What does a Bookkeeper do?
Bookkeepers maintain financial records, helping companies to understand their finances and manage their cash flow. They record financial transactions and ensure financial records and statements are accurate and up-to-date. This work involves using specialised software, including accounting programs and spreadsheets. Some Bookkeepers also track business income and spending. Bookkeepers who work at large companies often work for departments or on special projects. Bookkeepers at small to medium firms may work on financial records throughout the company. Bookkeepers may need to spend a portion of their day making phone calls to vendors or clients to settle balances owed.
Bookkeeper skills and qualifications
Bookkeepers use a variety of skills in their careers. A successful Bookkeepers candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications that include:
- Good attention to detail to enter correct data into financial records and recognise errors
- Mathematics skills for accurate record-keeping
- Administrative skills for filing financial records
- Computer literacy, especially familiarity with spreadsheets, databases and accounting software such as Microsoft Office, Excel and QuickBooks
- Multi-tasking and organisational skills to manage different financial duties, including the ability to prioritise tasks in order to meet deadlines
- Interpersonal and customer service skills for dealing with customers, suppliers and other employees in the accounts department
- Communication skills, including the ability to explain complex financial matters in accessible terms
Bookkeeper experience requirements
Completing an Accounts Assistant or Finance Assistant Intermediate Apprenticeship often provides the experience required for an entry-level Bookkeeper role. Some employers may hire graduates who have a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or a related field, without this experience. Other employers prefer candidates who have worked as an Administrative Assistant in an accounts department.
Bookkeeper education and training requirements
Employers may hire a person with a minimum of five General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) at grades 9 to 4, including mathematics and English. A-levels in mathematics, business studies, economics and similar subjects are also desirable. Certain GSCEs are also required for internships or for higher education courses.
Earning a relevant Level 2 Certificate at a higher education college can help aspiring Bookkeepers improve their knowledge and become more desirable job candidates. Certificates in bookkeeping, manual and computerised bookkeeping and accounting are some of the most common.
Bookkeeper salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Bookkeeper is £22,813 per year. This figure varies depending on factors, including experience, geographical location and company.
Job description samples for similar positions
Many jobs involve financial record keeping, so there are several similar positions using the same skills Bookkeepers have. Here are other job descriptions that may help you develop your own job posting: