Will AI replace bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 1h 58m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI working on its own. The other 6h 2m (75%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.6% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 5 of 28 tasks, about 1h 58m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information. (53m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Classify, record, and summarize numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records, using journals and ledgers or computers. (33m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Perform financial calculations, such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal. (13m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Compile statistical, financial, accounting, or auditing reports and tables pertaining to such matters as cash receipts, expenditures, accounts payable and receivable, and profits and losses. (13m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Compile budget data and documents, based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets. (7m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 3 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

6h 2m of a typical shift, or 75%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes. (39m a shift)
• Perform general office duties, such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence. (33m a shift)
• Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records. (26m a shift)
• Prepare and process payroll information. (26m a shift)
• Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software. (20m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 67% talk face to face with others every day
• 66% are in constant contact with other people
• 62% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important

We track 2 sourced company moves that affect this job. Most recent:

• Apr 23, 2025: KPMG builds AI agents into its global audit platform (Rolling out)
• Mar 19, 2025: Deloitte launches Zora AI agents and uses them for its own expenses (Announced)

For the 4 tasks in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 4h 24m for a person alone and about 22m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Classify, record, and summarize numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records, using journals and ledgers or computers (about 5h 20m alone, 30m with AI)
• Compile statistical, financial, accounting, or auditing reports and tables pertaining to such matters as cash receipts, expenditures, accounts payable and receivable, and profits and losses (about 4h 25m alone, 21m with AI)
• Compile budget data and documents, based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets (about 4h 23m alone, 22m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Accounting sector are at 105% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 5.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 144,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour), 1% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $36,000 and $74,550 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 1.4 million jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 144,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 1.4 million people in the U.S., roughly 0.88% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 26th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 1.4 million in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 41% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Mathematics, Writing, Time Management, Reading Comprehension
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 6h 2m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: SAP software, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks (1h 20m touched, $49k median pay)
• Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks (37m touched, $58k median pay)
• Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks (1h 22m touched, $50k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 5 observed in real AI use, 23 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.