Occupation salary profile

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

SOC 43-3031 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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. Excludes “Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks” (43-3051).

National median · BLS
$50,670
▲ +2.97% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$45,074
▼ -9.85% YoY · 31 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$53,560
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
1,373,680
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 31 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$36,000$38,792
25th$43,520$43,066
Median (50th)$50,670$45,074
75th$61,470$56,079
90th — top pay$74,550$60,000
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $45,074 for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — 11% below the BLS national median of $50,670.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

BLS projects employment of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks to decline 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 144,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
1,532,400 → 1,446,800
-85,600 jobs
Projected change
-5.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
144,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Some college, no degree
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
5.6% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need some college but no degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $45,074
Change vs prior year -9.85%
After inflation (CPI-U) -12.59%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level II 11 35.5% $41,850 $45,011 $51,220
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Mathematics3.4
  • Active Listening3.3
  • Critical Thinking3.3
  • Reading Comprehension3.3
  • Speaking3.1
  • Writing3.1
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Time Management3.0
  • Complex Problem Solving2.9
  • Coordination2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.2
  • Administrative3.9
  • Mathematics3.8
  • English Language3.4
  • Economics and Accounting3.4
  • Computers and Electronics3.2
  • Administration and Management2.9
  • Education and Training2.7
Software and technology used
Intuit QuickBooksMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookSAP softwareAdobe AcrobatEpic SystemsGoogle DocsMEDITECH softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordOracle DatabaseOracle PeopleSoftSAP Concur

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks do

  • Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information.
  • Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes.
  • Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
  • Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.
  • Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers.
  • Code documents according to company procedures.
  • Perform financial calculations, such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal.
  • Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records.
Also called
Account ClerkAccounting AssistantAccounting ClerkAccounts Payables ClerkAccounting AssociateAccounting SpecialistAccounting TechnicianAccounts Payable ClerkAccounts Payable SpecialistAccounts Receivable Clerk
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Account AdministratorAccount Information ClerkAccount Receivable ClerkAccountant AssistantAccountant ClerkAccountant HelperAccounting BookkeeperAccounting CoordinatorAccounting RepresentativeAccounts Payable CoordinatorAccounts Receivable AssistantAccounts Receivable SpecialistAdvice ClerkAmortization ClerkAudit ClerkAudit Control ClerkAuditing ClerkBalance ClerkBank ReconciliatorBond ClerkBooking ClerkBookkeeperBookkeeper AssistantBookkeeping ClerkBudget ClerkBudget TechnicianCanceling and Cutting Control ClerkCash Accounting ClerkCash Register BalancerChart CalculatorChart ChangerChart ClerkChart ComputerChart PickerChart ReaderChart SnatcherCheck ClerkCheck Processing ClerkClassification AnalystClassification Control ClerkClassifierClearing House ClerkClerk AnalystClipmanCollateral ClerkCollection ClerkCommodity Loan ClerkComputer BookkeeperCost Accounting ClerkCredit Card ClerkDaily Sales Audit ClerkDiscount ClerkDistribution Accounting ClerkDividend Deposit Voucher ClerkDocument ProcessorEscrow AgentEscrow CloserExport ClerkExport Documents ClerkField ClerkFigure ClerkFinance AssistantFinancial Processing ClerkFinancial Recording ClerkFinancial SpecialistFiscal Accounting ClerkFiscal TechnicianFixed Capital ClerkForeclosure ClerkForeign Exchange Position ClerkFull Charge BookkeeperGeneral Ledger BookkeeperImport and Export ClerkJournal ClerkLedger ClerkLedger PosterLetter of Credit ClerkMargin ClerkMortgage Accounting ClerkMortgage Loan Computation Clerk

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.