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1. What Is a Billing, Cost, and Rate Clerk?

Billing, cost, and rate clerks compile data, calculate fees and charges, and prepare invoices so that customers are billed accurately for products or services. They focus on the numbers behind the bill - unit costs, rates, discounts, taxes, shipping, and other charges - and then produce clear statements that can be recorded in the company’s accounting system.

In current government classifications, this work is grouped under Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021.00), whose description is to compile, compute, and record billing and other numerical data for billing, and prepare invoices for services or shipped goods.

Typical job titles include:

• Billing, cost, and rate clerk
• Billing clerk
• Rate clerk
• Freight rate clerk
• Billing coordinator
• Billing and posting clerk

You act as a bridge between operations and accounting - making sure what was delivered or done is translated into accurate numbers on a bill.

2. Key Responsibilities

While specific duties depend on industry, most billing, cost, and rate clerks do some mix of the following:

• Gathering billing data
  • Collect information about services provided, hours worked, products shipped, or miles transported.
  • Pull data from orders, time sheets, shipping documents, or service tickets.
• Computing costs and rates
  • Apply unit prices, hourly rates, or mileage rates.
  • Calculate discounts, surcharges, taxes, or fuel charges.
  • Compute total costs for each order or customer.
• Preparing invoices and statements
  • Create detailed invoices or statements that show items, quantities, rates, and totals.
  • Ensure line items match what was actually delivered or done.
• Verifying accuracy and resolving discrepancies
  • Check for missing items, wrong rates, or mismatched quantities.
  • Compare invoices with contracts, rate tables, or price lists.
  • Investigate and correct errors before bills go out, or adjust bills after customers question them.
• Posting data into systems
  • Enter charges into accounting or ERP systems.
  • Post payments, credits, and adjustments to the right accounts.
• Communicating with coworkers and customers
  • Work with sales, logistics, or project managers to clarify charges.
  • Answer customer questions about how charges were calculated.
• General office tasks
  • Produce billing documents, shipping labels, credit memos, and other records.
  • Handle some phone calls, emails, and filing as needed.

In some industries, clerks specialize in rate calculations, especially where pricing is complex, such as freight, utilities, or telecom.

3. Where They Work and Typical Schedule

Billing, cost, and rate clerks are employed in many settings:

• Healthcare - hospitals, clinics, medical billing firms
• Transportation and logistics - trucking, shipping, freight forwarders
• Utilities and telecom - energy, water, internet, phone
• Professional services - law firms, accounting firms, consulting
• Manufacturing and distribution - invoicing wholesale and retail buyers
• Government and public services

Most jobs are in office environments, increasingly with hybrid or remote options when systems are cloud based.

Typical schedule:

• Full time, weekdays, often traditional business hours
• Occasional overtime at month end or during major billing cycles

Compared with customer facing roles, this work is more desk and data focused, although you still interact regularly with internal teams and sometimes customers.

4. Salary and Earnings Potential

Billing, cost, and rate clerks map to the broader category of billing and posting clerks, which has solid wage data.

According to recent national data:

• Median pay for billing and posting clerks is about 68 dollars per hour, or 47,170 dollars per year.
• Typical range:
  • Low end: about 35,760 dollars per year (17.19 dollars per hour)
  • High end: about 64,990 dollars per year (31.25 dollars per hour)
• Billing and posting clerks sit within the wider financial clerks group, where the median wage was about 48,650 dollars in May 2024.

What affects your pay

• Industry - Utilities, healthcare, and large corporate environments tend to pay more than small local offices.
• Location - Major metro areas and high cost of living states usually offer higher wages.
• Complexity - Jobs that involve complex rate structures, contracts, or regulatory billing may pay better than very basic, high volume billing.
• Experience - Senior billing specialists who handle complex accounts or lead projects can move into higher pay bands, often 50,000 to 60,000 plus.

Some employers also offer:

• Overtime during peak periods
• Performance bonuses for accuracy or productivity
• Benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition support

5. Education, Skills, and Qualifications

Education

For most billing, cost, and rate clerk jobs, the minimum requirement is:

• High school diploma or equivalent

BLS data for billing and posting clerks lists:

• Typical entry level education: high school diploma or equivalent
• On the job training: moderate term on the job training rather than formal apprenticeships.

