A Guide to Bookkeeping: Skills, Salaries, and Careers

how to be a bookkeeper

You can earn a Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) license through the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB). You can earn either certification by passing exams, agreeing to abide by a professional code of conduct, and verifying your bookkeeping and accounting education and experience. Bookkeepers don’t usually need experience to enter the profession, but it’s often required for those who want to advance and take on more senior roles and responsibilities. For entry-level positions, employers typically provide on-the-job training for new and inexperienced bookkeepers.

  • For instance, try this FREE online bookkeeping training from Ben Robinson of Bookkeepers.
  • Although you don’t need a bachelor’s degree, it can make you more competitive.
  • Integrity and trustworthiness are important qualities to cultivate as a bookkeeper.
  • For instance, bookkeeping professionals in construction made a median annual salary of $51,670.
  • Not only does Flexjobs caters to experienced bookkeepers, but it also offers remote-jobs for newbies with little to no experience.

How to Become a Virtual Bookkeeper from Home

You can work and still have a life, promoting a healthy work-life balance. Whether you’re tired of your daily commute or just want to be freed from your office cubicle, achieve the right work-life balance with Belay Solutions. If you have the drive Accounting Errors and want opportunities, Upwork is a great place to connect with clients.

  • Set up job alerts for “Entry Level Bookkeeper” to receive notifications about new opportunities.
  • For example, you might work remotely as a bookkeeper for an e-commerce retailer.
  • This is a work-from-home job, and you can train to become a bookkeeper from the comfort of your home too.
  • If you’re not sure how to market your business, there are plenty of ways to get the word out.

How to Get Your First Bookkeeping Clients

how to be a bookkeeper

Both of these are beginner tools and have all the features like invoicing and financial reports you will need when starting. Free tools like Freshbooks and Wave will help you learn the ins and outs of the bookkeeping software as you work your way to becoming a freelance bookkeeper. Working as a bookkeeper gives you the flexibility to have a work-from-home job or work full-time. When working freelance, you are free to work according to your own schedule, but you will also have to handle multiple clients simultaneously. In comparison, full-time bookkeepers work fixed hours but only handle a single client. Just by telling everyone she knew about her new virtual bookkeeping business, she landed enough customers to keep busy.

how to be a bookkeeper

Career Growth and Advancement Opportunities

Alternatively, you can research free content and learn how to become a bookkeeper on your own. I always dreaded the traditional 9-5 job, and that pain really motivated me to start building a better retained earnings balance sheet relationship with my money so I could achieve financial freedom sooner. Fast forward 12 months, I was so surprised about earning a full-time income with my small blog, which allowed me to quit my job!

how to be a bookkeeper

Table of Content

This makes them a great option for professionals who actively use LinkedIn to network and job hunt. Online bookkeeping courses allow you to learn the business on your own timeline. Even if you have no formal education, you can get a bookkeeping certification online to present to future clients and employers. If you own the business you’re going to be keeping the books for, learning all you can about how to keep your own finances straight, will save you time and money come tax season. When you use QuickBooks Online Accountant, you can join the QuickBooks Pro Advisor program, which offers courses leading to the core or advanced QuickBooks Online Certification.

how to be a bookkeeper

We’ll go over the details of how to become certified in the next section. Once you have a solid foundation, you might consider specializing in a particular area. Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact… Here’s an example of how you’d enter a transaction in the Intuit software. There are several types of bookkeeping and which one you use will depend on the size of the business.

how to be a bookkeeper

Acquire an undergraduate degree.

According to the BLS, employment for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks is expected to decrease by 6% from 2022 to 2032. Despite this decline, businesses must keep accurate financial records and comply with ever-changing tax laws. As businesses of all sizes continue to outsource their accounting functions, there will be significant demand for skilled and innovative bookkeepers to manage those tasks.

Virtual bookkeepers can expect to earn an average base pay of between $48,000 and $68,000 per year, according to Glassdoor  4. You can find virtual bookkeeper job opportunities on online job boards, with staffing agencies, and on freelance online marketplaces. Working from home as a bookkeeper—also referred to as virtual bookkeeping—means you complete all bookkeeping tasks remotely. Virtual bookkeeping jobs may be part-time, full-time, or freelance positions. To work as a virtual bookkeeper, you’ll need the same skills and training required to complete the tasks required for this position. In these programs, you can learn accounting principles, accounting software, payroll, how to prepare financial statements, and more.

how to be a bookkeeper

With your commitment and perseverance, you can prosper in this line of work. When you join the Program, you get access to ongoing skills training, tools, resources, dedicated support, and personalized education. You can also be added to the Partner Directory where you and FreshBooks customers can be matched up.