Bookkeeping is a stable profession with strong projected growth over the next decade. Because all businesses need to keep accurate financial records, bookkeeping remains a stable profession that is less likely to suffer during a bad economy.
As of 2008, bookkeepers in the United States averaged an annual salary of $32,510, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The reported bookkeeper salary range was from $20,950 to $49,260, with the middle half (25th percentile to 75th percentile) of bookkeepers earning a salary between $26,350 and $40,130.
Are Certified Bookkeeper Salaries Higher?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not differentiate between the salaries earned by bookkeepers who have achieved a professional bookkeeping certification and those who have not, though AIPB, the organization responsible for the Certified Bookkeeper (CB) designation, indicates that Certified Bookkeepers do earn a higher average salary versus their un-certified counterparts.
Over the course of the next decade, the BLS forecasts 10 percent growth in this career, and notes specifically that Certified Bookkeepers, particularly those who have shown flexibility in the professional tasks they perform, will have the best job prospects.