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- 88
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
-
- (D.O.T. 209.687-010; 210.362-010, .367-010, -014, .382-010, -014,
- -030, -038, -042, -046, -050, -054, -062; 216.362-014, -022, -026,
- -034, -038, -042, .382-022, -026, -058, .482-010, -026, .587-010;
- 219.362-066, .367-042, .387-018, .487-010, and .587-010)
-
- Nature of the Work
-
- All money spent or received by an organization must be accurately
- recorded. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are an
- organization's financial recordkeepers. They compute, classify,
- record, and verify numerical data in order to develop and maintain
- financial records.
-
- In smaller establishments, bookkeeping clerks handle all aspects of
- financial transactions. They record debits and credits, compare
- current and past balance sheets, summarize details of separate
- ledgers, and prepare reports for supervisors and managers. They may
- also prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers,
- verifying and balancing receipts, and sending the cash, checks, or
- other forms of payment to the bank.
-
- In larger offices and accounting departments, accounting clerks are
- more specialized. Their title may reflect the type of accounting
- they do, such as accounts payable clerk or accounts receivable
- clerk. Entry level accounting clerks post details of transactions,
- total accounts, and compute interest charges. They may also monitor
- loans and accounts payable and receivable to ensure that payments
- are up to date. More advanced clerks may total, balance, and
- reconcile billing vouchers; ensure completeness and accuracy of data
- on accounts; and code documents according to company procedures.
- They may also post transactions in journals and on computer files,
- and update these files when needed. They also review computer
- printouts against manually maintained journals, and make necessary
- corrections. Senior workers review invoices and statements to make
- sure all information is accurate and complete, and may reconcile
- computer reports with operating reports.
-
- Bookkeeping clerks post changes to accounts using computer
- spreadsheets.
-
- Auditing clerks verify records of transactions posted by other
- workers. They check figures, postings, and documents for correct
- entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes. They also correct
- or note errors for accountants or other workers to adjust.
-
- As organizations computerize their financial records, more
- bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are using specialized
- accounting software on personal computers. They increasingly post
- charges to accounts on computer spreadsheets and data bases and do
- less manual posting to general ledgers. Information is entered into
- the computer from paper receipts or bills and then is stored on
- paper as computer printouts.
-
- Employment
-
- Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks held about 2,112,000
- jobs in 1992. About 1 of every 4 was in wholesale and retail trade.
- About one-third were in organizations providing business, health,
- educational, and social services. Approximately 1 in 4 bookkeeping,
- accounting, and auditing clerks works part time.
-
- Job Outlook
-
- Virtually all job openings for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing
- clerks through the year 2005 will be due to replacement needs. Each
- year, several hundred thousand jobs will become available as these
- clerks transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.
- Turnover is lower than among other record clerk occupations, but the
- large size of the occupation ensures a large number of openings and
- plentiful job opportunities for jobseekers. Many opportunities for
- temporary and part-time work should be available.
-
- Little change is expected in the employment of bookkeeping,
- accounting, and auditing clerks through 2005. A growing economy
- will result in more financial transactions and other activities and,
- therefore, more demand for accounting services. However, automation
- of office functions is expected to continue, with resulting
- productivity increases. Virtually all new jobs will be created in
- small, rapidly growing organizations. Large organizations are
- likely to continue the consolidation of departments to eliminate
- duplicate functions and reduce the demand for these clerks.
-
- (See introductory part of this section for information on training
- requirements and earnings.)
-