The Looming Bookkeeper Shortage IMA

It’s easier to implement processes at the beginning than trying to put out fires when you get too busy. Cecilia Seiter is a freelance writer and author based in Oakland, CA. She writes about education, corporate culture, renewable energy and the Internet of Things. Outside of universities, certifications are available through the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers and the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers .

Those interested in advanced work in the accounting field can pursue becoming a Certified Public Accountant , which requires a degree andpassing a four-part exam. This designation is required if you plan to produce financial reports for publicly traded companies. In addition, many firms require in-house accountants to be licensed CPAs. It is not that difficult to become a virtual bookkeeper as there are no formal qualifications required to start your services.

Bookkeepers often get paid hourly wages rather than annual salaries. The average wage for someone new to the business is $21.70 per hour. This is the equivalent of around $45,000 per year, assuming a 40-hour workweek.

Accounts payable bookkeepers help protect companies’ credit standing by ensuring they meet financial obligations on time. Accounts receivable bookkeepers collect money owed to the business and report delinquent accounts. Refers to recording the business’s day-to-day financial transactions to ascertain its financial position.

Bookkeeper Career Overview

As of 2020, there were more than 1.6 million bookkeeping jobs in the United States. After my role as a staff accountant, I moved to a financial analyst position and then to a controller position, all at larger publicly traded companies. I gained a ton of experience and enjoyed the journey, but I knew something was missing. I needed a way to be innovative and wanted to build something, and that just wasn’t possible in the roles I had. After much deliberation and a large salary cut, I moved to a startup and fell in love! I loved the culture and the entrepreneurial spirit everyone had.

Bookkeepers generally use software and spreadsheets to record information about transactions, with little focus on analyzing the information to make business decisions. Bookkeepers on salary, according to ZipRecruiter, earn an average of $40,406 per year, or $19 per hour, with top earners reaching $60,000. However, all NACPB courses are self-guided, so you could realistically complete any course in less time. Since these courses are fairly short, they may not be be enough to help you launch a career right away, but you can get your feet wet and see if bookkeeping is a potential fit. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace.

Bookkeeping Certification Education and Cost

However, for some employers, higher education is not a necessary bookkeeping qualification. In some cases, relevant experience and accounting knowledge may carry more value than educational background. This guide covers key duties, qualifications, and salary trends. This helps business owners in the long run keep more of their income. Bookkeepers use their phone for business, talking to clients, booking appointments, and so on. Most likely you’ll be using your regular cell phone as your business phone, so it’s used half the time for business, and half the time for personal matters.

Even if you have no prior retained earnings, you can still start a successful bookkeeping business. This online course will prepare you for the four-part Certified Bookkeeper Exam to earn your American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers certification. You will have one year from enrollment in the Certified Bookkeeper course to submit the Application for Certified Bookkeeper Designation form to The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

Bookkeepers’ dutiesinclude using software and spreadsheets to record information about transactions, spending, cash flow, income and other finance-related data. They enter numbers into the system, but they do not analyze them beyond verifying their correctness. Bookkeepers and accountants work on different aspects of financial statements. The differences between accounting and bookkeeping start with the educational requirements. Having excellent attention to detail is a must for bookkeepers since they need to ensure accuracy of financial transactions and a wide range of important figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook lists the median annual wage for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks as $42,410 as of May 2020, the most recent data available.

How much is bookkeeper business launch?

Bookkeepers aren’t required to have any outside certifications or credits, but it is helpful to always be growing yourself in your field. Maybe you decide to take one class per year at $300, which would break down to $25 a month. The good news is that bookkeepers can make a sizable income even with their ongoing monthly expenses. Today we’ll break down what a typical budget is for bookkeepers and all the expenses you can expect – from office supplies to a virtual assistant to your QuickBooks Online subscription for your clients. Explore the bachelor’s degree in accounting to see how it can fuel long-term career growth in this exciting field. If an individual wants to work at a public accounting firm, becoming a CPA is a must to advance to management.

