A bookkeeper job description template to copy: duties, skills and pay fields, with tips on essential requirements and an accounting test to pair with it.
The short answer
This bookkeeper job description template gives you a clear, fair starting point for hiring a bookkeeper: what the role involves, an example of the work, the essential requirements and how your hiring process works. Replace the placeholders, keep only requirements the job truly needs and tell candidates about the short skills test.
Replace the placeholders and review the template against the actual role and local requirements before use.
Bookkeeper
[COMPANY NAME] · [LOCATION / REMOTE ARRANGEMENT] · [SALARY RANGE] · [EMPLOYMENT TYPE]
About the role
Hire careful bookkeepers who record transactions accurately and keep the accounts reconciled. You will work with [TEAM / MANAGER] to deliver [PRIMARY OUTCOME].
What you will do
- Record transactions accurately in the context of our daily work.
- Reconcile accounts in the context of our daily work.
- Work with spreadsheets in the context of our daily work.
- Keep colleagues informed about progress, questions and blockers.
- Check your work and respond constructively to feedback.
An example of the work
Reconcile a short bank statement against the cash book, explain each difference and post the missing entries.
What you will need
- Evidence that you can perform the core tasks described above.
- Clear communication appropriate to the role.
- Willingness to ask questions and learn our systems.
[ADD ONLY JOB-RELEVANT REQUIREMENTS]
Nice to have
[OPTIONAL SKILLS THAT ARE NOT SCREENING REQUIREMENTS]
What we offer
[SALARY, BENEFITS, WORKING HOURS, EQUIPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT]
Our application process
Apply through [APPLICATION LINK] by [DEADLINE]. We expect [STAGES AND APPROXIMATE TIME]. Any assessment will focus on the work described here. We will explain permitted tools and monitoring before you start.
Accommodations
Contact [EMPLOYER CONTACT] if you need an adjustment or alternative format.
Privacy
Read [EMPLOYER PRIVACY NOTICE] for how your application information will be used.
Before publishing
Replace all placeholders, review pay transparency and local employment requirements, and remove any requirement that is not essential to the actual job.
Copy the template, replace every placeholder in square brackets and remove anything that does not apply. Keep the wording plain: a short, honest bookkeeper job description attracts candidates who fit the role and puts off people who would not enjoy it. Before publishing, check the pay range, location and hours, and make sure every requirement is something the person will actually need in their first months.
What to include: bookkeeping duties
Typical bookkeeping duties include recording sales and purchases, processing supplier invoices and payments, raising customer invoices and chasing overdue balances, reconciling bank and card accounts, preparing sales tax or VAT figures, maintaining spreadsheets and preparing records for the accountant. Choose the tasks that match your business and the software you use.
Be specific about scope: whether the bookkeeper also handles payroll, month-end reports or year-end preparation, and who they report to, such as the owner or an external accountant.
Writing a fair, inclusive advert
Ask only for what the job needs. Avoid requiring a degree or a set number of years of experience unless the work truly demands it, and avoid wording that suggests a particular age, gender or background. State the pay range if you can, say how candidates can request adjustments and describe the hiring process, including any skills test and how long it takes. Our hiring process for small businesses covers the advert step alongside the rest of the process.
From job description to assessment
The template's example of the work asks candidates to reconcile a short bank statement and explain the differences. Use the same task as your work sample, so the advert, the test and the interview all describe the same job. The bookkeeper assessment shows the tests to send first, and the bookkeeper interview questions give you a structured interview to follow.
Pay, hours and working arrangements
Candidates read these sections closely, so be specific. State the pay range, or at least the starting rate, and whether it is hourly or annual. Give the working hours, any shift or weekend work, and whether the role is on site, hybrid or remote. Mention the equipment you provide and any training in the first weeks. Clear details reduce applications from people who would not accept the role, and help the right bookkeeper candidates apply with confidence.
After you publish the advert
Send every applicant who meets the essential requirements the same short skills test, then invite the strongest to a structured interview. Score each interview on the same interview scorecard, with the criteria taken from the duties in this bookkeeper job description template, so the advert, the test and the interview all measure the same job. Our guide to structured interviews explains how to write and score the questions, and how to calibrate if more than one person interviews.
Frequently asked questions
What should a bookkeeper job description include?+
The main duties, the software and scope of the role, the essential skills, the hours and pay range, the hiring process and how to request adjustments. Be clear about who the bookkeeper reports to and what is out of scope.
What are typical bookkeeping duties?+
Recording transactions, processing invoices and payments, chasing overdue customer balances, reconciling bank and card accounts, preparing sales tax figures and keeping records ready for the business's accountant.
Should a bookkeeper job description require a qualification?+
Only if the role genuinely needs one. Many capable bookkeepers learned on the job, so a short bookkeeping test and a reconciliation task are fairer ways to check skill than a qualification alone.
Should I name the accounting software?+
Yes, if you use one package, but say whether experience with it is essential or learnable. Strong bookkeepers usually pick up new software quickly once the principles are sound.
How do I attract good bookkeepers with a job description?+
Be specific about the work, show the pay range, explain the hiring process and keep requirements to what matters. Clear, honest adverts attract candidates who fit the role and reduce wasted applications.
How long should a bookkeeper job description be?+
Short enough to read quickly: a brief summary, the main bookkeeping duties, the software and scope, essential requirements, pay and hours, and the hiring process. Precise scope matters more than length for finance roles.
Turn the advert into a fair first round
Send applicants a short skills test and interview the strongest. Free for five candidates a month.
