Jetted FoxCareers · Money & numbers
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
You record a business's money in and money out and keep its accounts balanced. No college degree needed.
Start now · paid while you train
Starting pay ranges from about $16.77/hr in Mississippi to $26.58/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $14.64–17.50/hr | $21.46/hr |
| Alaska | $19.23–22.73/hr | $27.13/hr |
| Arizona | $18–21.63/hr | $24.32/hr |
| Arkansas | $13.52–17.32/hr | $20.60/hr |
| California | $20–23.37/hr | $28.48/hr |
| Colorado | $17.91–22.31/hr | $25.96/hr |
| Connecticut | $20.89–23.96/hr | $28.83/hr |
| Delaware | $18.33–21.63/hr | $24.89/hr |
| Florida | $17.64–20.62/hr | $23.72/hr |
| Georgia | $15.77–19.43/hr | $23.73/hr |
| Hawaii | $17.19–20.35/hr | $23.43/hr |
| Idaho | $16.68–19.60/hr | $23.23/hr |
| Illinois | $15.56–20.52/hr | $23.83/hr |
| Indiana | $15.87–19.22/hr | $22.99/hr |
| Iowa | $15.98–19.78/hr | $23.17/hr |
| Kansas | $15.45–18.90/hr | $22.74/hr |
| Kentucky | $14.47–18.01/hr | $22.38/hr |
| Louisiana | $13.83–17.30/hr | $21.58/hr |
| Maine | $19.23–21.68/hr | $24.28/hr |
| Maryland | $18.99–22.11/hr | $25.74/hr |
| Massachusetts | $19.59–23.64/hr | $28.77/hr |
| Michigan | $17.43–20.55/hr | $23.55/hr |
| Minnesota | $18.17–22.58/hr | $26.25/hr |
| Mississippi | $13.56–16.77/hr | $20.60/hr |
| Missouri | $16.62–19.34/hr | $23.07/hr |
| Montana | $16.48–19.48/hr | $22.73/hr |
| Nebraska | $15.89–18.75/hr | $22.65/hr |
| Nevada | $17.62–21.06/hr | $24.22/hr |
| New Hampshire | $17.50–21.63/hr | $25.22/hr |
| New Jersey | $19.71–23.27/hr | $28.03/hr |
| New Mexico | $17.15–19.31/hr | $23.12/hr |
| New York | $19.17–22.79/hr | $27.96/hr |
| North Carolina | $16.21–19.17/hr | $23.04/hr |
| North Dakota | $17.95–21.52/hr | $23.90/hr |
| Ohio | $17.36–20.36/hr | $23.47/hr |
| Oklahoma | $15.16–18.29/hr | $22.20/hr |
| Oregon | $18.15–21.99/hr | $25.99/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $16.81–20.11/hr | $23.29/hr |
| Rhode Island | $19.18–22.50/hr | $25.61/hr |
| South Carolina | $16.05–19.14/hr | $23.05/hr |
| South Dakota | $17.18–18.93/hr | $22.28/hr |
| Tennessee | $16.83–19.39/hr | $23.16/hr |
| Texas | $16.09–19.57/hr | $23.52/hr |
| Utah | $17.27–20/hr | $23.77/hr |
| Vermont | $20.06–23/hr | $26.31/hr |
| Virginia | $17.60–21.36/hr | $24.82/hr |
| Washington | $21.67–23.96/hr | $28.18/hr |
| Washington, DC | $22.66–26.58/hr | $31.34/hr |
| West Virginia | $14.85–17.53/hr | $20.62/hr |
| Wisconsin | $17.48–21.43/hr | $24.20/hr |
| Wyoming | $16.28–19.17/hr | $23.03/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
Other way in: Courses first.
A normal day
You sit at a computer using accounting software, entering receipts, paying bills and matching bank statements. You fix mismatches and make reports for the owner or accountant. Small businesses often have one bookkeeper who does it all.
The good parts
Lots of openings in nearly every industry. Can become remote or freelance work. Leads to accounting and payroll roles.
The hard parts
Long hours at a screen with few breaks from detail. Month-end and tax time bring deadlines. Many employers want a course or software certificate.
Where it leads
bookkeepers become full-charge bookkeepers, payroll specialists, office managers or run freelance bookkeeping businesses.
Quick answers
Do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks need a college degree?
No. You can start now: paid while you train.
How long is the training for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
A few months of courses, then 3–6 months of paid training at work.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make?
About $17.31–20.92 an hour to start and $24.36 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the 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. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.