Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. You can use this as a reference to set a competitive rate or asking salary and to ensure that you’re paid accordingly. This is one of the reasons why pursuing a career in accounting is a bit more challenging. You can also look at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to find CPAs with skills in certain areas, such as employee benefits or personal finance. For the past 52 years, Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) hasworked as an accounting supervisor, manager, consultant, university instructor, and innovator in teaching accounting online.

If you are interested in becoming an accountant, it may be beneficial to your career to become a certified public accountant (CPA), which has its own exam. You must have a minimum of 150 postsecondary education hours, or what amounts to a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and an additional 30 hours of graduate work. The differences between accountants and bookkeepers can be seen in a few details. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an accountant, becoming a bookkeeper takes usually requires 4-6 years.

The Salary Difference Between Accounting and Bookkeeping

If you’re only focusing on expenses and not big-picture financial data, you’ll miss out on some strategic opportunities. These are the main differences that set bookkeeper vs accountant salary apart a bookkeeper vs accountant. These areas define the roles and functions of bookkeeping vs accounting and show why they’re both essential to the business.

Accountants, on the other hand, tend to use the bookkeeper’s inputs to create financial statements and periodically review and analyze the financial information recorded by bookkeepers. We’ve listed some of the key differences when it comes to the requirements and job market for each. While they mainly record financial transactions, bookkeepers are responsible for a variety of duties, which are important for maintaining a successful business. I  estimate that a bookkeeper’s salary will be less than half of an accountant’s salary. For example, an accountant with a year or two of experience might earn $60,000 per year while a bookkeeper will earn less than $30,000 per year.

Bookkeeping vs. accounting: What are the main differences?

Keep an organization’s financial data confidential and be transparent about your bookkeeping activities. Join over 1 million businesses scanning & organizing receipts, creating expense reports and more—with Shoeboxed. Turn your receipts into data and deductibles with our expense reports that include IRS-accepted receipt images.

The highest-paid bookkeepers were the 460 working for the US Postal Service, who earned $59,150 in average annual income. The 4,160 bookkeepers in the cinema and video industries came in second place, receiving average annual pay of $46,840. For example, a certification from California State University, Fullerton costs $2,195. As for certification from AIPB, members pay $479, and nonmembers pay $574.

What Is the Difference Between a Bookkeeper & Accounting Clerk?

Bookkeepers record financial transactions, post debits and credits, create invoices, manage payroll and maintain and balance the books. Bookkeepers and accountants share the same long-term goal of helping your business financially thrive, but their roles are distinct. Bookkeepers focus more on daily responsibilities, like recording transactions, while accountants provide overarching financial advice and tax guidance. While there are certain similarities and overlaps between the two, there are distinctions that set these two roles apart. Bookkeepers don’t necessarily need higher education in order to work in their field while accountants can be more specialized in their training.

• As a business leader, you should have a good idea of which professionals best suit the needs of your company.
• The NACPB offers credentials to bookkeepers who pass tests for small business accounting, small business financial management, bookkeeping and payroll.
• Accountants analyze financial trends and provide companies with a strategy for maintaining their financial health.
• Accountants and bookkeepers work with numbers and financial data all day long.
• It’s important to know how these two jobs differ, as they’re both essential to the success of the business.
• On average, accountants received almost double the salary of bookkeepers.

Because bookkeepers tend to work for smaller companies, they may not be paid as much as accountants. Knowing the differences between the two can help people find their niche in the industry and can give guidance to companies on who to hire for their needs. As an accountant, you must pay attention to figures and financial details, but it is more essential to possess sharp logic skills and big-picture problem-solving abilities.

Coursework and other continuing education programs support skill development and encourage professional networking, which can also expand your job opportunities. Both AIPB and NACPB require previous bookkeeping experience to qualify for their courses. Integrity and trustworthiness are important qualities to cultivate as a bookkeeper.

Employers are less likely to ask for certified evidence of your skills if you’ve been working as a bookkeeper for years. Bookkeeping is a crucial function of accounting, and earning a bookkeeping certification is a great way to show employers your expertise. While a certificate is not a requirement to become a bookkeeper, some professionals pursue certification to show their skills to employers and stand out in their job search. However, there are also several advantages of hiring a certified accounting professional in addition to or over a bookkeeper. These advantages include the benefit of a comprehensive financial analysis, a higher level of expertise, and legal assistance. Accountants can suggest recommendations and strategies to make the most out of your business financially.