Will AI replace Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks?

AI can do 59% of the work Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks do at least twice as fast. People already use it for 5 of their 28 tasks, while 11 more are ready but barely used so far. Robots can technically handle 3 physical tasks. 9 still need a person.

AI is already doing this5 · 25% of time

People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.

  • Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information.Mostly automated11% of time
  • Classify, record, and summarize numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records, using journals and ledgers or computers.Mostly automated7% of time
  • 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.Mostly automated3% of time
  • Perform financial calculations, such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal.Mostly automated3% of time
  • Compile budget data and documents, based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets.Mostly automated1% of time

AI could do this next11 · 34% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • Perform general office duties, such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.7% of time
  • Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records.5% of time
  • Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software.4% of time
  • Reconcile records of bank transactions.4% of time
  • Code documents according to company procedures.3% of time
  • Access computerized financial information to answer general questions as well as those related to specific accounts.3% of time
  • Prepare purchase orders and expense reports.3% of time
  • Prepare trial balances of books.1% of time
  • Transfer details from separate journals to general ledgers or data processing sheets.1% of time
  • Complete and submit tax forms and returns, workers' compensation forms, pension contribution forms, and other government documents.1% of time
  • Maintain inventory records.1% of time

Robots can technically do this3 · 7% of time

Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.

  • Prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to banks.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time

Still needs a person9 · 34% of time

No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.

  • Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes.8% of time
  • Prepare and process payroll information.5% of time
  • Calculate, prepare, and issue bills, invoices, account statements, and other financial statements according to established procedures.4% of time
  • Calculate and prepare checks for utilities, taxes, and other payments.4% of time
  • Match order forms with invoices, and record the necessary information.4% of time
  • Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.3% of time
  • Monitor status of loans and accounts to ensure that payments are up to date.3% of time
  • Compare computer printouts to manually maintained journals to determine if they match.1% of time
  • Calculate costs of materials, overhead, and other expenses, based on estimates, quotations and price lists.1% of time

Your week is not the average

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What this means

AI can do most of this work faster, but a real part of the job still needs a person. Real use is still behind at 24 out of 100, so the change here is only getting started. The people who learn which tasks to hand off will pull ahead.

What to do next

  • Do the 5 tasks AI is already handling with AI yourself. Your peers already are, and it is quickly becoming the baseline.
  • Get ahead on the 11 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
  • Keep an eye on the 3 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 9 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Gambling Cage Workers58%Procurement Clerks68%Bill and Account Collectors74%Tellers44%Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks77%Billing and Posting Clerks87%

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