A Bookkeeper is the financial "record-keeper" of a company. While an accountant handles high-level analysis and tax strategy, the bookkeeper focuses on the daily, granular task of tracking every dollar that enters or leaves the business.
Core Roles & Responsibilities
Daily Transaction Entry: Recording all financial transactions—sales, purchases, receipts, and payments—into the General Ledger.
Accounts Payable (AP): Managing the company’s bills, ensuring vendors are paid on time, and taking advantage of early-payment discounts.
Accounts Receivable (AR): Generating invoices for customers, tracking outstanding balances, and following up on late payments.
Bank Reconciliation: Matching internal bank records against actual bank statements to ensure the "books" reflect reality and to catch fraudulent activity.
Payroll Processing: Calculating employee hours, managing withholdings, and ensuring staff are paid accurately through services like Gusto or ADP.
Financial Reporting: Producing standard monthly reports, such as the Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss (P&L) statement, for management review.
Data Organization: Maintaining a digital and physical "audit trail" by filing receipts, contracts, and payment confirmations.
Essential Technical Skills
Accounting Software: Proficiency in small-to-medium business tools like QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Excel: Using spreadsheets for data clean-up and basic financial modeling.
Accuracy: A high level of precision is required, as a minor data-entry error can skew a company's entire financial outlook.
Top Skills
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
