Bookkeeper salary in 2026
The median bookkeeper in the United States earns $50,670 a year, or $24.36 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey, published this year. The middle half of bookkeepers earn between $43,520 and $61,470.
Where you work matters more than anything else: District of Columbia pays a median of $65,180, Connecticut $59,970, and the highest paying metro area, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, $66,130. There are 1,373,680 bookkeepers in the country.
Liaison does the routine half of a bookkeeper’s job for 11% of what one costs. See how.
Bookkeeper salary by state
Median annual and hourly wage, the range the middle half earn, and how many bookkeepers work in each state. Click a state for its cities.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $65,180 | $31.34 | $55,280 to $77,700 | 1,790 |
| Connecticut | $59,970 | $28.83 | $49,840 to $70,710 | 14,930 |
| Massachusetts | $59,830 | $28.77 | $49,160 to $69,110 | 29,110 |
| California | $59,230 | $28.48 | $48,600 to $70,600 | 151,870 |
| Washington | $58,620 | $28.18 | $49,830 to $66,400 | 32,930 |
| New Jersey | $58,300 | $28.03 | $48,400 to $67,270 | 37,550 |
| New York | $58,160 | $27.96 | $47,400 to $69,330 | 84,280 |
| Alaska | $56,430 | $27.13 | $47,270 to $64,360 | 4,580 |
| Vermont | $54,720 | $26.31 | $47,850 to $63,420 | 2,950 |
| Minnesota | $54,600 | $26.25 | $46,970 to $62,640 | 26,850 |
| Oregon | $54,060 | $25.99 | $45,730 to $62,930 | 21,710 |
| Colorado | $54,000 | $25.96 | $46,400 to $64,170 | 26,140 |
| Maryland | $53,540 | $25.74 | $45,990 to $63,040 | 18,170 |
| Rhode Island | $53,280 | $25.61 | $46,800 to $63,160 | 4,570 |
| New Hampshire | $52,450 | $25.22 | $44,980 to $61,140 | 7,180 |
| Delaware | $51,780 | $24.89 | $44,980 to $61,620 | 4,600 |
| Virginia | $51,620 | $24.82 | $44,420 to $62,230 | 31,990 |
| Arizona | $50,590 | $24.32 | $44,980 to $59,550 | 22,690 |
| Maine | $50,510 | $24.28 | $45,100 to $60,210 | 7,390 |
| Nevada | $50,380 | $24.22 | $43,800 to $60,290 | 15,180 |
| Wisconsin | $50,340 | $24.20 | $44,580 to $59,380 | 25,960 |
| North Dakota | $49,710 | $23.90 | $44,750 to $58,990 | 4,290 |
| Illinois | $49,560 | $23.83 | $42,680 to $60,130 | 51,470 |
| Utah | $49,440 | $23.77 | $41,600 to $59,670 | 12,650 |
| Georgia | $49,350 | $23.73 | $40,410 to $60,010 | 38,700 |
| Florida | $49,330 | $23.72 | $42,890 to $59,960 | 88,670 |
| Michigan | $48,980 | $23.55 | $42,740 to $58,530 | 37,550 |
| Texas | $48,910 | $23.52 | $40,710 to $60,320 | 122,400 |
| Ohio | $48,810 | $23.47 | $42,360 to $58,720 | 45,140 |
| Hawaii | $48,730 | $23.43 | $42,340 to $58,790 | 5,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,440 | $23.29 | $41,840 to $58,910 | 48,920 |
| Idaho | $48,310 | $23.23 | $40,770 to $58,660 | 9,540 |
| Iowa | $48,180 | $23.17 | $41,140 to $57,540 | 14,020 |
| Tennessee | $48,180 | $23.16 | $40,330 to $58,460 | 37,680 |
| New Mexico | $48,080 | $23.12 | $40,170 to $58,280 | 7,780 |
| Missouri | $47,990 | $23.07 | $40,220 to $58,140 | 21,400 |
| South Carolina | $47,940 | $23.05 | $39,810 to $58,240 | 19,980 |
| North Carolina | $47,930 | $23.04 | $39,870 to $58,060 | 48,760 |
| Wyoming | $47,910 | $23.03 | $39,880 to $57,510 | 3,480 |
| Indiana | $47,820 | $22.99 | $39,970 to $57,770 | 29,910 |
| Kansas | $47,290 | $22.74 | $39,310 to $56,480 | 15,380 |
| Montana | $47,270 | $22.73 | $40,510 to $55,790 | 6,980 |
| Nebraska | $47,110 | $22.65 | $39,000 to $54,900 | 10,050 |
| Kentucky | $46,550 | $22.38 | $37,450 to $56,610 | 23,480 |
| Virgin Islands | $46,490 | $22.35 | $37,860 to $55,760 | 280 |
| South Dakota | $46,340 | $22.28 | $39,370 to $52,000 | 10,200 |
| Oklahoma | $46,180 | $22.20 | $38,050 to $56,360 | 16,490 |
| Louisiana | $44,890 | $21.58 | $35,990 to $54,170 | 18,980 |
| Alabama | $44,640 | $21.46 | $36,390 to $50,680 | 19,890 |
| West Virginia | $42,890 | $20.62 | $36,450 to $49,520 | 7,620 |
| Arkansas | $42,840 | $20.60 | $36,020 to $51,100 | 12,510 |
| Mississippi | $42,840 | $20.60 | $34,890 to $51,080 | 12,160 |
| Guam | $33,280 | $16.00 | $27,520 to $39,730 | 880 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,700 | $13.80 | $24,450 to $35,610 | 6,650 |
Highest paying cities for bookkeepers
The ten metro areas with the highest median, out of the 393 where BLS publishes one.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $66,130 | $31.79 | 7,590 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $65,530 | $31.51 | 18,100 |
