Accounting Clerk Job Descriptions: 5 Free Templates
Free accounting clerk job description templates: general, AP, AR, entry-level, and first-hire, with FLSA non-exempt and salary guidance. Download DOCX.
Accounting Clerk Job Descriptions
5 free templates with FLSA non-exempt guidance, salary data, and clerk-vs-bookkeeper help. Download as DOCX.
Hiring an accounting clerk sounds simple until you hit two questions every template online skips: is this a clerk, a bookkeeper, or an accountant you actually need, and how do you classify the role under wage law? Get the second one wrong, and a routine hire turns into a back-pay problem. An accounting clerk is non-exempt and overtime-eligible, which most generic templates never mention.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the owners and office managers making this hire, often the first finance person a growing business brings on. The five below cover the role by focus and level, each with the FLSA classification and a clerk-versus-bookkeeper comparison built in. Fill in the brackets and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does an Accounting Clerk Do?
An accounting clerk keeps financial records accurate by handling routine accounting tasks under direction: entering transactions, processing accounts payable and receivable, reconciling statements, maintaining records, and supporting the close. The role maps to bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (SOC 43-3031), which the BLS defines as routine calculating, posting, and verifying to maintain financial records.
For the employer writing the posting, two facts shape the hire: the work is clerical and supervised, which sets a clerk apart from a bookkeeper or accountant, and the role is non-exempt. The five templates split by focus and level so the document matches the real role.
Accounting Clerk vs Bookkeeper vs Accountant
Most small businesses making a first finance hire are not sure which of these three roles they need, and choosing wrong wastes money. The short version: a clerk does clerical tasks under direction, a bookkeeper can run the full books, and an accountant prepares statements and provides analysis.
A practical pattern for a small business is a clerk or bookkeeper for the daily and monthly work, plus an outside accountant at tax time. If you want someone to own the full books rather than handle transactions, you want a bookkeeper, not a clerk.
Accounting Clerk Duties and Responsibilities
Accounting clerk duties cluster into recording and data entry, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and reconciliation and reporting. A general clerk covers all four; AP and AR clerks specialize, but the underlying work is the same.
A strong posting grounds these in your specifics: your accounting software, your transaction volume, and your reporting line. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by focus and level. The general version covers all-around clerical work; AP and AR specialize; the entry-level version is for a first job; and the small-business version is for an owner making a first finance hire. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Accounting Clerk Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and role summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, the FLSA non-exempt note, reporting line, and hourly pay, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Template 1: General Accounting Clerk
The universal version: data entry, accounts payable and receivable, reconciliations, and general accounting support.
Template 2: Accounts Payable (AP) Clerk
Focused on the payable side: invoice processing, vendor records, three-way match, payments, and 1099 support.
Template 3: Accounts Receivable (AR) Clerk
Focused on the receivable side: customer invoicing, payment application, aging reports, and collections.
Template 4: Junior / Entry-Level Accounting Clerk
For an early-career hire: data entry and basic tasks under close supervision, with on-the-job training.
Template 5: First Finance Hire (Small Business)
For an owner-led business making its first dedicated accounting hire, with clerk-versus-bookkeeper guidance built in.
Accounting Clerk Skills and Qualifications
Most accounting clerk roles weigh accuracy, comfort with accounting software, and basic math alongside a high school diploma. This is an entry-level role learned largely on the job, so weigh demonstrated reliability and attention to detail over a specific degree.
| Type | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Core skills | Data entry accuracy, basic accounting, math |
| Tools | Accounting software and spreadsheets |
| Detail | Attention to detail, error-checking |
| Education | HS diploma; coursework or associate's a plus |
| Traits | Reliable, organized, trustworthy with money |
Keep requirements job-related and the language neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. For a fuller framework, the SHRM guide to writing a job description covers the standard sections.
FLSA: Why This Role Is Non-Exempt
This is the differentiator no generic template covers, and it is the detail that protects you from a costly mistake.
Treat the clerk role as non-exempt and set pay hourly. For the underlying rules, the exempt vs non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act guide explain the tests. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment attorney, since some states set stricter rules than the federal level.
Accounting Clerk Pay
Pay sits close to the national median and varies by region, industry, and experience.
