Billing and Posting Clerks

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• Verify accuracy of billing data and revise any errors.
• Prepare itemized statements, bills, or invoices and record amounts due for items purchased or services rendered.
• Operate typing, adding, calculating, or billing machines.
• Keep records of invoices and support documents.
• Perform bookkeeping work, including posting data or keeping other records concerning costs of goods or services or the shipment of goods.
• Contact customers to obtain or relay account information.
• Resolve discrepancies in accounting records.
• Route statements for mailing or over-the-counter delivery to customers.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary Nondegree Award

Related Careers

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Billing and Posting Clerks.

A Day in the Life

A billing clerk's morning typically begins with processing incoming payments—opening mail, recording check receipts, applying electronic payments to customer accounts, and reconciling payment amounts against outstanding invoices. Discrepancies require investigation: contacting customers about partial payments, short-pays, or payments that don't reference invoice numbers. Mid-morning shifts to invoice generation—pulling completed work orders, verified service records, or shipping confirmations, entering them into the billing system, calculating charges including applicable taxes and discounts, and generating invoices for review and distribution. In healthcare billing, this involves translating medical procedure codes (CPT and ICD-10) into insurance claims and patient statements. Afternoon tasks include running aging reports to identify overdue accounts, preparing account statements for month-end cycles, responding to customer billing inquiries, resolving credit memo requests, and reconciling billing system data against general ledger accounts. End-of-day work involves filing documentation, updating spreadsheets or databases, and preparing the next day's billing queue. Month-end and year-end close periods intensify the workload as all accounts must be reconciled and reports finalized.

Work Environment

Billing clerks work in office environments—at desks with computers, dual monitors, and access to billing software and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The work is sedentary, involving extended computer use throughout the day. The environment is typically quiet and organized, though open office plans can create distraction in shared workspaces. Standard business hours (8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday) are the norm, with overtime possible during month-end and year-end closing periods. The pace is steady with periodic intensity during billing cycles, payment processing deadlines, and reconciliation periods. Accuracy pressure is constant—billing errors can result in revenue loss, customer dissatisfaction, and compliance issues. Remote work opportunities have increased as billing systems have moved to cloud-based platforms, though some organizations still require on-site presence for document handling and mail processing. Team dynamics typically involve close coordination with accounting, customer service, sales, and operations departments. The work suits individuals who value structure, accuracy, and predictable routine.

Career Path & Advancement

Most billing and posting clerk positions require a high school diploma, though many employers prefer candidates with some college coursework in accounting, business, or office administration. Entry-level positions involve routine data entry, payment processing, and basic invoice preparation. With experience, clerks handle more complex billing scenarios—multi-line invoices, contract-based billing, milestone payments, and dispute resolution. Advancement progresses to senior billing clerk, billing supervisor, or billing department manager. Specialized certifications enhance career trajectory: the Certified Professional Biller (CPB) from AAPC for healthcare billing, and bookkeeping certifications for general business billing. Natural career progression leads into accounts receivable management, credit and collections, full-cycle bookkeeping, or accounting positions. Pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree in accounting while working can accelerate advancement into accounting and finance roles.

Specializations

Healthcare billing specialists process medical claims for providers, hospitals, and healthcare organizations—mastering insurance billing rules, CPT and ICD-10 coding, explanation of benefits interpretation, appeals processes, and patient billing compliance. Legal billing specialists manage attorney timekeeper entries, client trust accounting, and the complex billing requirements of law firms including LEDES format electronic billing and client billing guidelines. Utility billing clerks process monthly meter readings, calculate consumption charges, manage rate schedules, and handle the high-volume, cycle-based billing unique to utility companies. Construction billing specialists manage progress billing, AIA document preparation, lien waiver processing, and retention tracking associated with construction contracts. Subscription and recurring billing specialists manage ongoing customer accounts, processing automatic payments, handling plan changes, and managing cancellations. Insurance premium billing specialists calculate and invoice policy premiums, process endorsements, and manage installment payment plans.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

Billing operations are being transformed by automation and digital platforms. Invoice automation, electronic payment processing, and AI-powered matching algorithms are reducing the manual data entry aspects of billing work while increasing the analytical and exception-handling dimensions. Healthcare billing complexity continues growing as insurance structures, coding requirements, and compliance obligations expand—keeping specialized billers in strong demand despite automation. Small and medium businesses are adopting cloud-based billing platforms that streamline invoicing but still require human oversight for accuracy and customer communication. The shift toward subscription and recurring revenue business models is changing billing patterns across industries. E-invoicing mandates in some jurisdictions are driving digital transformation of billing processes. Despite automation concerns, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects steady demand for billing clerks, as the complexity of billing relationships and the need for human judgment in exception handling maintain the role's relevance even as routine tasks become automated.