State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks earn a median of $50,670 per year ($24.36/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 5.8% through 2034, with about 170,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Some college, no degree.
SOC 43-3031Office and Administrative SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $50,670
- Projected growth
- -5.8%
- Openings a year
- 170,000
- Typical education
- Some college
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Account Clerk, Accounting Assistant, Accounting Associate, Accounting Clerk, Accounting Specialist, Accounting Technician.
How much do Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks make?
10th percentile$36,000
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$43,520
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$50,670
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$61,470
Upper quartile
90th percentile$74,550
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $50,670 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $24.36/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $53,560 |
| People employed | 1,373,680 |
Versus all US occupations
At $50,670, the median for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $48,500, this is 4% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $74,550 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,000, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 31% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $65,180, and still leads at $59,308 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $65,180 | $59,308 | 1,790 |
| Connecticut | $59,970 | $57,881 | 14,930 |
| Massachusetts | $59,830 | $56,573 | 29,110 |
| California | $59,230 | $53,495 | 151,870 |
| Washington | $58,620 | $54,778 | 32,930 |
| New Jersey | $58,300 | $53,582 | 37,550 |
| New York | $58,160 | $53,891 | 84,280 |
| Alaska | $56,430 | $55,129 | 4,580 |
| Vermont | $54,720 | $55,861 | 2,950 |
| Minnesota | $54,600 | $55,363 | 26,850 |
Is Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk a growing career?
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks-5.8%
All US occupations3.1%
-5.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks to change -5.8% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 94,300 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 170,000 openings are projected each year, 10.5% of the 1,613,400 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Technological change is expected to reduce demand for these workers. Software innovations have automated many of the tasks performed by bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks. As a result, the same amount of work can be done with fewer employees, which is expected to lead to job losses over the projections decade.
With more automation of routine tasks, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are expected to take on a more analytical and advisory role over the decade. For example, rather than entering data by hand, these workers may focus on analyzing their clients’ books and pointing out potential areas for efficiency gains.
How to become a Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk
Entry requirements vary for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks. Some employers require or prefer that workers have taken college courses or have a degree in accounting or a related field. Others may hire workers who have a high school diploma. These workers also learn some of their skills on the job.
| Typical entry-level education | Some college, no degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks.
- High School Diploma40.9%
- Post-Secondary Certificate20.8%
- Bachelor's Degree12.2%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)8.5%
- Master's Degree6.5%
What does a Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk do?
Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks compute, classify, and record data to help organizations keep complete and accurate financial records.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.
- Perform general office duties, such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
- Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records.
- Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software.
- Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 13% |
|---|---|
| Construction | 8% |
| Wholesale trade | 7% |
| Retail trade | 7% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Mathematics3.4/5
- Reading Comprehension3.3/5
- Active Listening3.3/5
- Critical Thinking3.3/5
- Writing3.1/5
- Speaking3.1/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Active Learning2.8/5
Transferable skills
- Time Management3.0/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Service Orientation2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
- Persuasion2.3/5
- Negotiation2.3/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.6
Investigative2.2
Artistic1.0
Social1.5
Enterprising2.9
Conventionalprimary7.0
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk: frequently asked questions
How much do Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks make?
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks earn a median of $50,670 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.36/hr. The middle half earn between $43,520 and $61,470. The top 10% earn $74,550 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk?
Not necessarily. BLS lists "some college, no degree" as the typical entry-level education for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 40.9% hold high school diploma.
Is Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.8% over 2024–2034, a loss of 94,300 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 170,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk do?
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks compute, classify, and record data to help organizations keep complete and accurate financial records. A core O*NET task: operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks the most?
The highest state medians for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks are District of Columbia ($65,180), Connecticut ($59,970), Massachusetts ($59,830) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk?
O*NET scores Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks highest on the Conventional interest area, which means organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.