How to Become a Bookkeeper in Arkansas

A bookkeeper, often mistaken for an accountant, typically has a background in accountancy.

This role requires strong mathematical skills and excellent organization.

Responsibilities include tracking sales, purchases, and other company transactions.

It’s an office-based job known for its stability, and if you’re aiming to become a bookkeeper in Arkansas, you’re in the right spot!

Read on for more info!

How to Become – Step by Step

To become a bookkeeper in Arkansas, you need to fulfill either of these requirements:

• Education
• Practice

No matter what you choose, these methods share the first step.

Step 1 – Earn Your High School Diploma

Just like for any job, you need to have a high school diploma.

If you can’t get it, you can replace it with a GED.

One thing to remember is that you can’t start your career without a high school diploma or a GED.

Step 2 Education – Earn a Degree

Having a degree is not necessary, as you can see many employers who get accountants who choose practice instead of a degree.

However, you need to have some postsecondary education, as per the BLS.

You can choose between these 2 degrees for this occupation:

• Associate’s Degree
• Bachelor’s Degree

No matter what you choose, the degree needs to be in accountancy or maybe business.

Step 2 Practice – Gain Experience

For the next step, you have to get between a year and two of experience.

The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (or AIPB) needs 2 years of practice for certification.

The National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (or NACPB) requires one year of experience for licensure.

Step 3 Education – Gain on-the-job Training

To be successful as a bookkeeper, you will have to get trained on the job.

You can expect the training to last for about 6 months.

While training, you will need to become accustomed to using the required software at the level your employer needs.

Step 3 Practice – Earn Credentials

If you are opting for credentials, you should know you need to have at least one.

However, you get even better chances if you have two credentials.

The credentials you can get can be seen below:

• Certified bookkeeping professional (CPB) credential from NACPB
• Certified bookkeeper (CB) license from AIPB

NACPB and AIPB are organizations recognized at the national level.

To get these credentials, you will need to take all 4 exams these associations provide.

The first 2 tests are held at specific testing centers.

The following 2 exams are open-book, which means you can use your manual during the exam.

You can get these licenses even if you choose the education path to become a bookkeeper.

Keep in mind that you have to take an additional 24 hours of training.

Bookkeeping Programs in Arkansas

Now, let’s see what programs are available in Arkansas.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

This course is for professional bookkeepers and prepares you for the AIPB national certification exam.

It reinforces key concepts and offers resources like videos and interactive activities.

The course includes practice quizzes and exams to help you prepare for the exam day.

Completing the AIPB exam is important as it sets a high professional standard.

Being a Certified Bookkeeper (CB) can boost your earnings and professional status.

The exam is divided into four parts, with Parts 1 and 2 offered at over 300 Prometric test centers, and Parts 3 and 4 are open-book tests.

CBs are highly regarded in the field of bookkeeping, similar to how CPAs are esteemed in accounting.

This program has a total cost of $2,195.

Arkansas State University

At this university, you can learn how to use QuickBooks Online.

At the end of this 100-hour course, you’ll be fully prepared for the QuickBooks Online certification test.

The program is offered online, making the enrollment open at all times.

There are 6 months offered to complete the course, at your own pace.

This is what you’ll learn through this program:

• How to set up a company file in QuickBooks Online correctly
• How essential bookkeeping duties and tasks are done
• Perform fundamental analysis of accounts, financial documents, and reports.

Bookkeeper Salary in Arkansas

Before you become a bookkeeper, you may want to know how much you can earn.

In this state, the median salary for bookkeepers is about $40,272 a year.

This number is influenced by different factors such as your education and location.

Take a look at the list below to locate the cities where bookkeepers’ salaries are on the higher side.

Regional Salary in Arkansas

Bookkeeper Schools by State