best certifications

The most common combination of payroll bookkeeper certifications include: Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Bookkeepers Certification, and International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA).

Online courses for payroll bookkeepers to earn certifications

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