The pay for these jobs depends upon experience, clerical skills, the level of responsibility and the job location. Some employers have fringe benefits such as paid vacations and sick leave, life and health insurance, and bonuses. Other benefits that the employer may include are participation in a credit union, or retirement and profit sharing plans. Most employers require high school graduation or the equivalent. Some employers prefer that the person be trained by a business school or a community college, or that the person have two years of bookkeeping experience.
Employers often require training in computer courses in accounting, typing and bookkeeping.
Workers need to know how to use a ten-key adding machine and have good math ability. Employers also look for communication skills, ability to use computers and knowledge of specialized bookkeeping and payroll processing. Employers prefer workers who have a good attitude and workers who are willing to accept responsibility and do repeated and routine work. They also want employees to be honest and to use good judgment in handling confidential information. Promotions depend on the worker's amount of experience in this type of work, their willingness to further their education, their ability to handle a high amount of detail, and their supervisory skills.