Some employers prefer candidates with:

• Associate degree in business, accounting, or related field
• Certificate programs in office administration or bookkeeping

These can help you stand out, especially in competitive markets or more technical industries.

Core Skills

Key skills for billing, cost, and rate clerks include:

• Numerical accuracy and basic math
  • Adding, subtracting, percentages, and unit conversions.
  • Comfort with spreadsheets or accounting software.
• Attention to detail
  • Spotting small discrepancies in quantities, prices, and totals.
  • Double checking invoices against contracts and records.
• Active listening and communication
  • Understanding questions from coworkers or customers.
  • Explaining charges and rate structures clearly.
• Computer proficiency
  • Billing or ERP systems
  • Spreadsheets like Excel
  • Email and basic office software
    Job posting data shows frequent demand for skills like Microsoft Excel and billing software in these roles.
• Organization and time management
  • Managing large volumes of invoices and deadlines.
  • Prioritizing urgent or high value accounts.
• Problem solving
  • Tracing errors back through paperwork or systems.
  • Working with others to correct mistakes in a way that is fair and compliant.

No formal license is typically required. Some employers may encourage internal training or cross training in accounting and finance.

6. A Day in the Life

A typical day as a billing, cost, and rate clerk might look like this:

8:15 a.m. - Start and review queue
You open the billing system, review yesterday’s pending invoices, and check for any urgent requests from sales or operations.

9:00 a.m. - Prepare invoices for recent orders
You receive a batch file of shipments from the warehouse. For each order you:

• Check the items, quantities, and shipping method.
• Apply rates from a price list or contract.
• Calculate totals, taxes, and freight charges.

You generate invoices and set them to be emailed or mailed to customers.

11:00 a.m. - Resolve discrepancies
Customer service forwards an email from a customer who thinks their invoice is too high. You:

• Compare the invoice with the purchase order and delivery record.
• See that a promotional discount was not applied.
• Correct the invoice and send an updated version, documenting the reason in the system.

12:00 p.m. - Lunch

12:45 p.m. - Cost and rate analysis
Your manager asks you to review a few accounts that had unusual shipping costs. You:

• Pull reports showing weight, distance, and carrier rates.
• Confirm that the correct rate table was used.
• Flag a few orders where an outdated rate was used and prepare adjustments.

2:30 p.m. - Coordination with other departments
You attend a short meeting with the sales team to discuss a new pricing structure. You take notes on how the new rates will be entered into the system and what changes to expect on invoices.

3:30 p.m. - Routine posting and recordkeeping
You post payments received today, match them to invoices, and update account balances. Any partial payments or disputed balances get tagged for follow up.

4:45 p.m. - End of day review
You check that the day’s invoices have been processed, spot check some for quality, and plan your priorities for tomorrow.

The work is steady and detail oriented, with a mix of routine tasks and occasional puzzles when numbers do not match.

7. Growth Stages and Promotional Path

Entry Level (0 to 2 years)

Titles:

• Billing clerk
• Billing, cost, and rate clerk
• Billing assistant

Focus:

• Learning billing systems and procedures
• Handling straightforward billing tasks
• Achieving accuracy and speed

Mid Level (2 to 5 years)

Titles:

• Senior billing specialist
• Lead billing clerk
• Billing analyst

Focus:

• Working on complex accounts or specialized rate structures
• Helping with process improvements and documentation
• Training or mentoring new clerks

Advanced (5 to 10+ years)

Titles:

• Billing supervisor or manager
• Revenue cycle specialist (common in healthcare)
• Pricing analyst or cost analyst
• Accounts receivable supervisor

Focus:

• Managing billing teams and metrics
• Designing or refining billing workflows
• Coordinating with finance, sales, and operations on pricing and billing policy

Long Term Options

With additional education and experience, you can move into:

• Accounting or bookkeeping roles
• Financial analysis or cost analysis
• Revenue cycle management in healthcare
• Operations or office management

Your detailed understanding of how money flows through the organization is a strong foundation for broader finance or operations careers.

