How Much Do Bookkeepers Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary bookkeepers make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for bookkeepers and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of bookkeepers are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much bookkeepers can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Bookkeepers
According to data from 2023, there were about 1,598,890 positions for bookkeepers in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for bookkeepers was reported to be $47,445. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 389,284 job postings related to positions for bookkeepers.
How Much Money Do Bookkeepers Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money bookkeepers and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for bookkeepers.
Annual Salary for Bookkeepers
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for bookkeepers and related professions earned about $32,469 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $68,869 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for bookkeepers in the United States in 2023 was $47,445.
Annual Salary Range For Bookkeepers In 2023
Hourly Salary for Bookkeepers
The BLS also breaks down compensation for bookkeepers by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for bookkeepers in 2023 was $23. Lowest hourly earners took home $16 while the highest reported hourly salaries for bookkeepers was $33.
Hourly Salary Range For Bookkeepers In 2023
Top Online College For Working Adults
Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Bookkeepers
Develop the foundational financial skills needed to keep business running successfully, including financial reporting and analysis, managerial accounting, and federal taxes, so you can start your career as an accounting technician, tax preparer, payroll assistant and more.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Turn a head for numbers into a career as a financial associate or analyst, and help businesses turn financial data into actionable insights that can maximize investments, improve cash flow, and impact decisionmaking.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Help organizations analyze financial statements and accounts to help prevent fraud, maintain data integrity, assess operational risk, and mitigate or remediate deficiencies as an accounting technician, assistant or bookkeeper.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Enter into or advance within the rapidly growing accounting industry and prepare for professional certifications like the CPA.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Accreditation: IACBE
Master finance principles and develop all-inclusive corporate finance strategies for business firms and financial institutions.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Accreditation: IACBE
Distinguish yourself as a knowledgeable accounting professional with advanced technical, research, and communication skills.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 17
- Accreditation: IACBE
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Advertised Compensation for Bookkeepers
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for bookkeepers, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for bookkeepers.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Bookkeepers
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 266,506 job postings related to bookkeepers, advertised salary was included in 139,009 of them, which was 52%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for bookkeepers was $47,488 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Bookkeepers
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for bookkeepers. Based on 36% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for bookkeepers in the United States is about $23.
Salary Trend for Bookkeepers
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for bookkeepers. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for bookkeepers dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for bookkeepers have increased 20%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Bookkeepers
What's the Job Growth for Bookkeepers?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for bookkeepers over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 1,596,280 jobs for bookkeepers in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 4,621 jobs will be added. That's a 0.3% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Bookkeepers
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about bookkeepers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for bookkeepers.
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.