How to Become a Bookkeeper in New Hampshire

Every business needs either a bookkeeper or an accountant to run well.

Although people mix them up, bookkeepers and accountants do different jobs.

To be a bookkeeper in New Hampshire, you need to know about business, accounting, or bookkeeping.

If you want to be a bookkeeper, make sure you’re great at math and super organized.

If you’re curious, keep reading this guide to find out more!

How to Become a Bookkeeper – Step by Step

It’s important to remember that certification is a must.

You can get certified in two ways:

• Education
• Practice

Each path has three steps, and they share some things in common.

Let’s take a closer look at these steps to understand them better!

Step 1 – Earn Your High School Diploma

Having a high school diploma or something like that is important for getting a job.

It’s especially crucial if you want to take college classes after high school.

This part is the same for both paths you can take to become a bookkeeper.

Step 2 Education – Earn a Degree

Though not mandatory, getting a degree shows commitment to the field.

As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a degree is necessary for the education route.

You can choose from:

• Associate’s Degree
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Master’s Degree

While fewer bookkeepers go for a master’s, it’s good to know about it.

Next, we’ll check out schools where you can get these degrees.

Step 3 Education – Train on-the-job

Getting some training before starting a job is crucial.

Unlike the Practice path, this on-the-job training lasts only 6 months.

If you’re taking the education path, you’ll need to learn how the company’s bookkeeping software works.

You’ll also need to pick up the pace to keep up with the firm’s transactions.

Step 2 Practice – Gain Experience

In the practical route, the next step is getting certified once you’ve gained enough experience.

You need at least 1 year of experience and at most 2 years.

This can be gained by getting hired for an entry-level position.

Step 3 Practice – Earn the Credentials

You can go for two different credentials:

• The license offered by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB)
  • This requires 2 years of experience.
• The certification offered by the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB)
  • It needs 1 year of experience.

Both certifications are known all across the country.

Each certification has four exams.

So, if you’re going for both, that’s eight tests in total.

You’ll take two exams at specific testing centers, and the other two you can do with open books.

These testing centers are run by Prometric.

Even if you’re studying, you can still get these certifications.

Once you’re certified, you need to do 24 hours of learning every year to keep your certification.

Bookkeeping Programs in New Hampshire

After the other requirements are fulfilled, you can think about training.

Look below to see some accounting and bookkeeping programs in this state.

Southern New Hampshire University

This university offers an online training program in accountancy that ends with a bachelor’s degree.

Since it’s offered online, you have access to it at any time, after you enroll.

The program has 120 credits to obtain.

It’s important to know that each credit costs $330.

You can transfer up to 90 credits toward this course.

Students can earn additional certifications and diplomas while they’re enrolled in this program.

Saint Anselm College

By enrolling in the accounting program at this college, you can earn a BA or a BS diploma.

The course is offered as a Major and a Minor, however, the BA and the BS are only available in the Major.

If you enrolled in the BA, you can switch to the BS if you have a GPA of at least 2.7.

You can switch from the BS to the BA as well.

The BA has 128 credit hours to accumulate and mandatory subjects.

For the BS you must accumulate 22 extra credit hours.

Bookkeeper Salary in New Hampshire

Now, let’s look at how much bookkeepers in New Hampshire make.

Based on info from salary.com, the average yearly salary for bookkeepers in New Hampshire is around $44,957.

This number can change every year because of different reasons.

Below, you’ll find a table showing the cities where bookkeepers usually earn more.

Regional Salary in New Hampshire

Bookkeeper Schools by State