Billing Clerk Jobs: Career and Salary Facts

<p>Billing clerks are financial clerks who specialize in calculating the charges that a business or organization is owed by its customers. They may be employed by companies that function in a broad array of industries and fields, so their duties can vary significantly. For instance, in a medical facility, they evaluate hospital records and prepare bills for patients and insurance companies based on that information. If they work for a wholesale goods provider, they may review purchase orders from retail stores and send out the necessary invoices based on that. If they have a question about a particular customer's billing information, they may contact them in order to get details about the account. </p> <p>The following table provides information for this career: </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Education Required</b> </td><td> High school diploma (minimum), postsecondary certificate program</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Education Field of Study</b> </td><td> Bookkeeping, accounting</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Key Responsibilities</b> </td><td> Prepare invoices, post data, keep records, calculate costs</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b> </td><td> 3% (for billing &amp; posting clerks)*</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Average Salary (2020)</b> </td><td> $41,610 (for billing &amp; posting clerks)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatWillMyJobDutiesBeAsABillingClerk">What Will My Job Duties Be as a Billing Clerk?</h3> <p>Billing clerks, also called billing and posting clerks, prepare invoices for customers who own a business. This can involve computing charges, preparing invoices and getting bills ready for mailing. Working in this field, you might also be responsible for posting data or keeping records. Additionally, some billing clerks are responsible for calculating costs or rates for goods and services. </p> <p>You're likely to be employed in an office setting, working with a computer, calculator and possibly an adding or bookkeeping machine. Many different types of businesses employ billing clerks, including medical and law offices. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatTypeOfEducationDoINeed">What Type of Education Do I Need?</h3> <p>The minimum education requirement to obtain a billing clerk position is typically a high school diploma. However, you'll also need basic software skills, which you might learn in a postsecondary certificate or diploma program. Such programs can often be completed in just one or two semesters. </p> <p>You're not likely to find a program specific to becoming a billing clerk, but several community colleges and technical schools offer bookkeeping or accounting assistant programs that could teach you skills relevant to this field. You might learn about computer accounting applications and Microsoft Excel, as well as payroll accounting, communication and basic business principals. Although not typically a requirement for employment, an associate's degree in accounting could also prepare you for a career in this field. </p> <p>Alternatively, many schools offer specialized programs designed to prepare billing clerks for specific settings. For example, you could pursue a certificate program in medical office billing or health insurance billing. These programs often include general courses in computers and document production. Additionally, a medical office billing clerk program may include courses in anatomy and physiology, medical billing and coding, insurance and medical terminology. A health insurance program can include topics in managed health care, Medicaid and Medicare, reimbursement issues and workers' compensation. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatSalaryMightIEarn">What Salary Might I Earn?</h3> <p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of billing and posting clerks is expected to increase slower than the national average for all jobs over the 2020-2030 decade (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). Although many billing departments now rely on electronic or automated billing processes, an increase in overall transactions - especially within the healthcare industry - is expected to help maintain a positive job outlook. As a billing clerk, you might earn a salary of approximately $41,610 per year. This was the average annual salary reported by the BLS for billing and posting clerks as of May 2020. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3> <p>You could also get a job as a different kind of financial clerk. For instance, as a payroll clerk, your job would be to keep track of employee hours and send out accurate paychecks. Payroll clerks need to have at least a high school diploma. Alternatively, you could become a brokerage clerk. In this job, you would assist securities officers with the handling of a company's investments, such as its stocks and bonds. The minimum educational requirement for the position is a high school diploma.</p>