Working as an accounting clerk is a great way to begin a career in accounting.
In some cases, you may transfer the credits you earn as part of your associate’s degree into a four year program.
Upon graduation you will be eligible to work as a full-fledged accountant with many career options.
Another advantage is that you can earn a salary while pursuing your bachelor’s and even have part of your tuition paid for by your employer via tuition reimbursement programs.
Education and Training
Most accounting clerks must have a minimum of a high school diploma. However, to be most competitive, most entrants to the field are enrolling in formal coursework to obtain an associate’s degree in business or accounting studies.
A bachelor’s degree is rarely required for this level of worker but a necessity for those who wish to become accountants. Once hired, accounting clerks receive on-the-job training under the guidance of a senior accounting clerk.
Trade Schools with Accounting Programs
- Bakersfield, Delano
- Coachella, Colton, El Centro, Oxnard, Salinas, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Maria, Soledad, Watsonville
- Cupertino
- Encino, Newark, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose
- Long Beach
- Panorama City
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Diego
- Stockton, Mountain House, Manteca
- San Jose
- San Diego
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield College's Accounting program offers an Associate in Arts, a Certificate of Achievement and noncredit certificates of completion. The certificate is the shorter route, and the AA adds general education. Related business awards include Business Office Skills certificates and a Human Resource Management AS and certificate. California residents pay $46 per unit in 2026-27, so a 30-unit year costs about $1,430 including standard fees.
Center for Employment Training
CET's Accounting Clerk certificate is taught only at the El Centro center: 900 hours, about 30 weeks at 30 hours a week. It covers accounting principles, payroll, spreadsheets, QuickBooks and Microsoft Office, and prepares students for the Microsoft Office Specialist and QuickBooks User Certification exams. California completers in 2024 were charged $15,249 in total, including books and supplies. In-field placement was low that year: 3 of 16 available graduates (BPPE 2024 report).
De Anza College
De Anza College offers accounting among its business programs, and a new Bookkeeping program is listed for 2026-27 alongside noncredit accounting courses. The pages we checked do not list the award types or unit totals, so ask the department which certificate or degree fits a bookkeeping or accounting clerk job. The college reported 73% job placement for accounting completers in 2024-25. California residents pay $31 per quarter unit in 2026-27, and nonresidents $284.
DeVry University
DeVry offers accounting as an online undergraduate certificate, as an Accounting specialization in its 120-credit business administration bachelor's, and through Keller Graduate School of Management as graduate accounting certificates and master's degrees in Accounting and in Accounting and Financial Management. DeVry's business programs are accredited by ACBSP. Undergraduate tuition was $514 per credit hour and Keller graduate tuition $776 for July 2025 to May 2026 sessions, with lower rates for active-duty military.
Long Beach City College
Long Beach City College's accounting awards are a Business: Accounting AA and a Certificate of Achievement, plus three short Certificates of Accomplishment in Foundations of Accounting, Business Economics, and Money and Banking. The certificate is the quicker route into bookkeeping and accounting clerk work, and the AA adds general education. California residents pay $46 per unit in 2026-27, so a 30-unit year comes to about $1,432 with standard fees.
National Career College
Accounting at National Career College is taught inside the online Business Management & Accounting AAS, a 67-credit, 14-month degree open to California residents only. Its accounting courses cover service and merchandise businesses, QuickBooks I and II, payroll accounting and income tax preparation, in live online classes held by day or evening. The degree has no externship and names no certification exam. The program page lists a $29,900 total, with no effective date (checked Oct 2026).
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Valley College's Accounting Certificate of Achievement is 27 semester units aimed at entry-level accounting-records jobs, and an Accounting AA is also offered. A Bookkeeping Certificate of Career Preparation is a locally approved alternative. California residents pay the state enrollment fee of $46 per unit in 2026-27, so the 27-unit certificate comes to $1,242 in enrollment fees before campus fees and books.
San Diego City College
Accounting at San Diego City College is an Associate in Science with 25 to 26 units in the major, plus a CPA Prep Program Certificate of Achievement. Shorter Certificates of Performance cover Bookkeeping for a Small Business, Recordkeeping, Tax Preparer and VITA Tax Preparation Training, but these departmental certificates do not appear on the transcript and are not eligible for financial aid. In 2026-27 California residents pay the $46-per-unit enrollment fee; nonresidents pay $423 per unit.
San Diego College of Continuing Education
Account Clerk is a 376-hour, tuition-free certificate of completion including computerized accounting in QuickBooks (SDCCE partners with Intuit for Education), with two further accounting courses and office-systems courses. Students first complete the college's Step One core curriculum. It is offered at five of the seven campuses. It prepares for account clerk work; SDCCE has no accounting degree, since all its courses are noncredit.
San Joaquin Delta College
Accounting at Delta College is offered as an Accounting AS, an Accounting Certificate of Achievement and two shorter certificates, Accounting Clerk and Tax Preparation. All four can be completed by choosing online sections, or taken in person at the Stockton campus. The Tax Preparation certificate is the most job-specific short option. In 2026-27 California residents pay a $46-per-unit enrollment fee, while nonresidents pay $374 per unit, of which $328 is tuition.
