Program Details Accounting Clerk Certificate

This program will enroll students for the last time in Fall 2025.

Spring 2027 is the last quarter RTC will be offering Accounting Clerk classes.

You can start this program as a full-time student in September 2025. You will need to pass all of your classes as indicated below to complete your certificate.

Here is a general overview of what your classes will look like following each quarter. Please contact your advisor for more information regarding the courses. To see which materials are needed for your courses, click this bookstore link (Links to an external site.) and enter the course information.

General Overview

When can I start? Fall (September)

How long is the program? 2 quarters (6 months) with 32 total credits

When do classes meet? FLEX (this means you attend on campus or by video chat or online)

Are summer classes required? No! There are no summer classes for this certificate.

In this certificate program, you will learn the fundamental skills of accounting and use a computer for word processing, electronic spreadsheets, and general ledger.

When you graduate, you can apply for jobs like accounting clerk and payroll clerk.

What does an accounting clerk do?

What is the average salary?

$57,090 annually in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area. Most accounting clerks earn at least $42,580; there is a wide salary range.

Who can I contact with questions?

New students, please visit our Zoom lobby (Links to an external site.) to talk with someone by video chat, or e-mail our advising department.
For current students, please visit RTC's advising page (Links to an external site and look for the faculty counselor assigned to Accounting Clerk.

Overall Materials Needed:

Functioning laptop or computer
USB drive (thumb drive)
Webcam
Headset with microphone
Working internet connection
Book and software packages ($505)

Minimum GPA or grades to graduate

You need to earn a 2.0 in ACCT& 201 and ACCT& 202. You can earn a 1.0 or better in all other classes for the certificate. Your overall or cumulative GPA must be 2.0 or higher.

Materials Warning

If you rent a textbook, make sure you return it by the deadline. If you purchase a textbook, you can sell it back to the RTC bookstore -- but make sure that you won't need the book again for classes in the future!

Fall 2025 start (full-time)

Quarter 1 Classes

Description: In this quarter, you are introduced to the necessary tools for accounting tasks and learn how to record various important monetary information. This quarter consists of three core classes and one general education class in communication or humanities.

Quarter 1 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
COL 101	College Success	NO	2
ASST 100 + 104 or MAP 114	Computer and Keyboarding Basics + Office 365 with AI or Computer Fundamentals	varies	2 + 3 or 5
ACCT& 201	Principles of Accounting I	YES	5
COMP 100	Applied Composition or another communication or humanities class	varies by class	5
Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,263

Quarter 2 Classes

Description: You will learn to manage general ledgers, accounts receivable, accounts payable, depreciation, inventory, payroll, and financial statements in a small business - using Microsoft Excel. You also will explore collection and recording of payroll data such as wages, overtime, leave, salary calculations, and payroll taxes.

Prerequisite notes: You cannot take ACCT 130 or ACCT& 202 until you complete ACCT& 201 with a 2.0 or higher. You cannot take ACCT 132 until you complete ASST 144 or an equivalent Microsoft Office class.

It's time to apply for your certificate!

Quarter 2 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
ACCT 130	Payroll Accounting	YES	5
ACCT& 202	Principles of Accounting II	YES	5
ACCT 132	Excel for Accounting	YES	5
Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,065

Total Estimated Cost for Your Accounting Clerk Certificate: $4,833

Fall 2025 start (part-time)

Quarter 1 Classes

Description: In this quarter, you are introduced to the necessary tools for accounting tasks and learn how to record various important monetary information. This quarter consists of three core classes and one general education class in communication or humanities.

Quarter 1 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
COL 101	College Success	NO	2
ASST 100 + 104 or MAP 114	Computer and Keyboarding Basics + Office 365 with AI or Computer Fundamentals	varies	2 + 3 or 5
ACCT& 201	Principles of Accounting I	YES	5

Quarter 2 Classes

Description: You will learn to manage general ledgers, accounts receivable, accounts payable, depreciation, inventory, payroll, and financial statements in a small business - using Microsoft Excel. You also will explore collection and recording of payroll data such as wages, overtime, leave, salary calculations, and payroll taxes.

Prerequisite notes: You cannot take ACCT 130 or ACCT& 202 until you complete ACCT& 201 with a 2.0 or higher. You cannot take ACCT 132 until you complete ASST 144 or an equivalent Microsoft Office class.

It's time to apply for your certificate!

Quarter 2 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
ACCT 130	Payroll Accounting	YES	5
ACCT 132	Excel for Accounting	YES	5

Quarter 3 Classes

Quarter 2 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
ACCT& 202	Principles of Accounting II	YES	5
COMP 100	Applied Composition or another communication or humanities class	varies by class	5

Total Estimated Cost for Your Accounting Clerk Certificate (part-time): $5,522

Fall 2024 start

Quarter 1 Classes

Description: In this quarter, you are introduced to the necessary tools for accounting tasks and learn how to record various important monetary information. This quarter consists of three core classes and one general education class in communication or humanities.

Quarter 1 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
COL 101	College Success	NO	2
ASST 144	Introduction to Office Applications or MAP 114	NO	5
ACCT& 201	Principles of Accounting I	YES	5
COMP 100	Applied Composition or another communication or humanities class	varies by class	5
Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,263

Quarter 2 Classes

Description: You will learn to manage general ledgers, accounts receivable, accounts payable, depreciation, inventory, payroll, and financial statements in a small business - using Microsoft Excel. You also will explore collection and recording of payroll data such as wages, overtime, leave, salary calculations, and payroll taxes.

Prerequisite notes: You cannot take ACCT 130 or ACCT& 202 until you complete ACCT& 201 with a 2.0 or higher. You cannot take ACCT 132 until you complete ASST 144 or an equivalent Microsoft Office class.

It's time to apply for your certificate!

Quarter 2 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
ACCT 130	Payroll Accounting	YES	5
ACCT& 202	Principles of Accounting II	NO	5
ACCT 132	Excel for Accounting	YES	5
Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,065

Grand Total Estimate: $4,833

Winter 2025 start (part-time)

Winter 2025 Classes

Quarter 1 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
COL 101	College Success	NO	2
ASST 144	Introduction to Office Applications or MAP 114	NO	5
ACCT& 201	Principles of Accounting I	YES	5

Spring 2025 Classes

Quarter 2 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
ACCT& 202	Principles of Accounting II	NO	5

Fall 2025 Classes

Quarter 3 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
	General Education Communication or Humanities	varies	5

Winter 2026 Classes

Quarter 4 Course Information
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
ACCT 130	Payroll Accounting	YES	5
ACCT 132	Excel for Accounting	YES	5

Grand Total Estimate: $5,522

Not quite the path you want to take? Let's go back to the Program Map!

Back to Program Map