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Finance & accounting

Bookkeeper

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

Annual Salary

£18,000 to £35,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

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.

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

Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers

Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

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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?

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