Accounting and related clerks

About this job

Accounting and related clerks calculate, prepare and process bills, invoices, accounts payable and receivable, budgets and other financial records according to established procedures.

People in this occupation:

are employed throughout the private and public sectors in organizations of all sizes
have excellent number skills
are good communicators, have excellent organizational and time-management skills and are very detail-oriented

Common job titles

assistant, accounting
billing machine
clerk, accounting

clerk, accounts payable & receivable
clerk, auditing / financial investigation
clerk, budget

clerk, journal entry / ledger
clerk, tariff / tax
currency sorter

preparer, income tax return
rate reviewer
wharfinger

assistant, accounting
billing machine
clerk, accounting
clerk, accounts payable & receivable
clerk, auditing / financial investigation
clerk, budget

clerk, journal entry / ledger
clerk, tariff / tax
currency sorter
preparer, income tax return
rate reviewer
wharfinger

Earnings

Annual provincial median salary

$42,755

Source: 2016 Job Bank Wage data

Note:Estimated median employment income based on 2016 Job Bank median hourly wage rate (median annual salary = hourly wage rate x 40 (hours per week) x 52.14 (weeks per year))

Provincial hourly rate

High
Median
Low

Source: 2016 Job Bank Wage Report

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2017-2027)

Provincial outlook

Forecasted average employment growth rate

2017 - 2022
2022 - 2027

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job openings

10 year expected job openings: 6,440

2017
2022
2027

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Composition of job openings

New jobs due to economic growth:
29.3%
1,890 openings

Replacement of retiring workers:
70.7%
4,560 openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Regional outlook

Cariboo

Employment in 2017:

550

Average annual employment growth:

0.1%

Expected number of job openings:

160

Kootenay

Employment in 2017:

200

Average annual employment growth:

0.9%

Expected number of job openings:

80

Mainland / Southwest

Employment in 2017:

12,040

Average annual employment growth:

1.2%

Expected number of job openings:

4,760

North Coast & Nechako

Employment in 2017:

40

Average annual employment growth:

0.4%

Expected number of job openings:

10

Northeast

Employment in 2017:

210

Average annual employment growth:

1.2%

Expected number of job openings:

90

Thompson-Okanagan

Employment in 2017:

1,480

Average annual employment growth:

1.0%

Expected number of job openings:

570

Vancouver Island / Coast

Employment in 2017:

2,020

Average annual employment growth:

0.7%

Expected number of job openings:

770

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

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.

Work environment

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.

Workforce and employment statistics

Workforce characteristics

15,600 workers are employed

54% of workers are working mostly full time

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Employment by gender

Men

Women

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Employment by age group

15 - 24 years

25 - 44 years

45 - 64 years

65+ years

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Labour force by industry

Wholesale Trade¹:

18%

Retail Trade¹:

18%

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services:

17%

Finance, Insurance and Real Estate:

11%

Public Administration:

10%

View more industry data

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Note:¹Data represents Wholesale and Retail Trade and will be updated when the 2017 data is available from Statistics Canada.

Employment by region

% employment of this occupation

% employment of all occupations

Cariboo

Kootenay

Mainland / Southwest

North Coast & Nechako

Northeast

Thompson-Okanagan

Vancouver Island / Coast

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Job requirements

Education, training & qualifications

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 the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, Canadian Securities Institute or Canadian Bookkeepers Association may be required
some accounting clerks must be bondable

Skills

Clerical Ability
Numerical Ability
Detail-Oriented
Finger Dexterity

View skills definitions

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

Computing/Office Automation Related

For more information about programs offered specifically for this career, visit EducationPlannerBC.

Related careers

Career paths and resources

Career paths

Progression to supervisory or skilled financial occupations, such as accounts payable supervisor, bookkeeper or office manager is possible with additional training and experience.

Additional resources

Canadian Bookkeepers Association
c-b-a.ca
Canadian Institute of Bookkeeping (CIB)
www.cibcb.com
Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada
www.ipbc.ca

Accounting and related clerks (NOC 1431)

About this job

Earnings

Annual provincial median salary

Provincial hourly rate

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2017-2027)

Provincial outlook

Forecasted average employment growth rate

Job openings

Composition of job openings

Regional outlook

Duties

Work environment

Workforce and employment statistics

Workforce characteristics

Employment by gender

Employment by age group

Labour force by industry

Employment by region

Job requirements

Education, training & qualifications

Skills

Education programs in B.C.

Related careers

Career paths and resources

Tax Preparer

Accounting Clerk

Accounts Payable Clerk