How long does the training take?

Typically a year or so of college, then a few months to a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make?

The US median is $50,670 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Not a full degree. A certificate or short program is the usual route.

Where can you train for this work?

639 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Office & admin · SOC 43-3031

$50,670US median pay, 2025

-5.6%Projected growth, 2025–35

144,100Openings per year

CertificateUsual way in

How you get in

A certificate or short program is the usual way in.

Some college, no degree
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Work in: bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping	CIP 52.0302	639

See the 639 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically a year or so of college, then a few months to a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make?: The US median is $50,670 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Not a full degree. A certificate or short program is the usual route.
Where can you train for this work?: 639 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Office & admin

Customer service representatives · Office clerks, general · Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive · First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers · Receptionists and information clerks · Medical secretaries and administrative assistants · Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants · Production, planning, and expediting clerks