Annual Salary Range
Full-time: $27,000 to $45,000+
The pay range reflects differences in job responsibilities, the size and type of employer, and the supply and demand for accounting clerks in a given geographic area. (General salary information is available at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
Educational Requirement
Some accounting clerks enter the work force with a two-year associate degree in accounting, while others enter with a high school diploma and an expectation that the employer will provide on-the-job training. Generally, accounting clerks are not expected to have a four-year degree in accounting.
Types of Tasks and Responsibilities
Companies large enough to have one or more accountants on staff often hire accounting clerks to assist the accountants with routine tasks. Unlike a bookkeeper who performs a range of basic financial tasks, the accounting clerk, payroll clerk, accounts payable clerk, accounts receivable clerk, inventory clerk, and cost accounting clerk have more focused responsibilities.
For example, the duties of an accounts payable clerk at XYZ Company may be to compare the information on each supplier's invoice to the information on XYZ's corresponding purchase order and receiving ticket. If the information on these documents is consistent, the supplier's invoice is sent forward for payment. If the information is not consistent, the accounts payable clerk must resolve the differences before sending the invoice forward for payment.
