A bookkeeper is responsible for up keep and organization of a corporation’s financial records.  Bookkeepers update and preserve accounting records, including accounts payable and receivable, expenditures, profit and loss and expenditures.  Bookkeepers need to possess a wide array of skills and knowledge.  Full-charge bookkeepers will maintain a whole company’s financial records.  An accounting clerk, or bookkeeper assistant, will handle only specific accounts.

All types of bookkeepers must make numerous computations each day.  This makes good math skills imperative to bookkeeping.  Increasingly, computers and other technology are becoming more and more a part of bookkeeping, and individual bookkeepers must be comfortable with it. 

As organizations continue to computerize their financial records, many bookkeepers must be kept up-to-date on current computer software in the field.  With manual posting and logging becoming obsolete, it is becoming more and more vital that a bookkeeper be able to post charges to accounts on computer sheets.  The extensive use of computers has allowed bookkeepers to take on additional responsibilities.  These responsibilities include: payroll, billing and procurement.  In addition to computer skills, a bookkeeper needs to have interpersonal skills.  They may be required to write letters, make phone calls and interact with other employees.

In small companies and organizations, bookkeeping clerks will manage all financial dealings and record keeping.  The bookkeeping clerk will manage all transactions, post debits and credits, create financial statements, and put in order reports and summaries for supervisors.  Bookkeepers will also organize bank deposits by accumulating data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending all forms of payment to the bank.  The bookkeeping clerk may also arrange invoices, make purchases, manage payroll, and keep track of overdue accounts.

In larger firms and accounting departments, bookkeepers will have more particular tasks.  They may have a different title, and the title they hold will reflect the kind of work they do.  These titles include: accounts payable clerk and accounts receivable clerk.  Also, a bookkeeper’s responsibilities may be affected by the amount of experience an individual has. 

Entry-level bookkeepers will do jobs such as post details of transactions, total accounts and compute interest charges.  They also may check loans and accounts to make certain that payments are up-to-date. 

More advanced bookkeeper’s may summarize, balance, and reconcile billing vouchers; ascertain the completeness and accuracy of data on accounts; and code documents according to company procedures.  They may also post data in journals and update computer files when needed.

Most positions you will find in the bookkeeping field will require at least a high school diploma or equivalent.  However, it is most desirable to attain a degree or certificate in the field of your employment.  Many companies are looking for a bookkeeper with a college education, having an associate’s degree in business or accounting is required for many positions.  Although the college degree is not always required, many college graduates will accept positions as a bookkeeper or accounting assistant, with the hope that they will be promoted to a higher position. 

As with many other occupations, experience in the field and/or working in an office setting is a bonus for potential employers.  Employers are also looking for candidates who are proficient in computer skills.  Having a working knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Work and Excel, are increasingly important. 

Once you are hired as a bookkeeper, on-the-job training is often available.  Under the direction of a supervisor or other higher-ranking employee, new employees will learn company procedures.  Some companies may also require some classroom training.  This may include training in specific computer software programs and other company responsibilities.

Bookkeepers must have many specific attributes.  They must be responsible, organized and detail-oriented.  Bookkeepers must possess these traits in order to avoid making error, and to be able to recognize errors others are making.  Bookkeepers should also be discreet and reliable, because they commonly come in contact with confidential data.  In addition, bookkeepers should have a strong aptitude for math and numbers because this is the biggest part of the job.

Bookkeepers, chiefly those who handle all the record keeping for companies, may find it advantageous to become certified in the field.  The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers offers The Certified Bookkeeper designation.  This guarantees employers that individuals will have the expertise and knowledge necessary to carry out all the bookkeeping functions up through the adjusted trial balance, including payroll tasks.
For certification, individuals must have at least two years of bookkeeping practice, pass three tests and adhere to a code of ethics.  There are more than 100 colleges that offer preparatory classes for bookkeeping and over 150 online courses on the subject.

For those looking for advancement, The Universal Accounting Center offers the Professional Bookkeeper title.  Bookkeepers can advance by taking on more responsibilities and duties for higher pay, or by reassign to a directly related field.  Most companies like to fill office and administrative support positions from within the firm, so there is good chance for advancement.  Therefore, bookkeepers with certification will have the first advantage of filling those higher-up positions.  With appropriate skills and experience, some bookkeepers may eventually become accountants and auditors.

The salary of a bookkeeper will vary according to region of the country.  As of March 2006, the median income for a bookkeeper in the Midwest was 33,633 dollars per year for a bookkeeper.  The bottom 25th percentile of the field was earning 29,522 dollars per year and the top 75th percentile of the field was earning 38,795 dollars per year.  The median income for a bookkeeper in the South was 34,060 dollars per year.  The bottom 25th percentile was 32,769 dollars per year and the top 75th percentile was 39,287 dollars per year.  The median income for a bookkeeper on the West Coast was 37,333 dollars per year.  The bottom 25th percentile were earning 32,769, while the top 75th percentile were earning 43,062.  And on the East Coast the median salary for a bookkeeper was 40,136 dollars per year.  The bottom 25th percentile were earning 35,236 dollars per year, and the top 75th percentile were earning 46,296.

With every advancement will come an increase in salary.  For example, a bookkeeper that works their way up to Accounting Director will earn a median salary of 112,813 dollars per year.  The bottom 25th percentile of accounting directors will earn 95,590 and the top 75th percentile will earn 134,140.  This is based on the Midwest data, and will likely increase with different regions of the country.

Employment of bookkeepers is predicted to grow more slowly than average for all occupations through 2014.  More job openings will come from replacement needs than from job growth.  Each year, many jobs will become obtainable as bookkeepers transfer to other occupations or leave the work force.  The many opportunities of this occupation ensure plentiful job openings, including many opportunities for part-time and temporary employment.

The continuing trend of office automation and computerization will lead to the slower-than-average increase in the field of bookkeeping.  This is despite a growing economy and more financial transactions.  Furthermore, companies of all sizes continue to downsize and consolidate many bookkeeping functions.  Additionally, much of this work will continue to be outsourced to lower-wage foreign companies.  Therefore, those bookkeepers who are certified or whom can carryout a wider range of responsibilities will be in more of a demand than specialized clerks.

However, demand for full-charge bookkeepers is expected to rise through 2012.  These bookkeepers can be called upon to do much of the work of accountants, as well as perform a widespread variety of financial dealings, from payroll to billing.  Certified bookkeepers and those with numerous years of accounting and/or bookkeeping experience will have the best job prospects.