Free template · copy and adapt
Bookkeeper job description
This bookkeeper job description template is written from the screening we run on real bookkeepers — copy it, replace the brackets, and post it. The bracketed parts are where the filtering happens.
Salary figures checked July 2026, sourced on our salary research. Free to use — no attribution, no email wall.
The template
Bookkeeper — [Company]
[Company] is a [one-line description]. You'll own the books in [QuickBooks/Xero]: a clean monthly close, reconciled accounts, and reports the owner can actually make decisions from. Accuracy and a documented method matter more here than speed.
What you'll do
- Run the monthly close to a written checklist, delivered by day [N] of the month.
- Reconcile bank, credit card and payment-processor accounts — including gross-vs-net payout handling for [Stripe/PayPal/Shopify].
- Manage AP and AR: enter bills, schedule payments, chase receivables politely and persistently.
- Categorise transactions to a documented rule set, and flag the ambiguous ones instead of guessing.
- Produce the monthly report pack: P&L, balance sheet, cash position, and the two or three lines that changed.
- Chase receipts and documentation so the books stay audit-ready.
Requirements
- 3+ years bookkeeping for small businesses, with the monthly close as your responsibility (not just data entry).
- Deep QuickBooks Online or Xero experience — certification welcome, demonstrated work required.
- Payment-processor reconciliation experience (Stripe, PayPal or marketplace payouts).
- A personal error-catching method you can describe.
- Clear written English for owner-facing questions and summaries.
Nice to have
- E-commerce or SaaS client experience (deferred revenue, inventory, or high transaction volume).
- Payroll support exposure.
- US tax-season workflow familiarity (supporting a CPA, not filing).
Compensation
[State your band. Market rate for a full-time bookkeeper is roughly $800–$1,500/month in the Philippines — sourced ranges for five countries are in the table below. Posting the band filters out mismatched expectations before they cost anyone an interview.]
How to apply
To apply, describe your month-end close checklist from your last role, in order, and name the step that most often catches an error.
How to adapt it
- Replace every bracket. The named tools, the hours, the band, the application question — specifics are what make strong candidates self-select in and weak ones self-select out.
- Cut duties you don't actually need. Six real duties beat ten aspirational ones; candidates can tell when a list was padded.
- Keep the application question. It's a two-minute work sample in disguise — the answers will separate your applicant pile faster than any résumé line.
| Country | Monthly range | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| Philippines | $800–$1,500 | Bookkeeper salary in the Philippines |
| Colombia | $1,000–$1,900 | Bookkeeper salary in Colombia |
| Mexico | $1,050–$1,950 | Bookkeeper salary in Mexico |
| South Africa | $900–$1,700 | Bookkeeper salary in South Africa |
| Argentina | $900–$1,650 | Bookkeeper salary in Argentina |
The part the description can't do
A good posting attracts the right pile; it doesn't sort it. For bookkeepers, we sort with graded work: A discrepancy hunt on a real gap between the bank feed and the books, plus a month-end close checklist for a business like yours. That's the screening we run on every search — here's a real sample shortlist showing what the evidence looks like, and here are the interview questions we'd ask if you're running it yourself.
Or skip the pile entirely
Post this yourself and you'll do the screening. Hand us the brief and you'll read three graded finalists instead — the search runs free, and the flat $1,995 is due only when you want introductions.
Hire a bookkeeper — search runs free
Common questions
Can I use this bookkeeper job description as-is?
Copy it, then replace every bracketed placeholder — the company line, tools, hours and band. The bracketed parts are the parts that do the filtering; a posting left generic attracts generic applicants, which is the problem a good description exists to prevent.
Should I include the salary range?
Yes. Posting the band filters out mismatched expectations before they cost anyone an interview, and candidates in this market read a missing band as a lowball coming. Our sourced country ranges are linked below so you can anchor honestly.
What actually screens candidates — the description or the interview?
Neither, mostly. The strongest predictor is graded work: a role-specific scenario plus a real work sample, read before you ever speak to anyone. The application question at the end of this template starts that; our screening runs the full version for you.
Is this template free to use commercially?
Yes — copy it, edit it, post it anywhere. No attribution, no email wall. We publish the market's working documents for free whether or not you ever hire through us.