Bookkeeper job description template

What a bookkeeper does

A bookkeeper keeps the financial records that owners, accountants, and lenders rely on. In a small business, that one person may run payables, receivables, bank reconciliations, and payroll inputs. The key thing to tell candidates is how far the role goes: full-charge bookkeepers close the books monthly, while clerks handle one part of the cycle. Name your accounting software, because experience with it shortens training.

Bookkeeper job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Bookkeeper

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Nonexempt
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per hour]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're looking for a bookkeeper to keep our financial records accurate and on time, from payables and receivables to monthly reconciliations.

What you'll do
- Record daily financial transactions in [QuickBooks, Xero, or other software].
- Process vendor invoices, payments, and expense reports.
- Prepare customer invoices and follow up on overdue accounts.
- Reconcile bank and credit card accounts monthly.
- Prepare payroll inputs and reconcile payroll reports.
- Help with month-end close and prepare basic financial reports.
- Maintain organized records for audits and tax filings.
- Track sales tax and support 1099 preparation.

What you'll need
- Two or more years of bookkeeping experience.
- Working knowledge of double-entry accounting.
- Experience with [accounting software] and spreadsheets.
- Strong attention to detail and confidentiality.

Nice to have
- Associate degree in accounting.
- Certified Bookkeeper credential (AIPB) or similar.
- Experience in [industry].

Skills
Accuracy, Reconciliation, Accounting software, Spreadsheets, Confidentiality, Deadline management.

Physical demands and work environment
Office or remote setting. Mostly seated computer work.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per hour], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Say whether the role is full-charge or a single function.
• Name your accounting software.
• List transaction volume, such as invoices per month.
• Say whether the role includes payroll.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a bookkeeper

Half of US bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earned more than $24.36 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

For hourly roles, the legal floor matters as much as the market rate. Check the current rate where the job is based in our minimum wage by state table, and the state's overtime and break rules in our state labor law library.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Nonexempt (overtime eligible). Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

Bookkeepers and accounting clerks are generally nonexempt. The DOL's regulations say that bookkeepers and clerks who perform routine work usually don't qualify for the administrative exemption, even if they handle important records. Treat bookkeepers as employees, not contractors, if you control their hours and methods, because misclassification creates tax and wage liability.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. Walk me through a bank reconciliation that didn't balance. How did you find the problem?
2. How do you organize month-end close?
3. What do you do when a vendor invoice doesn't match the purchase order?
4. How do you protect sensitive financial information?

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions