What does a Bookkeeper do?
Bookkeepers are primarily responsible for maintaining a company's general ledger, which entails recording daily transactions, deposits, and income. The majority of bookkeepers work in the professional, scientific, and technical services industry.
Bookkeepers usually have a Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. The best bookeepers are extremely familiar with GAAP and comfortable working in QuickBooks. Bookkeepers must be detail oriented, have strong math skills, and be efficient.
- Perform payroll functions in an accurate and timely manner, and submit payroll taxes
- Conduct reconciliation of all accounts on an as needed basis
- Maintain and balance the general ledger in an accurate, complete, and up-to-date manner
- Perform all activities related to the accounts payable function including reviewing, coding, and processing payments
- Perform account receivable functions including invoicing, deposits, collections, and revenue recognition
- Prepare financial reports through collection, analysis, and summarization of data
- Interpret and apply accounting policies, rules, and regulations to all work in order to ensure compliance with applicable standards
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
- 3-5 years relevant experience working in accounting and bookkeeping
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of GAAP
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Proficient skills in QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel
- Experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and general ledger
- High degree of accuracy and attention to detail
Bookkeeper Salaries
Average Base Pay
Bookkeeper Career Path
Learn how to become a Bookkeeper, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Bookkeeper Insights
Linda's Stuff“My interactions with my coworkers were always positive and I enjoyed the work I did.”
Intuit“Worked with nice people who really worked hard and tried to provide good customer service.”
Liberty Music PR “They have such a great work ethic and really care about those that work for them.”
The UPS Store“pay ain't great but thanks to inflation i've been getting raises at least once every six months”
Volute London“There is a lot of respect for your personal time and I think in general Volute offers a good work life balance.”
Wei Wei &Co“People are nice and friendly.”
Intuit“I definitely am really excited about the opportunity and I am confident I will move up quickly.”
Accountability Plus“Vertical growth was not apparent”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of a Bookkeeper
When working as a Bookkeeper, the most common skills you will need to perform your job and for career success are Excellent Organizational, Microsoft Office Suite, Attention To Detail, Microsoft EXCEL and General Ledger.
- Management Accountant
- Accountant
- Accounting Manager
- Cost Accountant
The most common qualifications to become a Bookkeeper is a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree and an average of 0 - 1 of experience not including years spent in education and/or training.