Office of Continuing Education

According to PayScale.com, bookkeepers earn on average $17.37 per hour. Top bookkeepers’ earnings exceed $56,900.

CareerBuilder.com cites bookkeeping skills as highly transferable to financial supervisory, analysis, or managerial roles. The site calls bookkeeper an "ideal choice" for those who are motivated to keep organizations on track with regard to their finances.

WHAT DOES THE BOOKKEEPER ROLE INVOLVE?

Bookkeepers serve on the front lines of a person, company or organization's financial health. Strong bookkeepers set up, deploy and manage systems that record the flow of funds into and out of an entity's coffers. Using reporting tools and systems, bookkeepers help individuals and operational managers stay aware of and improve an entity's financial status and performance.

HASN'T TECHNOLOGY REPLACED BOOKKEEPERS?

Technology has had a huge impact on the bookkeeping field. However, the bookkeeper's underlying organizational skills and precise attention to detail are as valuable as ever to their employers and clients. Programs like QuickBooks® or Microsoft Excel® have widely replaced the manual entry functions of traditional bookkeeping. However, the organization, reporting, and use of financial data still rely heavily on human input and processing.

IS CERTIFICATION IMPORTANT FOR BOOKKEEPERS?

Certification in any profession signals to employers, colleagues, and clients that a professional is committed to the highest standards of excellence and accountability. Certified bookkeepers meet the AIPB’s highest standards for financial accounting, business practices and ethical conduct.

HOW DO I BECOME A CERTIFIED BOOKKEEPER?

To earn your AIPB Certified Bookkeeper designation, you must pass the AIPB certification exam and be able to submit proof of at least two years of full-time or 3,000 hours of part-time experience.

IS BOOKKEEPING A GOOD OPTION FOR REMOTE WORK?

Prepare to take and pass the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) certification exam

Understand eligibility requirements, code of ethics, and maintenance requirements for bookkeeper certification

Apply the concepts of accrual accounting to transactions that span fiscal periods and trace the effect of accrual and deferral transactions

Record book and tax depreciation, using various methods of calculating depreciation

Perform basic payroll duties, including paying wages, handling payroll deposits, and reporting taxes

Know how to value inventory, record costs, make entries and report inventory on financial statements

BECOMING A CERTIFIED BOOKKEEPER

Eligibility requirements, code of ethics and certification maintenance

ACCRUALS, DEFERRALS AND THE ADJUSTED TRIAL BALANCE

Why accruals, deferrals, and other adjustments are made; recognizing revenues collected in advance and expenses after a prepayment

CORRECTION OF ACCOUNTING ERRORS AND THE BANK RECONCILIATION

When and where accounting errors occur and how they are discovered; finding and correcting errors on the unadjusted trial balance

PAYROLL

How to pay different types of employees; federal and state wage-hour law

DEPRECIATION

The difference between book and tax depreciation; depreciation under GAAP

INVENTORY

General concepts of accounting for inventory; the perpetual, periodic, FIFO and LIFO methods

INTERNAL CONTROLS AND FRAUD DEPRECIATION

Wade Lindenberger

Wade Lindenberger is a CPA with over 20 years of financial accounting and management experience in public accounting and private industry. He is currently Director of Finance and Administration for New Children's Museum. Before his current position, he worked as the National Finance and Accounting Service Line Leader for Premier Alliance Group, a national professional services firm. Wade was also Director of the Finance and Accounting service line for the San Diego office of a global, publicly held professional services firm. He has previously served as an instructor for courses at Coopers & Lybrand and at the University of California at San Diego for the Extension Course and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Business.

Helene K. Liatsos