• Employers are less likely to ask for certified evidence of your skills if you’ve been working as a bookkeeper for years.
• Plus, as a bookkeeper, I get QuickBooks much cheaper for them than they would have otherwise.
• This credential can boost your credibility in the eyes of potential employers, especially if you’re just breaking into the job market.

Temporary staff often transition into full-time or permanent part-time employees after payment of the agency’s fee. If you’re just launching your bookkeeping career, a professional certification can set you apart from the competition. This credential can boost your credibility in the eyes of potential employers, especially if you’re just breaking into the job market. Monily’s bookkeepers are certified experts with years of experience in managing business finances and balancing books for some of the leading companies in the United States. The courses in the Illumeo Professional Bookkeeping Certification program have been developed by an experienced CPA who has both small and very large business accounting experience and background. The full curriculum provides you with a fantastic and genuinely useful foundation to a career as a bookkeeper.

Internal Controls and Fraud Depreciation

Wade was also Director of the Finance and Accounting service line for the San Diego office of a global, publicly held professional services firm. Before becoming a consultant, Wade was Divisional Controller for one of the leading health and fitness club chains in the world. He has also been Internal Audit Manager and Divisional Controller for a division of a Fortune 500 global energy project management company. He began his career with Coopers & Lybrand, predecessor to PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the “Big Four” CPA firms. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Bookkeepers’ Advisory Board.

As a professional bookkeeper, you may need to work overtime during certain periods of the year, such as closing out the fiscal quarter and/or year, as well as during tax season. It is possible to take and pass the exam before you have obtained your 2 years of experience. According to BLS, the annualwage range for this profession in May 2021 was $47,970 to $128,970. Average accountant salaries are similar across all specialties, with those working in insurance and finance experiencing marginally higher incomes.

Full BioSuzanne is a content marketer, writer, and fact-checker. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Bridgewater State University and helps develop content strategies for financial brands. Both organizations’ membership programs can help test-takers save money. CPB candidates can also buy a bundle package from NACPB to save on costs.

It’s a way to show your skill set to potential employers and others in your professional network. You can earn a bookkeeping certification through a college, a university or an accredited professional program. The bookkeeping certification exam should be considered very difficult. While it’s certainly not as difficult as the certified public accountant exam, candidates should be sure to prepare as much as possible. A certificate of completion signifies to a potential employer that you have completed the coursework in the area of bookkeeping.

Then you will work through online cloud-based bookkeeping software like Xero and QuickBooks with a secured login. You can use the same desktop software you are used to, but you will access it through a hosted virtual desktop. One of the beautiful things about owning your own bookkeeping business is that you do not need any specific certification, degree or formal training to get started.

However, remote work opportunities have become increasingly available since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to leading labor market analytics firm EMSI, the median annual salary for a bookkeeper is $42,411. Accountants, on the other hand, earn a median annual salary of $73,570, which is a 73% increase compared to a bookkeeper. This increase can be primarily attributed to the education, training and strategic role of an accountant. Bills.com and Ledgersync are examples of software that can help streamline the accounting functions for small businesses.

Their job is to advocate and assist taxpayers when they have issues with the Internal Revenue Service. To become one, you have to either have worked at the IRS or pass an EA examination. In most cases, private companies do not pay more than the Big Four for young accountants with little experience.

While these requirements may sound tedious, they could benefit your career in the long term. If you’re a seasoned bookkeeper, however, a bookkeeping certification may not be worth it. With years of experience under your belt, it’s likely that you already have the skills and credibility required to do your job well. Employers are less likely to ask for certified evidence of your skills if you’ve been working as a bookkeeper for years.

However, if you are unable to complete the course, contact the student advising team to help you work out a suitable completion date. If you do not meet the experience requirement for the exam, we recommend waiting to take the exam or enrolling in our entry-level Professional Bookkeeping with QuickBooks course. Certified Bookkeepers meet the high standards of the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers . The official designation of Certified Bookkeeper from the AIPB allows you to put the initials CB after your name, which adds to your market value and professional status. This is an elite credential in the world of bookkeeping much like the CPA designation in accounting.