Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Also called: Account Clerk, Accounting Assistant, Accounting Clerk, Accounts Payables ClerkCompute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 14 of its 28 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 5.6% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 27% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,640 | $36,390 to $50,680 | 19,890 |
| Alaska | $56,430 | $47,270 to $64,360 | 4,580 |
| Arizona | $50,590 | $44,980 to $59,550 | 22,690 |
| Arkansas | $42,840 | $36,020 to $51,100 | 12,510 |
| California | $59,230 | $48,600 to $70,600 | 151,870 |
| Colorado | $54,000 | $46,400 to $64,170 | 26,140 |
| Connecticut | $59,970 | $49,840 to $70,710 | 14,930 |
| Delaware | $51,780 | $44,980 to $61,620 | 4,600 |
| District of Columbia | $65,180 | $55,280 to $77,700 | 1,790 |
| Florida | $49,330 | $42,890 to $59,960 | 88,670 |
| Georgia | $49,350 | $40,410 to $60,010 | 38,700 |
| Guam | $33,280 | $27,520 to $39,730 | 880 |
| Hawaii | $48,730 | $42,340 to $58,790 | 5,220 |
| Idaho | $48,310 | $40,770 to $58,660 | 9,540 |
| Illinois | $49,560 | $42,680 to $60,130 | 51,470 |
| Indiana | $47,820 | $39,970 to $57,770 | 29,910 |
| Iowa | $48,180 | $41,140 to $57,540 | 14,020 |
| Kansas | $47,290 | $39,310 to $56,480 | 15,380 |
| Kentucky | $46,550 | $37,450 to $56,610 | 23,480 |
| Louisiana | $44,890 | $35,990 to $54,170 | 18,980 |
| Maine | $50,510 | $45,100 to $60,210 | 7,390 |
| Maryland | $53,540 | $45,990 to $63,040 | 18,170 |
| Massachusetts | $59,830 | $49,160 to $69,110 | 29,110 |
| Michigan | $48,980 | $42,740 to $58,530 | 37,550 |
| Minnesota | $54,600 | $46,970 to $62,640 | 26,850 |
| Mississippi | $42,840 | $34,890 to $51,080 | 12,160 |
| Missouri | $47,990 | $40,220 to $58,140 | 21,400 |
| Montana | $47,270 | $40,510 to $55,790 | 6,980 |
| Nebraska | $47,110 | $39,000 to $54,900 | 10,050 |
| Nevada | $50,380 | $43,800 to $60,290 | 15,180 |
| New Hampshire | $52,450 | $44,980 to $61,140 | 7,180 |
| New Jersey | $58,300 | $48,400 to $67,270 | 37,550 |
| New Mexico | $48,080 | $40,170 to $58,280 | 7,780 |
| New York | $58,160 | $47,400 to $69,330 | 84,280 |
| North Carolina | $47,930 | $39,870 to $58,060 | 48,760 |
| North Dakota | $49,710 | $44,750 to $58,990 | 4,290 |
| Ohio | $48,810 | $42,360 to $58,720 | 45,140 |
| Oklahoma | $46,180 | $38,050 to $56,360 | 16,490 |
| Oregon | $54,060 | $45,730 to $62,930 | 21,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,440 | $41,840 to $58,910 | 48,920 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,700 | $24,450 to $35,610 | 6,650 |
| Rhode Island | $53,280 | $46,800 to $63,160 | 4,570 |
| South Carolina | $47,940 | $39,810 to $58,240 | 19,980 |
| South Dakota | $46,340 | $39,370 to $52,000 | 10,200 |
| Tennessee | $48,180 | $40,330 to $58,460 | 37,680 |
| Texas | $48,910 | $40,710 to $60,320 | 122,400 |
| Utah | $49,440 | $41,600 to $59,670 | 12,650 |
| Vermont | $54,720 | $47,850 to $63,420 | 2,950 |
| Virgin Islands | $46,490 | $37,860 to $55,760 | 280 |
| Virginia | $51,620 | $44,420 to $62,230 | 31,990 |
| Washington | $58,620 | $49,830 to $66,400 | 32,930 |
| West Virginia | $42,890 | $36,450 to $49,520 | 7,620 |
| Wisconsin | $50,340 | $44,580 to $59,380 | 25,960 |
| Wyoming | $47,910 | $39,880 to $57,510 | 3,480 |
Nationally: $50,670. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 14 of its 28 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information. | Not published |
| Not much | Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents. | Not published |
| AI alone | Perform general office duties, such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence. | Not published |
| Not much | Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records. | Not published |
See all 28 tasks
| Not much | Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Access computerized financial information to answer general questions as well as those related to specific accounts. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Perform financial calculations, such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal. | 0.26% |
| AI alone | Code documents according to company procedures. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Classify, record, and summarize numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records, using journals and ledgers or computers. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Match order forms with invoices, and record the necessary information. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to banks. | Not published |
| Not much | Compare computer printouts to manually maintained journals to determine if they match. | Not published |
| Not much | Calculate, prepare, and issue bills, invoices, account statements, and other financial statements according to established procedures. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Compile statistical, financial, accounting, or auditing reports and tables pertaining to such matters as cash receipts, expenditures, accounts payable and receivable, and profits and losses. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Calculate and prepare checks for utilities, taxes, and other payments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Reconcile records of bank transactions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Transfer details from separate journals to general ledgers or data processing sheets. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Compile budget data and documents, based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Prepare and process payroll information. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare purchase orders and expense reports. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor status of loans and accounts to ensure that payments are up to date. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain inventory records. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Calculate costs of materials, overhead, and other expenses, based on estimates, quotations and price lists. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Complete and submit tax forms and returns, workers' compensation forms, pension contribution forms, and other government documents. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare trial balances of books. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 13 of the 28 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 28 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #13 Operate computer systems or computerized equipment
- and 5 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculate financial data | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Maintain sales or financial records | |||
| Reconcile financial data | |||
| Process digital or online data | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources |
Show all 18 activities
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Operate computer systems or computerized equipment | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Execute financial transactions | |||
| Operate office equipment | |||
| Monitor financial data or activities | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Collect fares or payments |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Math or a calculation41%
- Data or a spreadsheet16%
- A document or report8%
- A chart or visualization7%
- An explanation or answer7%
How they worked with Claude
35% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 455,562 moves out
- 1 Accountants and Auditors Very high +5.0% 8%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 6%
- 3 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 5%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Very high +0.1% 5%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 462,885 moves in
- 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 7%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 6%
- 3 Accountants and Auditors Very high +5.0% 5%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Very high +0.1% 5%
- 5 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 6% less than high school
- 41% high school
- 21% postsecondary certificate
- 5% some college
- 9% associate's
- 12% bachelor's
- 7% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 37 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 24% high school
- 33% some college
- 16% associate's
- 19% bachelor's
- 4% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 13,837 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
10.2% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 1.1% | 19.1% |
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (Accounting Technician (Alternate Title: Accounting Specialist); Accounting Technician (Alternate title: Financial Specialist); Accounting Technician (NOF)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
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