Bookkeeper Alternative Careers and Similar Jobs Updated for 2023

A bookkeeper is responsible for recording transactions into the system, which is part of the wider and more general practice of accounting. Bookkeeping specialists will need to stay up-to-date on these developments to keep their skills relevant and maintain a competitive advantage in the workplace. These charts show the average base salary , as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Bookkeeper in the United States. The base salary for Bookkeeper ranges from $38,100 to $47,287 with the average base salary of $42,598.

Please note, individuals interested in more in-depth training involving taxes and payroll processing should consider our Accounting Services Course. Bookkeeping specialists work in a variety of settings, including corporate offices, public accounting firms, and small businesses. They typically work regular business hours, although they may occasionally work overtime to meet deadlines. Bookkeeping specialists who work in public accounting firms may travel to their clients’ places of business to provide bookkeeping services. Most bookkeeping specialists work full time, and some may work more than 40 hours per week.

This exciting new initiative focuses on beginning educational awareness at the earliest years. We are looking for an organized and detail-oriented Accounting Specialist who will analyze financial information, maintain complete records while adhering to the strict standards of our organization. Use this Accounting Specialist job description to advertise your vacancies and find qualified candidates. Feel free to modify responsibilities and requirements based on your needs. Our online Bookkeeping school delivers its curriculum on the internet. The convenience of online classes makes it easier for our students to fit their studies into their busy lives.

Bookkeeper Salary by State

One way to think about it is that bookkeepers lay the groundwork for accountants to analyze and prepare financial statements. Usually, the entry-level salary for both bookkeepers and accountants tends to be similar; however, the earning potential of an accountant tends to increase as their career progress. It is not uncommon for an experienced bookkeeper to make a career transition into accounting or another profession. As bookkeepers work closely with raw data, they tend to develop a good understanding of how a business works. The growth of online accounting is a trend that is quickly changing the bookkeeping industry.

Bookkeepers line up all the small pieces of a company’s financial records, and accountants view and arrange those pieces. Basic accounting, the steps of the accounting cycle, industry standard accounting system software, spreadsheet development, and payroll accounting. An Accounting Specialist needs to be an expert in accounting and finance to ensure their organization always complies with accounting standards. They also need to have good communication skills to work with various leaders in the organization to ensure accounts are updated. An Accounting Specialist’s responsibilities include keeping accurate records of all incoming and outgoing payments, handling payroll tasks as required and assisting with preparing tax documents as needed. When you enroll in our self-paced Bookkeeping program, you choose how much you study each week.

Bookkeeping vs. Accounting: An Overview

These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy. As a business leader, you should have a good idea of which professionals best suit the needs of your company. As such, it’s important to know whether you need a bookkeeper or an accountant to keep track of your affairs.

Trained accountants and bookkeepers manage financial complexities and offer practical business solutions. Department of Labor’s Occupational Handbook, some of the most in-demand accounting jobs include comptroller, accounting manager, senior tax accountant, and internal auditors. As a financial auditor, you may work as an external or internal auditor. If you are an external auditor, you will most likely have a job at a public accounting firm, and you will need to have a CPA license, plus a college degree, and often a master’s degree.

The https://bookkeeping-reviews.com/, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $38,382 to $47,715 with the average total cash compensation of $42,860. After completing your certificate course, our Career Coach Program is an included benefit that will give you one-on-one access to a Career Coach Advisor. Our course and Career Coach Program can prepare you with the skills needed to help you start your new career.

Job Description for Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers may start working for a small business to gain experience and then go back to school for a degree in accounting or finance. Enrolling in one of the best online bookkeeping classes is a smart way for those interested in this career to bolster their existing financial knowledge. As a bookkeeper, your attention to detail must be almost preternatural. Careless mistakes that seem inconsequential at the time can lead to bigger, costlier, more time-consuming problems down the road. Rarely does a bookkeeper work on one big project for an eight-hour shift; instead, a typical workday involves juggling five or six smaller jobs. Nearly all bookkeeping is done using computerized accounting software and programs, so bookkeepers should be comfortable learning new technology if not proficient in it.

