While you can get started with an entry-level bookkeeping job without any certification, certificates can help you get higher-paying jobs. The average salary for a certified bookkeeper is around $55,000 per year, and the average salary for a non-certified bookkeeper is around $45,000 per year.

Besides recording transactions, you'll often find yourself having to dig deeper into financial reports and banking issues to get to the bottom of an issue or discrepancy. With an average yearly salary of $39,240, becoming a professional entry-level Bookkeeper can be the career move that you've been waiting for.

Bookkeeping is the score board for business performance. This means that business owners need to know how well (or poor) they're performing each month. Highly profitable. According to Inc Magazine, bookkeeping is the #1 most profitable side-hustle / business.

Zoho Books is our top QuickBooks alternative because of its scalability and mobile app functionality. Wave is second on our list as it has a free plan that provides sufficient support for businesses with basic bookkeeping needs.