Accounting and related clerks
Career Overview
Accounting and related clerks calculate, prepare and process bills, invoices, accounts payable and receivable, budgets and other financial records according to established procedures.
Accounting and related clerks work throughout the private and public sectors in organizations of all sizes. People in this career should have excellent numeracy, organizational and time-management skills. They must also be good communicators.
Job Titles
Duties
Accounting and related clerks:
- Calculate, prepare and issue documents related to accounts such as bills, invoices, inventory reports, account statements and other financial statements using computerized and manual systems
- Code, total, batch, enter, verify and reconcile transactions such as accounts payable and receivable, payroll, purchase orders, cheques, invoices, cheque requisitions, and bank statements in a ledger or computer system
- Compile budget data and documents based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets
- Prepare period or cost statements or reports
- Calculate costs of materials, overhead and other expenses based on estimates, quotations, and price lists
- Respond to customer inquiries, maintain good customer relations and solve problems
- Perform related clerical duties, such as word processing, maintaining filing and record systems, faxing and photocopying
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
21,605% Employed Full Time
61%While employees work a regular five-day workweek, there may be evening and weekend work during busy seasons.
In addition to regular accounting duties, employees are often also expected to work directly with clients by answering inquiries.
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory or skilled financial occupations, such as accounts payable supervisor, bookkeeper or office manager is possible with additional training and experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Accounting and related clerks require a minimum of grade 12, along with a wide range of on-the-job experience. Other requirements may include:
- A university degree, a business diploma or a certificate from a related field of study
- Experience working in accounts payable and receivable and data entry
- Computer skills, including a working knowledge of MS Word, Excel and accounting software
- Experience serving clients at a front desk
- Completion of college or other courses certified by Canadian Securities Institute or Canadian Bookkeepers Association may be required
- Some accounting clerks must be bondable
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Computing/Office Automation Related
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
21,605Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 555 | 2.6% |
| Kootenay | 485 | 2.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 14,690 | 68.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 350 | 1.6% |
| Northeast | 345 | 1.6% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 2,125 | 9.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 3,055 | 14.1% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
10,570Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 200 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 190 | 0.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 7,530 | 1.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 120 | 0.4% |
| Northeast | 100 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,030 | 1.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,410 | 1.0% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 2,770 |
| Construction | 1,030 |
| Retail Trade | 930 |
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 890 |
| Wholesale Trade | 750 |
Resources
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Canadian Bookkeepers Associationc-b-a.ca
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Canadian Institute of Bookkeeping (CIB)www.cibcb.com
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Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canadawww.ipbc.ca
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what it's like to be an accounting clerk.
Watch the video below to see what it's like to be an accounting clerk.
