Bookkeeper

Typical Salary

£17,000 To £26,000

Typical Hours

37 to 39 a week

between 8am and 6pm

How To Become a Bookkeeper

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You could take a recognised accounts or bookkeeping qualification while looking for work. These are widely available. They include:

Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping
Level 2 Certificate in Accounting
Level 2 Certificate in Manual and Computerised Bookkeeping

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

Apprenticeship

You could do an accounts and finance assistant intermediate apprenticeship.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as an admin assistant with a company, for example on a part-time or temporary contract in an accounts department. You could then take a relevant qualification to become a bookkeeper.

If you want to apply for jobs directly, you may find some employers ask for up to 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including maths and English. An A level in business studies, maths, economics or equivalent qualifications could also be useful.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
administration skills
customer service skills
the ability to use your initiative
to be flexible and open to change
maths knowledge
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties could include:

dealing with sales invoices, income, receipts and payments
preparing statements showing income and payments
completing VAT returns
checking that accounts are accurate
preparing wages and managing claims for expenses
helping to prepare annual accounts
using computerised accounting systems
giving administrative support to accountants
handling commercially sensitive and valuable information

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

With experience and training, you could become an accounting technician and take on more complex work.

You could also become self-employed and set up your own business.

You may decide to take a degree and qualify as an accountant.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about training in bookkeeping through The Association of Accounting Technicians and the International Association of Bookkeepers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.