Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
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.
Most important skills
- Mathematics
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Time Management
Key knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Economics and Accounting
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
What the work involves
- Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes.
- Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information.
- Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software.
- Classify, record, and summarize numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records, using journals and ledgers or computers.
- Code documents according to company procedures.
- Access computerized financial information to answer general questions as well as those related to specific accounts.
- Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (40.9% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (24%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (30.1%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Higher on contact with others than 57% of occupations compared | 66% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Higher on dealing with the public than 57% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 75% of occupations compared | 43% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 79% of occupations compared | 34% of surveyed respondents chose “Limited freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 50% of occupations compared | 43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 60% of occupations compared | 31% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 55% of occupations compared | 41% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 76% of occupations compared | 32% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 8.44%
- Contact with others about half the time: 1.21%
- Contact with others most of the time: 24.16%
- Constant contact with others: 66.19%
n = 46, Incumbent 07/2017
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 9.07%
- Fairly important: 20.71%
- Important: 7.73%
- Very important: 24.85%
- Extremely important: 37.64%
n = 46, Incumbent 07/2017
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 1.06%
- Fairly important: 18.33%
- Important: 11.31%
- Very important: 26.3%
- Extremely important: 43%
n = 46, Incumbent 07/2017
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 3.66%
- Very little freedom: 3.34%
- Limited freedom: 33.78%
- Some freedom: 32.68%
- A lot of freedom: 26.54%
n = 46, Incumbent 07/2017
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 18.17%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 7.34%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 43.46%
- Every day: 31.03%
n = 45, Incumbent 07/2017
Conflict situations
- Never: 18.93%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 16.29%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 30.76%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 15.38%
- Every day: 18.65%
n = 45, Incumbent 07/2017
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 14.3%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 41.19%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 25.72%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0.18%
- Every day: 18.6%
n = 46, Incumbent 07/2017
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 32.48%
- Fairly serious: 21.36%
- Serious: 26.18%
- Very serious: 9.83%
- Extremely serious: 10.15%
n = 45, Incumbent 07/2017
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O*NET-SOC 43-3031.00 · SOC 43-3031 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8