San Jose City College
SJCC's accounting credentials are an Accounting Certificate of Achievement Level 2 and an Accounting AS. Level 2 is the middle of the college's three state-approved certificate sizes, so it is shorter than the degree. Enrollment fees are $46 per unit for California residents and $435 for out-of-state students in 2026-27. The college publishes no job placement figures for the program, so ask the business faculty where recent graduates work.
The Accounting Academy
The Accounting Academy trains bookkeepers and accounting clerks, not CPAs, through four onsite certificates: Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping (432 clock hours, 24 weeks), which covers journals, the general ledger, financial statements, payroll taxes and QuickBooks practice sets, and 16-week, 288-hour certificates in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Payroll. Classes meet mornings Tuesday to Thursday or evenings Monday to Thursday. Totals at the San Diego, CA site are $9,500 for bookkeeping, $6,500 for AP or AR and $7,500 for payroll (tuition page, October 2026). No federal aid.
What Do You Study?
Coursework will include basic accounting, management accounting, introduction to finance, introduction to business law, business management, statistics, payroll systems and such bookkeeping software as QuickBooks.
Certification
There are no mandatory certification requirements to work as an accounting clerk in any state, including California. However, many accounting clerks, especially those who oversee all record keeping for their firm, may find it valuable to become certified.
The Certified Bookkeeper (B) credential, awarded by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, provides evidence that you have the knowledge and skills needed to perform a wide variety of accounting and bookkeeping functions, including payroll and reconciling accounts according to accepted accounting standards.
To become certified, candidates must have a minimum of two years experience as an accounting clerk, pass a four-part examination administered by a Prometric Test Center, and abide by a strict professional code of ethics. Certified accounting clerks and bookkeepers are also required to participate in continuing education every three years to maintain their certification.
Career Overview
What Do They Do?
Accounting and auditing clerks update and maintain financial records and accounts payable and receivable, keeping track of expenditures and revenue. Accounting clerks possess a wide range of skills from bookkeeping through managing the general ledger to tracking accounts payable and reconciling accounts receivable with invoices.
Job Duties
Small Firms
In smaller-size firms, accounting clerks may have responsibility for maintaining the general ledger which records all daily transactions. They post debits (expenditures) and credit (revenue). They may also prepare financial statements and reports for financial managers. Accounting clerks may also prepare bank deposits and handle payroll, prepare invoices, send cash and checks to the company’s bank, and monitor overdue accounts. Some accounting clerks also perform collections of unpaid bills.
Large Companies
In larger size companies, accounting clerks routinely handle more specialized tasks such as accounts payable or accounts receivable. Their duties may also vary by level of experience. Entry-level accounting clerks may post daily transactions, total accounts receivable or accounts payable, and monitor accounts to ensure that payments are current and calculate interest charges on those overdue. Experienced accounting clerks may total and reconcile billing vouchers with cost estimates, ensure the accuracy of financial records, and code financial documents according to company policy.
Auditing Clerks
Auditing clerks (a specialized type of accounting clerk) verify transactions posted by other clerks. They examine all financial records to ensure they are accurate and properly coded. They also make note of any mistakes for accountants to correct.
Work Enviroment
Accounting clerks must be comfortable using computers as most accounting is performed using specialized financial software such as QuickBooks, as well as spreadsheets and databases.
Most accounting clerks now input financial information into computers where it is stored electronically. The use of computers has enabled accounting clerks to take on more responsibilities such as payroll, purchasing, and billing.
Salary in CA
The following are median earnings of accounting clerks at the entry level in California cities and regions.
| Area Name | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 23.93 | 49780 |
| Chico | 23.73 | 49350 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region | 24.23 | 50400 |
| El Centro | 22.58 | 46960 |
| Fresno | 23.84 | 49590 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | 23.94 | 49790 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 25.38 | 52780 |
| Madera | 24.2 | 50330 |
| Merced | 23.38 | 48620 |
| Modesto | 24.37 | 50690 |
| Napa | 27.38 | 56960 |
| North Coast Region | 23.97 | 49850 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region | 24.58 | 51130 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 25.44 | 52910 |
| Redding | 23.08 | 48000 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 24.36 | 50660 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade | 25.7 | 53460 |
| Salinas | 27.15 | 56470 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad | 25.51 | 53050 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward | 30.3 | 63030 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 29.94 | 62280 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande | 24.86 | 51720 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | 27.87 | 57960 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | 25.72 | 53490 |
| Santa Rosa | 27.43 | 57050 |
| Stockton-Lodi | 24.73 | 51450 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield | 26.44 | 54990 |
| Visalia-Porterville | 23.45 | 48770 |
| Yuba City | 23.92 | 49750 |
Occupation:Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (SOC Code433031)
source: data.bls.gov
Career Outlook
As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth of jobs in the field is expected to be about 10 percent through the year 2018. It is estimated that there will be about 215,000 new jobs over the next decade. The large need for these workers in all industries ensures a good supply of job openings, as many accounting clerks are expected to retire or move to other occupations. Many accounting clerks continue their education to become accountants.
An increased need for financial oversight and reporting regulations, such as the International Financial Reporting Standards, will spur demand for these workers. In addition, an increased emphasis on transparency and accuracy of the financial records of large public firms will also increase demand.