Because the role is non-exempt, set pay as an hourly rate and budget for overtime when hours exceed 40 in a week. Use current local market data to set your specific range, since clerical pay varies by metro area. The field is large but slowly shrinking as software automates routine entry, so emphasize the judgment, accuracy, and software skills that remain valuable.
Hiring Your First Finance Person
A larger company has an accounting department and a controller deciding who does what. An owner-led small business making its first finance hire is in a different spot, choosing among similar-sounding roles and handling the classification and access questions alone. Here are the three things that matter most.
After You Hire: Onboarding an Accounting Clerk
Because this hire touches your money, onboarding deserves care. Send the offer letter stating the non-exempt classification and hourly pay, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 and tax forms as part of the new hire paperwork, and have them sign confidentiality and acceptable-use agreements, which matter when someone handles money and sensitive records.
Then set up access carefully: accounting software, banking at the right permission level, and the systems they need, ideally with separation of duties so no one person both records and approves payments. Keep signed onboarding documents in one place, and the offer letter template covers the terms while the onboarding checklist gives you a repeatable process.
FirstHR supports the people side of this hire: e-signature for the offer letter and confidentiality agreements, document management to store signed agreements and financial records securely, onboarding workflows and an AI onboarding wizard that can turn a job description into an onboarding plan with the right access and training steps, training modules for software and procedure orientation, and an HRIS with an org chart and employee database. FirstHR does not run payroll, do your accounting, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll provider, accounting software, and an attorney as needed. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an accounting clerk do?
An accounting clerk keeps a company's financial records accurate by handling routine accounting tasks under direction. The core work includes entering financial transactions, processing accounts payable and accounts receivable, reconciling bank and account statements, maintaining organized records, verifying figures, and supporting month-end and year-end close. Some clerks specialize, an accounts payable clerk focuses on what the company owes vendors, and an accounts receivable clerk focuses on what customers owe, but a general clerk covers both. In federal data the role falls under bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (SOC 43-3031), which the Bureau of Labor Statistics describes as performing routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to maintain financial records. The defining feature is that the work is clerical and done under supervision, which is what distinguishes a clerk from a bookkeeper, who can run the full set of books, or an accountant, who prepares statements and provides analysis. The templates on this page cover the general clerk plus AP, AR, entry-level, and small-business first-hire versions so the description matches the exact role.
What is the difference between an accounting clerk and a bookkeeper?
The difference is scope and seniority. An accounting clerk handles clerical tasks, data entry, accounts payable and receivable, and reconciliations, under someone's direction, and is typically an entry-level role. A bookkeeper is more senior and can run the full set of books: the complete accounting cycle, the monthly close, and often payroll, frequently working with less supervision. Both fall under the same federal occupation (SOC 43-3031), which is why their pay ranges overlap around a median of about $49,210, but the bookkeeper owns more of the process. For hiring, the practical question is how much you want this person to own: if you mainly need accurate day-to-day transactions handled, a clerk fits; if you want someone to own your books end to end, you want a bookkeeper. A common small-business pattern is to hire a clerk or bookkeeper for the daily and monthly work and use an outside accountant a few times a year for statements and taxes. The role comparison on this page lays out clerk, bookkeeper, and accountant side by side so you can match the title to the work.
Is an accounting clerk exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
An accounting clerk is non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which means the role is overtime-eligible and you must track hours and pay time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a workweek. The reason is the nature of the work: a clerk performs routine calculating, posting, and verifying under direction, which does not involve the exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, so the role does not meet the administrative exemption duties test. This is one of the most common classification mistakes small businesses make: putting a clerk, or even a bookkeeper, on a salary and treating them as exempt to avoid overtime. If the duties are clerical, that classification is likely wrong and can create back-pay and penalty exposure. The accountant who prepares financial statements and exercises professional judgment is different and is usually exempt under the learned professional exemption. The Department of Labor is explicit that job titles do not determine exempt status, so classify by the actual duties and salary, treat clerical roles as non-exempt, and check your state, since some have stricter rules than the federal floor.
How much does an accounting clerk make?