Speaking with vendors and suppliers to ensure charges are accurate and that payments are received in a timely manner. Maintaining accurate and complete records, including ledgers, journals, invoices, receipts, and information related to supplies and inventory. And career changes you can make as a Bookkeeper, based on skills you already have. Knowledge of accounting practices including journal entrees, reconciliation procedures, etc. Top 10 finalist for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges.

Bookkeeping Program Tuition and Financing

As an accountant, you must pay attention to figures and financial details, but it is more essential to possess sharp logic skills and big-picture problem-solving abilities. While bookkeepers make sure the small pieces fit correctly into place, accountants use those small pieces to draw much more significant and broader conclusions about a company’s finances. Mid-size and small public accounting firms pay, on average, about 10% less than these firms. If you choose to work for a company internally instead of in public accounting, the starting salary range is very broad. Accounting Specialists make sure that invoices are paid and other accounting tasks are completed for an organization.

We firmly believe that USCI is the top online Bookkeeping school in the nation. This is a wonderful online school, very convenient and pretty reasonably priced to take a course! I am a single mother so this makes it easy to work online during my downtime.

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Accountants, on the other hand, tend to use the bookkeeper’s inputs to create financial statements and periodically review and analyze the financial information recorded by bookkeepers. We’ve listed some of the key differences when it comes to the requirements and job market for each. Some of the key tasks for accountants include tax return preparation, conducting routine reviews of various financial statements, and performing account analysis. Another key responsibility for accountants includes conducting routine audits to ensure that statements and the books are following ethical and industry standards. Bookkeeping is where accountants generally start their careers as the barriers to entry are lower and pay is decent.

However, accountant reviews will widely vary depending on the employer, location, and candidate experience. Bigger companies tend to offer better compensation for bookkeepers; this is largely due to the increased volume of transactions and data. A multinational corporation performs hundreds of transactions a second, while a small business might perform less than a hundred in a day. Once you have completed your training, it’s important to build up your skillset by continuing your education and learning new accounting software. You should also stay up-to-date on industry trends by reading professional journals and attending conferences. As businesses become more complex, there is an increasing demand for bookkeepers who can focus on financial reporting.

A bookkeeper is skilled at keeping documents and tracks a wide net of financial information. Bookkeeping is a great starting point if you are interested in the field but not fully committed and want to test the waters. You may also be an ideal bookkeeping candidate if you want a good job with a respectable wage and decent security but may not be looking for a long-term career. Bookkeeping offers much lower barriers to entry, and the competition you face in the job search is less fierce.

There are various career paths for accountants , from working as a forensic accountant to becoming a financial auditor or an enrolled agent. A comprehensive public community college whose mission is to empower our diverse student population through educational achievement and career readiness. A. The Accounting Services Course includes, in addition to all content of the Bookkeeping Course, additional education on tax and payroll processing. Due to this overlap, students cannot take both courses, and are encouraged to compare and decide between the two. A bookkeeper provides a critical role in the data collection and data input of a business’ accounting cycle. When there is a proper system in place that avoids problems such as skimming fraud, the recorded financial data can provide valuable, actionable insight.

If you want to learn to become a Bookkeeper, you can do it in as little as 4 months. On average, our online Bookkeeping school program is completed in 8 months. Being consistent, accurate, and minimizing errors are key characteristics that employers are seeking for this position.

For full career outlook and certification information please visit our career and certification page. $59 monthly payments, 5 day risk-free preview and 100% money back commitment. Bookkeepers who are able to utilize technology in their work will be able to save time and energy by using tools that automate tasks or help them stay organized. In addition, they will be better equipped to meet the needs of businesses who are looking for professionals who can help them get the most out of their technology investments.