A bookkeeper records the accounting transactions for a smaller business and issues financial statements to the owners. This is one of the higher-paying positions available to a person without a college degree, making it one of the better career opportunities. To become a bookkeeper, a person should concentrate on certain key skill sets while in high school, and expand upon them over the following years. Doing so will fulfill the main requirements of the bookkeeper position, and make it much easier to find a job. The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers offers certification for experienced bookkeepers. You will learn how to record costs, value inventory, calculate depreciation, analyze financial statements, and use software programs.
Completing this course can improve your understanding of bookkeeping, but you’ll need more training to get started with bookkeeping as a career. To help you, LinkedIn Learning offers a bookkeeping learning path to help you learn the craft and earn a certificate of completion that you can use to market your skills. Candidates must meet similar eligibility requirements for the CPB license and the CB credential. Candidates looking at how to be a bookkeeper without a degree can follow several paths. Enrolling in a certificate or degree program offers an education-based option.
FAQs about a bookkeeper’s earning potential
You might also want to think about what you really need as a business to see if their services are in line with your needs. You can also ask friends or colleagues who have utilized bookkeepers for their businesses. Recruiters are also an option, but word of mouth is often cited as the most trustworthy way of figuring out if a professional is qualified and will perform to your standards. A business plan may be required if you plan to apply for business financing from banks or investors.
The CB designation for bookkeeping is the same as what a CPA is for accounting. The primary task of a bookkeeper is to keep a track of the financial transactions of a business and generate relevant and accurate reports. These reports help the accountants, as well as the business owners, understand the financial position of the business. Bookkeepers are the professionals who record the day-to-day should i become a bookkeeper transactions of a business in an organised manner. This process of identifying, accepting, classifying, and recording financial transactions requires attention to detail, multitasking, and undertaking a lot of number crunching. It is not mandatory to be a certified bookkeeper, however a certified bookkeeper has the necessary skills required to manage companies’ books of accounts effectively.
Lots of Time in Front of a Computer Screen
As a bookkeeper, you will need to learn how to create balance sheets, invoices, cash flow statements, income statements, accounts receivable reports, and more. Although software and calculators do most of the math, basic skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are essential to helping you catch errors quickly. Bookkeepers are important professionals in today’s economic and financial fields. Every company, even a small one, requires bookkeeping to maintain a healthy financial position. If you’re wondering whether to earn CB certification or CPB licensure, keep in mind that a professional designation can help boost your earning potential. According to Payscale, certified bookkeepers make around $52,000 each year.
- If you do not pass one of the certification exams, you can retake it for a fee of $50 for NACPB members and $75 for nonmembers.
- While it’s not required for bookkeepers to specialize in a niche, many choose to do so for marketing purposes.
- However, you will likely need to complete a degree program and other certifications to be an accountant or move beyond a bookkeeping role.
- Bookkeepers can also obtain additional certification showing their mastery of Intuit QuickBooks, the most popular accounting software for small businesses.