Bookkeeping works well as a stepping stone for professionals looking to gain hands-on experience and advance their careers in accounting. With relevant experience, continued education and certifications, you can qualify for higher-level accounting positions. Without proper documentation and financial management procedures, accountants can’t do their job effectively. Staffing for both positions, taking on some of the responsibilities on your own, or finding a professional finance management service is best if you want to keep your small business prosperous. I  estimate that a bookkeeper’s salary will be less than half of an accountant’s salary.

Bookkeepers still play important roles on accounting teams, especially in the small business world. This bookkeeper salary guide explores ways for emerging and established bookkeepers to improve their job prospects and earning power. Accounting https://simple-accounting.org/bookkeeping-vs-accounting/ careers may offer flexibility and opportunities across a wide range of sectors. Accountants can specialize in government or nonprofit accounting, consulting or freelance, or work in areas like forensic accounting, auditing or education.

Bookkeeper Vs Accountant: What’s the Difference?

This designation is required if you plan to produce financial reports for publicly traded companies. In addition, many firms https://simple-accounting.org/ require in-house accountants to be licensed CPAs. While bookkeeping and accounting have similarities, they are not the same.

There are college courses, leading to certification, that teach popular bookkeeping software. Also, the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers offers a Certified Bookkeeper (CB) accreditation. Most importantly, expected salary, growth prospects and additional career opportunities are different for accountants than for bookkeepers.

Career Paths

Nearly all bookkeeping is done using computerized accounting software and programs, so bookkeepers should be comfortable learning new technology if not proficient in it. Public accounting generally pays the most to a candidate right out of school. In particular, the big four firms of Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers offer larger salaries than mid-size and small firms. Depending on the city, you can expect to earn between $40,000 and $60,000 your first year as a Big Four accountant. While the companies do not publish salaries on their websites, the benefits can be a large draw.

• On the other hand, bookkeepers working for accounting and related services averaged $36,130 per year in 2012, a difference of almost $40,000.
• Some bookkeepers will also handle accounting tasks, and others will also deal with employee services, like managing payroll for example.
• This can be helpful for minor operations, but if you’re serious about maintaining your business’ financial health, you may consider hiring for bookkeeping and accounting services.
• Accountants may also get professional certifications like a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for additional credibility and experience.
• Accountants earned higher pay in the District of Columbia than in any state in 2012, receiving an average annual income of $87,370, according to the BLS.
• Between managing employees, maintaining customer satisfaction, and balancing your personal life, it’s easy to let things slip through the cracks.

From this viewpoint, bookkeeping offers an appealing path to an accounting career. Instead of graduate degrees, bookkeepers can earn professional certifications that indicate greater ability. These include the certified bookkeeper (CB) designation offered by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers. As pioneers in online higher education since 1989, University of Phoenix is an accredited online university for working adults.

Bookkeeper Salary by State

When it comes to managing finances for your small business, it’s best to have a dual-layer system— and bookkeeping and accounting go hand-in-hand. In order to manage your finances comprehensively, you’ll need to consider the value of both positions. Accountants earned higher pay in the District of Columbia than in any state in 2012, receiving an average annual income of $87,370, according to the BLS. Bookkeepers also received higher pay in the District of Columbia than in any state. At $51,440 per year, however, bookkeepers’ income fell short of average accountant pay by almost $36,000.

There are various career paths for accountants (and some for bookkeepers), from working as a forensic accountant to becoming a financial auditor or an enrolled agent. In this guide, you’ll learn what differentiates a bookkeeper vs accountant, which your business should hire, and when to employ them. In this guide, you’ll learn what differentiates a bookkeeper vs accountant, which your business should hire, and when to employ them. When deciding whether you should hire an accountant vs a bookkeeper, the answer will depend on what kind of help your business needs. These steps require a more in-depth understanding of finances, so an accountant will typically perform them.

They enter these figures into a company’s accounting software, but their role is all about keeping records and not about financial forecasting and other complex accounting functions. As the name suggests, bookkeepers are financial administrators who record daily transactions in a company’s “books,” or probably more accurately, in their accounting software. If you want to go into this type of career, these are the duties you will likely take on. Those running a business can handle these tasks with bookkeeping software or can hire a bookkeeper to do it for them. Accountants and bookkeepers share common goals but support businesses and organizations at different phases of the financial cycle.

• The primary difference between an accountant and a bookkeeper is that accountants focus more on analyzing data while bookkeepers focus more on recording it correctly.
• She is also experienced in setting up corporations with the State Corporation Commission and the IRS.
• You can become a bookkeeper right out of high school if you prove you are good with numbers and have strong attention to detail.

Caryl Ramsey has years of experience assisting in different aspects of bookkeeping, taxes, and customer service. She uses a variety of accounting software for setting up client information, reconciling accounts, coding expenses, running financial reports, and preparing tax returns. She is also experienced in setting up corporations with the State Corporation Commission and the IRS. 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.

Notably, Texas has two cities (Dallas and Houston) in the top five employers of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks among metro areas. Employers in areas with higher living costs also tend to pay a premium. However, keep in mind that those higher living costs may cancel out the financial benefits of increased bookkeeping salaries.

GrowthForce accounting services provided through an alliance with SK CPA, PLLC. In September 2022, Payscale placed the national U.S. average rate for bookkeepers at $18.46 per hour. Bookkeepers should research local average rates to ensure they price their services competitively. With NetSuite, you go live in a predictable timeframe — smart, stepped implementations begin with sales and span the entire customer lifecycle, so there’s continuity from sales to services to support. These careers may take some time to get into, but they are in demand right now, according to Northeastern University.