Bookkeeper: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a bookkeeper?

Bookkeepers typically manage daily financial records, track expenses and revenue, and reconcile accounts to ensure accurate, up-to-date data to support informed decision-making and compliance. Hiring a bookkeeper can be a cost-effective way to enhance financial accuracy and help prevent costly errors, allowing employers to focus on business operations.

Contributions of a great bookkeeper:

• Ensures records are aligned with tax and regulatory requirements
• Streamlines processes like invoicing, payroll and expense tracking to help save time and reduce errors
• Provides financial reporting requirements

“Hiring a bookkeeper isn’t just about filling a seat; it’s about building a support system that fits your company’s workflow. Whether you need full-time oversight or part-time support, the right hire can help you focus on growth instead of getting buried in spreadsheets.”

—Ashlee Malet, MBA in accounting

Defining your hiring needs for bookkeepers

Before writing a bookkeeper job description or interviewing candidates, it’s helpful to define your hiring needs and determine whether you require a full-time, freelance or part-time employee, based on your budget and the scope of work.

Once you clarify the job scope, you can determine whether a bookkeeper is the right fit for your organization. Other related roles to consider include accounting assistant, staff accountant or accounts payable specialist.

What are the types of bookkeepers?

There are many types of bookkeepers, so when writing a job description for a bookkeeper, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of the job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on bookkeeper jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Bookkeeper
• Accounting
• Bookkeeping
• Accounting clerk
• Accounting assistant
• Remote work from home
• Remote bookkeeper
• Accounts payable
• Data entry

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Where to find bookkeepers

Bookkeepers can be found through job boards, professional associations and networking groups. Partnering with schools or universities or connecting through professional platforms can help you reach strong candidates.

To find the right bookkeeper for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Maintain relationships with local colleges and universities. By maintaining relationships with schools in the area, you may be able to hire recent graduates who are looking for accounting positions.
• Engage local small-business centers or chambers of commerce. Post your job listing digitally and through community networks.
• Hire from within. You may already have employees who are looking to transition into accounting and are willing to make a lateral move to an entry-level position. Schedule interviews with these individuals to assess their interest in the role.
• Post your job online. Try posting your bookkeeper job on Indeed to find and attract quality bookkeeper candidates.

Skills to look for in a bookkeeper

A successful bookkeeper candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training or education:

• Recording debits and credits to maintain balanced ledgers
• Identifying and resolving discrepancies between internal records and external statements
• Tracking invoices, payments and collections to maintain healthy cash flow
• Handling wages, benefits and tax withholdings while adhering to labor laws
• Skilled in platforms, such as QuickBooks, Xero or NetSuite, for efficient, automated record keeping
• Maintaining confidentiality and data security standards as outlined by GAAP

Writing a bookkeeper job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job seeker search terms and hiring insights for a bookkeeper, you’re ready to write a job description.

A bookkeeper job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position. Consider adding details about company values, growth opportunities and benefits to help differentiate your posting.

Ready to get started? See our full guide for writing bookkeeper job descriptions.

Interviewing bookkeeper candidates

Strong candidates for bookkeeper positions will be confident answering questions related to the following:

• Error-free entries, reconcile discrepancies and maintain balanced ledgers
• Experience with accounting software, such as QuickBooks and Xero
• Knowledge of tax requirements, regulatory standards and preparing accurate financial statements.
• Ability to handle invoicing, collections, expenses and payroll to keep operations running smoothly

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of bookkeeper interview questions for examples (with sample answers).