Accountant vs Bookkeeper: What’s the Difference?

Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2021, the national average salary for bookkeepers was $45,560 and for accountants was $77,250. Again, education and certification play a role in the different salary amounts. Though their practices generally differ, they may intersect at some points, causing confusion on what specialist could be the best fit for a business. So before you start looking through accountants or bookkeepers to hire, a good rule of thumb is to carefully analyze your business needs and available resources.

• When you have an established business, even a small one, having the two work together can allow you to feel secure, knowing that financial experts are making sure your business stays in perfect shape.
• However, there are also several advantages of hiring a certified accounting professional in addition to or over a bookkeeper.
• We’ve been providing Marylanders with both bookkeeping and accounting services for many years, and have worked with businesses small and large.
• It means that anybody can sell or buy these companies’ shares from the open market.read more and file a report with the U.S.

CFAs or chartered financial analysts are knowledgeable about global markets, investment analysis, ethical financial practices, and portfolio management. No matter what kind of service you’re interested in, at CFO Source, we’re here for you. We’ve been providing Marylanders with both bookkeeping and accounting services for many years, and have worked with businesses small and large. Get into contact with us today to request more information or to receive a consultation. The basic role of a CPA is to maintain and keep a regular check on financial accounts for companies, governmental bodies, and individuals.

What Are the Duties of a Trainee Accountant?

While bookkeepers and accountants share common goals, they support your business in different stages of the financial cycle. Generally, a bookkeeper is a person without a college degree in accounting who performs much of the data entry tasks. This includes entering the bills from vendors, paying bills, processing payroll data, preparing sales invoices, mailing statements to customers, etc.

It notes that automation of bookkeeping tasks leads to fewer bookkeepers needed and that bookkeepers can expect to work more as analysts as a result. However, there will still be accounting clerks and bookkeepers needed to fill positions that others leave, meaning those wanting to work in either role can still expect good opportunities finding jobs. In May 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics grouped both bookkeepers and accounting clerks together in its salary data, indicating these professionals earned similar wages.

Similarities between Accounting and Bookkeeping

Unlike careers such as law and medicine, in which state licensing boards determine how much education you need, with accounting and bookkeeping, the companies doing the hiring decide what to require of candidates. Outsourcing accounting can also free up your time to focus on other aspects of running your business! Plus, you’ll receive valuable insights and financial advice from experienced professionals on achieving business growth and stability in the long run.

Receiving and paying bills, issuing invoices, categorizing expenses, taking inventory, and reconciling bank accounts are some of the daily and weekly tasks that form the core of a bookkeeper’s responsibility. Accounting clerks and bookkeepers have similar educational requirements, often needing a high school diploma and some additional training to learn to use common accounting programs and follow procedures. You may https://www.bookstime.com/articles/chart-of-accounts take accounting courses at a college or university or pursue a related certificate or degree. You’ll usually be trained on the job to work with your specialized area as an accounting clerk or overall accounting functions as a bookkeeper. If you want to showcase your bookkeeper knowledge, you can take the voluntary Certified Bookkeeper certification exam offered by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

Credentials and Job Functions

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for accountants was $77,250 per year ($37.14 per hour). When it comes to bookkeeping and accounting, there are a few key differences that you should be aware of. For one, bookkeeping is primarily focused on the recording of financial transactions, while accounting is focused what is a bookkeeper on the analysis and interpretation of those financial transactions. Bookkeeping is the process of tracking and recording financial transactions. This includes recording incoming and outgoing payments, invoices, and receipts. Bookkeepers are responsible for maintaining accurate records of a business’s financial transactions.