Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.

The occupation of "Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks" has an estimated automation risk of 84.9%, closely aligning with the calculated base risk of 85.7%. This high risk arises primarily due to the repetitive and rules-based nature of many clerical accounting tasks, which are highly susceptible to automation through advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and specialized accounting software. As technology evolves, traditional clerical roles that focus on data entry, validation, and adherence to strict procedures are increasingly being performed by automated systems with improved speed and accuracy. The significant overlap between base risk and actual automation risk illustrates how current tasks performed by these clerks are easily mapped onto existing and emerging technologies, leaving minimal unique human input required for the majority of day-to-day functions. The top three most automatable tasks serve as a clear example of these automation trends. Operating computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information is an inherently digital task that modern software can execute rapidly and with fewer errors than humans. Checking figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes is another task easily subsumed by automation, as machine learning algorithms excel at pattern recognition and validation against set rules. Similarly, complying with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations can be streamlined through programmatic rules enforcement within enterprise software, minimizing the need for human oversight in routine compliance activities. Together, these tasks constitute a large portion of daily duties, amplifying the automation risk for this occupation. However, some responsibilities remain relatively resistant to full automation due to the nuanced judgment or contextual awareness they require. Tasks like maintaining inventory records, compiling detailed statistical, financial, or auditing reports and tables, and preparing trial balances demand a level of discretion, multi-step reasoning, and sometimes domain-specific knowledge that current automation tools struggle to replicate without human guidance. These tasks require flexible thinking and adaptability, suggesting why they remain less automatable. Nevertheless, the primary bottleneck skill limiting further automation—originality—is required at minimal levels (1.9% and 1.8% respectively). This indicates the occupation as a whole leans heavily towards routine, structured work, with little reliance on creative or novel problem-solving, reinforcing its overall high risk for automation.