Bookkeeper: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.
The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.
10% of bookkeepers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $36,000
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
25% of bookkeepers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $43,520
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Half of bookkeepers earn more than this and half earn less.
- Annual
- $50,670
- Hourly
- $24.36
- Source
- BLS May 2025
75% of bookkeepers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $61,470
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
90% of bookkeepers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $74,550
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Bookkeepers compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. The median pay is $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (41% of workers surveyed by O*NET).
- Median pay
- $50,670
- BLS May 2025
- Employed in the U.S.
- 1,373,680
- BLS May 2025
- Preparation
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- medium preparation
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 41% of workers
Data Government data groups this job as Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (O*NET-SOC 43-3031.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
Every page for Bookkeepers
Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.
Open →How to becomeBookkeeper how to becomeEducation, training and the skills to build first.
Open →ResumeBookkeeper resumeKeywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.
Open →Interview questionsBookkeeper interview questionsQuestions with what they test, plus practice mode.
Open →Free toolCheck your resumeParsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.
Open →What bookkeepers do day to day
Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).
- Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information.
- Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes.
- Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.
- Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers.
- Code documents according to company procedures.
- Perform financial calculations, such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal.
- Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records.
Ranked by importance to the job
Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.
Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, Mathematics, English Language, Economics and Accounting, Computers and Electronics.
Software bookkeepers use
Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.
- Epic SystemsMedical softwareHot technology
- MEDITECH softwareMedical softwareHot technology
- ADP Pay eXpertTime accounting software
- ADP Workforce NowHuman resources software
- AuditWare financial reporting and auditing softwareFinancial analysis software
- Auditing softwareFinancial analysis software
- BLS Software Invoice!Billing and invoicing software
- Corporate Responsibility System Technologies Limited CRSTL Compliance Positioning SystemCompliance software
- Customer information control system CICSTransaction server software
- Delphi TechnologyFinancial analysis software
- DropboxCloud-based data access and sharing software
- Fifth Walk BillingTrackerBilling and invoicing software
Also called: Account Clerk, Accounting Assistant, Accounting Associate, Accounting Clerk, Accounting Specialist, Accounting Technician.
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How this page is built
Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.
- How a specific employer defines the job.
- Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).