Salary Schedules for Bookkeepers
Companies require bookkeepers to maintain their accounting records, a job that includes recording transactions, creating financial statements and preparing reports and deposits. Salary schedules for bookkeepers indicate how much a bookkeeper can expect to earn based on her level of experience, her employer and the cost of living in her location.
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Salary
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The average annual pay for a bookkeeper in the United States was $35,340 as of May 2010, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the median was $34,030. The middle 50 percent, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, made between $27,040 and $42,180 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $21,270 or less a year, while those in the 90th percentile earned more than double that, at $51,470 a year or more.
Industry
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The largest industry for bookkeepers was accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services, which offered an average salary of $34,760 as of 2010, according to the bureau. Bookkeepers employed in the management of companies and enterprises earned an average salary of $36,490 a year, and those working in depository credit intermediation, which includes banks, earned an average of $33,490. Local governments employed bookkeepers for an average salary of $36,470 a year, while elementary and secondary schools offered an average salary of $36,070.
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Location
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The bureau reports that California had the highest level of employed bookkeepers as of 2010, where the annual average was $39,820, followed by Texas, where bookkeepers made an average of $34,520 a year. Montana and South Dakota had the highest concentration of bookkeeping jobs in relation to population, and the respective salary averages were $30,630 and $27,490. The highest-paying state or district in the nation for bookkeepers was the District of Columbia, with a salary average of $48,470, followed by Connecticut, with a salary average of $40,490 a year.
Advancement
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Although not required, bookkeepers interested in advancing can obtain certification from organizations such as the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, which offered the Certified Bookkeeper credential. It requires two years of experience and passing a four-part exam. Bookkeepers can also pursue a bachelor's degree in accounting to become an accountant or auditor. Another option is to seek higher wages in other industries, such as motion picture and video industries or the postal service, which the bureau reports had salary averages for bookkeepers of $44,020 and $57,370, respectively, but had fewer positions available than other, lower-paying industry sectors.
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