Finance & accounting

Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers keep financial records up to date and help prepare accounts.

Annual Salary

£18,000 to £35,000

Working hours

37 to 39 a week

You could work: between 8am and 6pm;

2.3%
Future employment

There will be 2.3% fewer Bookkeeper jobs in 2027.
In your local area

What's it all about?

Day-to-day tasks

In your day-to-day duties you could:

  • deal with sales invoices, income, receipts and payments
  • prepare statements to show income and payments
  • complete VAT returns
  • check that accounts are accurate
  • prepare wages and manage claims for expenses
  • help to prepare annual accounts
  • use computerised accounting systems
  • handle commercially sensitive and valuable information

Working environment

You could work in an office.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly
College

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

Entry requirements

You may need:

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

You could do an accounts and finance assistant intermediate apprenticeship.

This typically takes around 12 months to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Work

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.

Volunteering and work experience

You may be able to learn useful skills from volunteering to help organise a small charity's finances.

Search for opportunities in your area through sites like:

Direct application

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.

More information

Further information

You can find out more about training in bookkeeping through:

the Association of Accounting Technicians

the International Association of Bookkeepers

the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

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 or teach in a further education college.

Find out more about teaching in further education from Teach in further education.

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

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • 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
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
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