8. Employment Outlook and Future Trends

Billing, cost, and rate clerks are part of the billing and posting clerks group.

Recent projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show:

• Employment of billing and posting clerks is expected to have little or no overall change from 2024 to 2034. One BLS table shows a very small decline of about 4 percent in employment from roughly 429,800 to 427,900 jobs.
• Despite minimal net growth, there are projected to be tens of thousands of openings each year due to retirements and job changes.

Trends shaping the field

• Automation and software
  • Many basic billing tasks are handled by integrated ERP systems.
  • Self service portals reduce some manual work.
  • Human clerks are still needed for complex cases, exceptions, and oversight.
• Specialization
  • In healthcare, transportation, and utilities, billing rules are complex. Specialists who understand regulations, contracts, and rate structures remain in demand.
• Data and compliance focus
  • Accurate billing is essential for audits, tax reporting, and regulatory compliance.
  • Errors can lead to fines or lost revenue, so businesses continue to invest in capable billing staff.

Overall, this is a stable but not fast growing occupation. It can be a reliable entry point into finance and operations, especially if you continue building skills and credentials.

9. Pros and Cons

Advantages

• Low barrier to entry
  High school completion plus on the job training is often enough to start.
• Transferable skills
  Billing experience translates well into accounting, bookkeeping, and operations support.
• Predictable environment
  Standard office hours and structured tasks suit people who like routine.
• Broad industry options
  You can work in healthcare, logistics, utilities, professional services, and more.

Challenges

• Repetitive tasks
  Large volumes of similar invoices and data entry.
• Need for intense accuracy
  Small errors can impact revenue or customer relationships.
• Technology changes
  You must keep up with new billing systems or automation tools.
• Limited pay growth if you stay in the same role
  Significant pay increases usually require moving into senior, analytical, or supervisory roles.

10. Is This Career a Good Fit For You?

Billing, cost, and rate clerk work may suit you if you:

• Enjoy working with numbers and details
• Like the idea of a steady office job rather than sales or field work
• Feel comfortable focusing on accuracy and consistency
• Prefer clear procedures and structure
• Are willing to learn new software and follow processes carefully

It may not be ideal if you:

• Dislike repetitive tasks or sitting at a desk most of the day
• Struggle to concentrate on detailed work
• Want a lot of face to face interaction or creative freedom
• Are looking for very rapid income growth without changing roles

Use the MAPP Career Assessment to Check Your Fit

If you want a data driven way to explore whether billing, cost, and rate clerk roles match your natural motivations, a career assessment is very helpful.

Is this career a good fit for you?
Take the MAPP career assessment at Assessment.com. This career assessment compares your personal motivations with thousands of jobs, including billing and other office, finance, and administrative roles. It can help you see if you are likely to thrive in structured, detail focused work, or if another path might be a better match.

11. How To Get Started

• Finish high school
  Focus on math, business, and computer courses if possible.
• Build basic office skills
  • Practice with spreadsheets, word processing, and email.
  • Learn basic bookkeeping or accounting through free or low cost online courses.
• Get experience where you can
  • Entry level office, customer service, or data entry jobs.
  • Internships or part time roles in administrative departments.
• Create a focused resume
  Highlight:
  • Accuracy with numbers
  • Experience handling records or reports
  • Comfort with software and data entry
  • Any billing, bookkeeping, or accounting related tasks you have done
• Target industries and employers
  Apply to hospitals, logistics companies, utilities, professional services firms, and other businesses that bill regularly. Search for job titles like billing clerk, billing specialist, rate clerk, or billing and posting clerk.
• Prepare for interviews
  Expect questions like:
• “Tell me about a time you caught and corrected an error.”
• “How do you stay focused when doing repetitive tasks?”
• “What is your experience with spreadsheets or billing systems?”
• Plan your development
  Once you are in the role, consider:
• Studying for an associate degree in business or accounting.
• Asking to cross train in accounts receivable or general accounting.
• Taking on special projects that involve process improvement or reporting.

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