| New Haven, CT | $62,890 | $30.24 | 2,900 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $61,960 | $29.79 | 1,120 |
| Napa, CA | $61,710 | $29.67 | 700 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $61,390 | $29.52 | 3,710 |
| Vallejo, CA | $61,180 | $29.41 | 1,040 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $61,140 | $29.39 | 2,040 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $60,960 | $29.31 | 21,170 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $60,680 | $29.18 | 990 |
The lowest medians in the 50 states and DC: Hot Springs, AR ($38,450), Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL ($38,810), Lafayette, LA ($38,910), Laredo, TX ($39,710) and Hattiesburg, MS ($40,230).
What it pays where you are
Pick your state or metro area. The wage is the median there; the cost line is what an employer pays once benefits are added.
Bookkeeper, the United States, 40 hours a week
$68,407 a year
$5,701 a month. Wages $50,669 at the median of $24.36 an hour, plus $17,738 in benefits. The middle half of bookkeepers here earn $43,520 to $61,470 in wages.
The routine half of a bookkeeper’s job, for 11% of what one costs.
- Chases every open invoice in your voice, one reminder per customer, and matches payouts to the invoices they paid.
- Reads bills as they arrive, codes and enters them, and stages the payment run for your yes.
- Reconciles the processors against the deposits and writes the month-end notes your accountant would otherwise bill for.
Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $68,400 a year for a bookkeeper at the median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
“Cut our month-end close from 4 days to 4 hours.” Marcus C., owner
$629 a month, or $500 a month on a 12-month term. Prefer to start on your own? Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with a free trial first: 7 days, no card. More: AI bookkeeper.
What bookkeepers do
Bookkeepers keep a business’s books: record transactions, reconcile bank and card accounts, send invoices, pay bills and prepare the numbers an accountant or owner works from. BLS counts them under occupation 43-3031, which is the definition every figure on this page uses.
For an employer, the wage is the start: benefits at a small employer add 35%, so a bookkeeper at the median costs about $68,400 a year. The employer’s numbers, by state and metro, are on what a bookkeeper costs. The routine part of the job, the follow-ups, the reconciling, the scheduling, is the part Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
Questions
What is the average bookkeeper salary?
The median bookkeeper in the United States earned $50,670 a year, or $24.36 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. The middle half earned between $43,520 and $61,470. The median is the wage half of bookkeepers earn more than and half earn less than, which is a steadier guide than an average.
How much does a bookkeeper make an hour?
The median bookkeeper earns $24.36 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. At 2,080 hours a year that is $50,670. The middle half earn between $20.92 and $29.55 an hour.
Which states pay bookkeepers the most?
District of Columbia ($65,180), Connecticut ($59,970), Massachusetts ($59,830), California ($59,230) and Washington ($58,620).
Which cities pay bookkeepers the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,130), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($65,530), New Haven, CT ($62,890), Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($61,960) and Napa, CA ($61,710), out of the 393 metro areas where BLS publishes a median for bookkeepers.
How many bookkeepers are there?
BLS counted 1,373,680 bookkeepers employed in the United States in May 2025.
What does a bookkeeper cost an employer?
Wages are only part of it. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top of wages (BLS, June 2026), so a bookkeeper at the median costs about $68,400 a year. The employer’s view, by state and metro, is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/bookkeeper.
Other roles
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
See it on your own business.
Thirty minutes with us, on your own tools. Bring the thing that eats your evenings and watch it get handled from your own inbox, calendar and books.
Professional is $629 a month and we set it up with you. Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with the free trial first: 7 days, no card. Every plan is on the pricing page.