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Is bookkeeping a good career decision?

June 20, 2016

Accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing are jobs that have you serving different roles. As a bookkeeper here are three of several things you will be dealing with:

Handling a company’s financial statements

Proofreading reports for errors

Managing a company’s accounts

When it comes to accounting clerks, you will usually see them in larger companies with narrower responsibilities, namely handling accounts that need to be paid and accounts that need to be received.

As for auditing clerks, their job is similar to bookkeeping in that they check financial documents for errors and see if the coding is correct. They report to accountants if or when they find mistakes.

 Does Bookkeeping Have A Future?

One certification you will most certainly require is QuickBooks. According to National Bookkeepers Association President David Bybee, ‘bookkeepers can only handle financial statements and reports if they have a QuickBooks certification’.

Suppose you are a prepared bookkeeper in the making and you have received even that certification and are sitting there looking for more accurate answers and feasting your eyes on what the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected about this career option:

  • There will be a 11.4% employment growth increase for accounting, auditing, and bookkeeping between 2012 and 2022
  • This means 204,600 jobs in these categories need filling
  • With businesses influencing the economy and both growing fast, this career is on the frontlines as companies seek talented bookkeepers and other similarly skilled professionals to pump the success machine.

What Sort Of Training Will I Need?

This may be off-topic but just to fill you in on what is going on in these fields of work…

Auditing clerks do not necessarily need a college education to get employed. As long as they have apt certification and work experience, they are in the clear.

As for bookkeepers, if you are serious about your future, learn all the fundamentals pertaining to your job and land that single-year certificate as soon as you can. However, bear in mind that this is not the 50’s and even then jobs like these were tough to land.

  • One job posting attracts hundreds if not a few thousand applicants
  • You need your resume to stand out in the crowd. Certifications like Payroll Professional and QuickBooks Bookkeeping along with Microsoft Excel proficiency can highlight you as a frontrunner
  • If you an American citizen or are working there in some capacity, bear in mind that the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers awards a Certified Bookkeeper Designation for those who have registered with them and earned it.
  • You can earn the above designation by gaining 2 years of experience at a competent institute or firm. Or you can pass a four-part exam and append some part-time experience to that.

A Certified Bookkeeper Designation can be quite the shining addition to your resume.

What Sort Of Salary Can I Expect?

While specific statistics are either too vague or unproven, below is a median rendition of pay structures for accounting, auditing, and bookkeeping. This is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) findings:

  • As of 2013, the median earning range for all three careers was $35,730
  • The top 10% in the field (who were certainly the best paid) got $55,170
  • Even the bottom 10% raked in an attractive $22,020.

While the metropolitan hotspots of San Jose, San Francisco, and Napa in California pay the highest in the bookkeeping field your options are still plenty in other locations. All you need do is ask around and you will discover a niche for your bookkeeping skills at a company you can grow.

Maxim Liberty is a leading bookkeeping company with over 10 years of experience helping small businesses manage their finances. Passionate about making bookkeeping simple and stress-free, we share practical tips and insights.