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (SOC 43-3031) had a median annual wage of $49,210 in May 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which works out to about $23.66 an hour, with the lowest 10 percent under $34,600 and the highest 10 percent over $72,660. That is almost exactly the national median wage for all occupations, which was $49,500 in the same period. Pay varies by region, industry, and experience, with accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general clerks all falling in a similar range, and entry-level roles toward the lower end. For comparison, accountants and auditors (SOC 13-2011), a more senior and professional role, had a median of about $81,680. Because an accounting clerk is non-exempt, set the pay as an hourly rate and remember to budget for overtime when hours exceed 40 in a week. Use current local market data to set your specific range, since clerical pay varies meaningfully by metro area and cost of living.
Does an accounting clerk need a degree?
Usually not. The typical entry requirement for an accounting clerk is a high school diploma, with some college or accounting coursework preferred but not required, and most of the role-specific skill is learned through moderate-term on-the-job training. That makes the accounting clerk an accessible entry-level hire and a good first finance role for someone starting an accounting career. Some employers prefer candidates with an associate's degree or bookkeeping coursework, especially for roles with more responsibility, but requiring a four-year degree for a clerical role usually narrows your candidate pool without improving the hire. If the work you need done actually requires preparing financial statements, tax filings, or independent judgment, that is a sign you need a bookkeeper or an accountant rather than a clerk, and the education expectations rise accordingly. For a genuine clerk role, focus your requirements on accuracy, attention to detail, comfort with accounting software, and reliability rather than on a specific degree, and consider the entry-level template on this page.
When should a small business hire an accounting clerk?
A small business usually hires its first dedicated accounting person when the owner can no longer keep up with the day-to-day finances on the side and the volume of invoices, payments, and recordkeeping justifies a part-time or full-time role. The signals are familiar: bills paid late, invoices going out slowly, books that are always behind, and the owner spending evenings on data entry instead of running the business. At that point the question is which role to hire. If you mainly need accurate day-to-day transactions, accounts payable and receivable, data entry, and reconciliations, an accounting clerk is the right and most affordable hire. If you want someone to own the full books and close, you want a bookkeeper. Many owners pair a clerk or bookkeeper for routine work with an outside accountant at tax time. Remember that the clerk role is non-exempt and overtime-eligible, so plan for hourly pay. The first-finance-hire template on this page is written for exactly this moment, with clerk-versus-bookkeeper guidance so you choose correctly.
What should an accounting clerk job description include?
A strong accounting clerk job description includes a short company and role summary, the core responsibilities, the qualifications, the reporting line, and the employment and pay details. For responsibilities, focus on the real work: data entry, accounts payable and receivable, reconciliations, recordkeeping, verifying figures, and supporting the close, scaled to whether the role is general, AP-focused, AR-focused, or entry-level. The thing most templates skip but that matters here: state the FLSA classification as non-exempt and set pay as an hourly rate, since misclassifying a clerk as exempt is a common and costly error. Keep education requirements realistic, a high school diploma with coursework preferred, since this is an entry-level role. If you are an owner making a first finance hire, be honest about whether you need a clerk or a bookkeeper. The templates on this page give you a role-matched, fill-in-the-blank starting point, including AP, AR, entry-level, and small-business first-hire versions, with the FLSA classification and a clerk-versus-bookkeeper comparison built in.
What happens after I hire an accounting clerk?
Because this hire touches your bank accounts, vendor payments, and financial records, onboarding deserves extra care, both to protect the business and to make the clerk productive quickly. Before day one: send the offer letter stating the non-exempt classification and hourly pay, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 and tax forms, and have them sign confidentiality and acceptable-use agreements, which matter when someone handles money and sensitive data. Then set up access carefully: accounting software, banking access at the right permission level, and the systems they need, ideally with separation of duties so no single person both records and approves payments, a basic internal control that protects small businesses. Provide training on your software and process, and document the routines they will own. FirstHR supports the people side of this: e-signature for the offer letter and confidentiality agreements, document management to store signed agreements and records securely, onboarding workflows and an AI onboarding wizard that can turn a job description into an onboarding plan with the right access and training steps, training modules for orientation, and an HRIS with an org chart and employee database. FirstHR does not run payroll, do your accounting, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll provider, accounting software, and an attorney as needed. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.