A Guide to Bookkeeping: Skills, Salaries, and Careers

This often involves analytical thinking and a proactive approach to troubleshooting. Being able to quickly pinpoint the source of an error and implement corrective measures can save an organization time and resources. Founded in 1966, ECPI University promotes a student-centered learning environment as well as personal and professional development through education. Though having a two-year or four-year degree isn’t always required to be hired as a bookkeeper, some companies may prefer candidates who do. If you’re organized and enjoy working with numbers, a job as a bookkeeper could be a good fit. Learn more about what bookkeepers do and how to get started in this career.

Salary Of A Bookkeeper

Read on to learn what you need to know about becoming a certified bookkeeper. The average salary for a bookkeeper in the United States is about $43,000 per year. However, some bookkeepers can earn less (around $37,000) or more ($50,000 and above) depending on their bookkeeping skills, experience, location, niche, and the quality of their clients. Bookkeeping can be a great side hustle if you’re good at it and enjoy the work.

Outsourced bookkeeping

Completing courses and workbooks can help you prepare for and pass your bookkeeping exam. A bookkeeper certification tells employers that you have all the skills and expertise required for advanced bookkeeping. Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths.

Is Bookkeeping a good career path?

Every company, even a small one, requires bookkeeping to maintain a healthy financial position. Intuit is dedicated to providing its employees with the ability to learn and grow throughout their time with our company. Once candidates are hired as employees, they will be provided with training assignments and other resources that prepare them for their positions. Intuit provides its employees with supplemental learning materials after training has been completed to assist employees in developing their skills. If you’re interested in being a freelance virtual bookkeeper, you can sign up for freelance marketplace websites to connect with potential clients. Freelance jobs can range from quick temporary projects to long-term employment.

• These will help prove your expertise in specific bookkeeping and accounting software to clients.
• An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information.
• These professionals use problem-solving, analytical, and detail-oriented skills while working closely with numbers and bookkeeping software.
• Manufacturing bookkeepers need to accurately recognize goods throughout the production process, including raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods.
• You could work part-time or full-time, although longer work days are common at tax time, when audits are due and at the end of fiscal years.
• Effective time management also plays a role here, as bookkeepers must meet regular deadlines for financial reporting and tax filings.
• Some are specifically geared toward a company’s related industry; even software is designed outside standard bookkeeping options.

The organization also offers one-, two-, and three-year memberships at discounted prices. To maintain the CB credential, you must fulfill 60 continuing education credits every three years. To qualify for the CPB license, you need to accumulate 2,080 hours or one year of experience in the field. Bookkeeping is a super flexible side hustle that can be completed from anywhere worldwide. It all depends on what kind of clients you have and how messy or organized their books are when they hand them over to you. Some days will be harder than others and there will be challenges you have to face.

• They take the “scary” out of your finances so you can focus on what matters most.
• You’ll be dealing with a lot of financial data and numbers in this career path.
• Completing courses and workbooks can help you prepare for and pass your bookkeeping exam.
• If you are a bookkeeper and absolutely love numbers and analysis, then that’s a good start to becoming an accountant.
• The role of a bookkeeper is relatively straightforward and organized around a basic set of tasks.
• If you’re interested in an analytical, business-minded career, becoming a bookkeeper (especially a virtual bookkeeper) might be the right choice.

The team works with Intuit’s Tax and Bookkeeping experts, recruiters, and thought leaders. It provides valuable resources, insights, and opportunities to help people achieve their career goals and business ambitions. Now that you understand how to become a bookkeeper, you are ready to Grocery Store Accounting get started on your new path.

You will check bank deposits for fraud, fix balance sheet errors, and maintain accurate payroll records. A proper financial data management system can provide valuable, actionable insights and prevent problems, such as skimming fraud. As a bookkeeper, you oversee the first steps of the accounting cycle, while an accountant typically handles the last two. Bookkeepers play a vital role in the business accounting cycle by collecting and inputting data. As a detail-oriented professional, you can play a crucial role in the organization and growth of companies, from small businesses to major corporations.

Familiarity with a range of accounting tools, such as Xero, FreshBooks, and Sage, is now a fundamental requirement for modern bookkeepers. One of the most recognized certifications is the Certified Bookkeeper (CB) designation offered by the American normal balance Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB). This certification requires candidates to pass a series of exams that cover essential topics such as adjusting entries, error correction, payroll, and depreciation. The rigorous nature of the CB certification ensures that those who earn it have a thorough grasp of bookkeeping practices and are well-prepared to handle complex financial tasks. Additionally, the certification process often includes continuing education requirements, which help bookkeepers stay current with industry changes and advancements. Bookkeeping can be difficult as it requires time management, logic, and accounting skills.