Accounts Clerk

Accounts Clerks keep the financial records of a business in order. Day to day, this means processing invoices, recording payments received and made, reconciling bank statements, and chasing up overdue accounts. The work is detail-focused and repetitive in parts, but errors carry real consequences, so accuracy matters. Most of the work happens inside accounting software such as MYOB, Xero, or similar platforms. The role sits below a qualified accountant or bookkeeper in most organisations, but it is often the person in this seat who keeps the numbers flowing correctly.

A typical day could include opening the accounts payable inbox and processing supplier invoices, matching purchase orders to delivery receipts, entering transactions into the accounting system, and running a report on outstanding debtor balances. There may be calls or emails to customers about overdue invoices. At month end, the workload picks up with bank reconciliations and preparing summaries for a senior accountant or finance manager to review. The pace is steady rather than high-pressure most of the time, though end-of-month and end-of-financial-year periods can be busy.

The typical entry point is completion of Year 12 or a Certificate III in Accounts Administration or a related field (JSA Occupation Profile). A Certificate III in Accounts Administration (FNS30322) is a common pathway and may be available through a registered training organisation. You can search for providers at yourcareer.gov.au. Some states and territories may offer subsidised or fee-free training options. Check dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for current eligibility. Practical experience with accounting software is often valued as much as formal qualifications by smaller employers.

The honest challenge with this role is that a significant portion of the work involves repetitive data entry and transaction processing, and accounting software is increasingly automating those tasks. Someone moving into this role as a career change may find the ceiling arrives sooner than expected unless they build towards a bookkeeping or accounting qualification over time. The pay range sits in the lower-to-mid tier for office-based roles, and progression typically requires further study or demonstrated experience with more complex financial tasks. It is a solid foundation, but treating it as a destination rather than a stepping stone is a risk worth thinking through before committing.

In practice, Accounts Clerk roles appear across most industries and regions because nearly every business of any size needs someone to manage its financial transactions. Both metropolitan and regional employers hire for this role.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 5511, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

See full salary breakdown by state

• Accounts Officer: what carries over
• Finance Officer: what carries over
• Bookkeeper: what carries over

• Attention to Detailcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Invoicing and Billing Administrationcore
• Microsoft Excel Data Managementcore
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
• MYOB Business Softwarecore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Xero Accounting Softwarecore
• Digital Literacy
• Email Management
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Team Collaboration
• Time Management and Prioritisation
• Verbal Communication
• Verification and Authentication
• Workflow Prioritisation
• Written Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Accounts Clerk workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 10 October 2026