How to become a bookkeeper in Australia
Bookkeepers maintain and evaluate records of financial transactions in account books and computerised accounting systems.
The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the bookkeepers group are projected to grow 5.9% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Keeping financial records, and maintaining and balancing accounts using manual and computerised systems
- Monitoring cash flow and lines of credit
- Preparing and producing financial statements, budget and expenditure reports and analyses using account books, ledgers and accounting software packages
- Preparing invoices, purchase orders and bank deposits
- Reconciling accounts against monthly bank statements
- Verifying recorded transactions and reporting irregularities to management
How to get there
What it usually takes. A Certificate III or IV, including at least two years of on-the-job training where it is a Certificate III. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the bookkeepers group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 27% a degree or higher, 17% a diploma, 19% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. This job isn't on the current Priority List we checked, which only covers occupations in demand, so that doesn't rule one out. Ask a TAFE or an Apprentice Connect provider.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
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We haven't matched this job to courses in the admissions lists. It usually starts with training on the job or at a registered training provider, not a course through an admissions centre. See Your Career.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
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