How to Become a Bookkeeper in 2027: Education, Skills and Next Steps

If you’re wondering how to become a bookkeeper, the short version is that you can start sooner than you think. You don’t need a four-year degree. You need to be comfortable with numbers, learn some software and show an employer you’re careful. BLS has no separate line for the job, so the figures here come from bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, which is the closest match.

What Does a Bookkeeper Do?

A bookkeeper keeps the record of where an organization’s money came from and where it went. BLS describes the work as computing, classifying and recording data so organizations keep complete and accurate financial records. It says bookkeeping clerks often handle some or all of an organization’s accounts, known as the general ledger.

In practice, a week looks like this. You post sales and expenses into the software, match them to bank activity and sort receipts into the right accounts. You produce reports such as balance sheets and income statements. And when two numbers disagree, you track down why and flag the difference.

Most of the time you’re working in an office, and BLS says most people in the job work full time. It’s steady, quiet work, and nobody notices it when it’s right.

How to Become a Bookkeeper, Step by Step

1. Learn the basics. Start with debits, credits and how a ledger balances.
2. Get comfortable with software. Practice entering transactions and building spreadsheets.
3. Apply for clerk roles. Accounts payable, accounts receivable and bookkeeping assistant jobs are common ways in.
4. Learn on the job. BLS says these workers typically receive training on the job, so your first employer teaches you their system.
5. Decide how far to go. Stay a bookkeeper, add a credential, or study for a degree while you work.

Our entry level accounting jobs guide covers the other first jobs you could consider alongside this one.

What Education Do You Need to Become a Bookkeeper?

BLS lists some college and no degree as the typical entry education. It also says requirements vary. Some employers require or prefer college courses or a degree in accounting or a related field, and others hire people with a high school diploma.

So read each job posting closely. A small business may care more about whether you can start Monday than about your transcript. A larger company may ask for accounting coursework. If you already know you want to be an accountant, a degree gets you there faster, and our bachelor’s in accounting list shows where to look.

Which Skills Does a Bookkeeper Need?

BLS says these workers deal with numbers daily and should be comfortable with basic arithmetic. That’s the whole math requirement. The software does the adding.

What sets good bookkeepers apart is habit, not talent:

• Attention to detail. One transposed digit can throw off an account for weeks.
• Comfort with software. You’ll live in bookkeeping programs and spreadsheets, and employers use many different ones, so learning the logic matters more than any one product.
• Honesty. You’re handling other people’s money, and your records are what they rely on.
• Follow-through. Month-end deadlines don’t move. You’ll chase missing receipts and unanswered emails.

Do You Need a Bookkeeping Certificate?

No, but it can help you stand out. Some people take a short accounting course to get past the first screening. Our accounting certificate guide explains what a certificate can and can’t do, including why you should ask whether its credits count toward a degree later.

There’s also a professional credential. The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) calls itself the profession’s national certifying authority, and it offers the Certified Bookkeeper designation. Check the current requirements on its site before you commit, since an employer may or may not ask for it.

How Is a Bookkeeper Different From an Accountant?

The difference comes down to recording versus interpreting. A bookkeeper keeps the books. An accountant reviews them, checks them against rules and tells people what to do about them.

BLS puts it plainly: accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field is typically required. A bookkeeper often works for the owner or an accountant. When you spot something odd, you report it, and someone with more training decides what it means.

It also shows up in the paycheck. The median for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks was $50,670 in May 2025, against $83,680 for accountants and auditors. Our bookkeeper salary page breaks down the hourly and state numbers.

How Does a Bookkeeper Become an Accountant?

BLS says some bookkeeping clerks may become accountants or auditors with experience and more education. That second part is the hinge. The usual path looks like this:

1. Work as a bookkeeper while you finish courses part-time.
2. Complete a bachelor’s in accounting. Programs built for working adults are designed for this. If cost is the worry, start with the cheapest programs.
3. Apply for a staff accountant role, where your bookkeeping years count as real experience.

You already know how transactions flow and where mistakes hide, which is a head start over classmates who’ve only seen textbooks. Our accountant career guide walks through what comes next.

Is the Bookkeeper Job a Good Choice Right Now?

It depends on what you want from it. BLS projects employment for these clerks to decline 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, as software handles more routine entry. But it also projects about 144,100 openings a year, on average, and says they come from workers who move to other occupations or leave the labor force.

So jobs exist, and the bookkeepers who last tend to be the ones who grow into review, reporting and advising. Treat the job as a solid first step. If you want to stay secure over the long run, plan to add skills.