Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary: $60,965 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 1,455,770 bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks nationally earn a mean of $60,965. Employment in the series shown fell about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.7% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks: what the data shows
Common questions about bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-3031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 1,455,770 workers.
What does a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Processing Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make?
BLS national median annual wage: $49,210 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $60,965 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,882 |
| 25th percentile | $48,319 |
| Median (50th) | $58,708 |
| 75th percentile | $68,800 |
| 90th percentile | $82,469 |
What education do you need?
For Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Mathematics, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, Mathematics, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.7% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -8.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -15.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 1,455,770.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerkss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 1,455,770 | 18.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 1,308,690 | 16.7% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 211,760 | 2.7% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 211,760 | 2.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 147,080 | 1.9% |
| Educational Services | 137,430 | 1.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | 818,620 | $161,700 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,448,290 | $81,680 |
| Tax Preparers | 73,570 | $50,560 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 182,320 | $60,990 |
| New Accounts Clerks | 38,030 | $46,610 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 219,010 | $84,130 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 270,480 | $102,140 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,455,770 Workforce in 2023
The Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$60,965 Average Wage
In 2023, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks earned an average of $60,965.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Salary distribution for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
558,503 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -8.1%
513,222 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -15.6%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 154,980 employees, $59,680 avg wage
- TX: 130,770 employees, $50,180 avg wage
- FL: 107,210 employees, $50,800 avg wage
- NY: 93,920 employees, $57,950 avg wage
- PA: 54,580 employees, $49,510 avg wage
- IL: 53,340 employees, $51,180 avg wage
- OH: 48,280 employees, $49,300 avg wage
- NC: 48,160 employees, $48,170 avg wage
- NJ: 40,560 employees, $57,480 avg wage
- TN: 40,360 employees, $48,150 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 87,860 employees, $60,540 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 57,520 employees, $59,440 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 37,570 employees, $53,950 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 36,080 employees, $53,560 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 30,640 employees, $51,480 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 27,680 employees, $51,360 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 24,810 employees, $54,340 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 22,660 employees, $59,300 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 21,350 employees, $51,740 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 21,300 employees, $59,180 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Diversity
Demographic information on Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in 2023 was 1,455,770 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks workers.
Education level distribution for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Skills
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks need many skills, but most especially Mathematics, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing.
Required skills for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks include Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, Mathematics, English Language, Economics and Accounting.
Knowledge areas required for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks include Oral Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Written Expression.
Required abilities for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
Daily Activities
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks.
About
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
The average yearly wage for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks was $60,965 in 2023.
SOC Code
43-3031 - Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks reports an average salary of $60,965.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,455,770 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.