Bookkeeper hourly rate in the US: pay and loaded cost
Sources checked 8 October 2026
Short answer
The median US wage for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks was $24.36 an hour in May 2025 ($50,670 a year), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $20.92 and $29.55. Benefits add to that: in private industry, wages were 68.7% of employer compensation cost for office and administrative support workers in June 2026 — which puts the median at about $35.48 per hour worked once benefits are included. Published outsourced bookkeeping seats are priced from US $20 an hour.
What US bookkeepers are paid
BLS reports bookkeepers in one occupation with accounting and auditing clerks (SOC 43-3031). Its May 2025 wage survey:
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $17.31 | $36,000 |
| 25th | $20.92 | $43,520 |
| Median | $24.36 | $50,670 |
| 75th | $29.55 | $61,470 |
| 90th | $35.84 | $74,550 |
| Mean | $25.75 | $53,560 |
The survey counts 1,373,680 people in the occupation. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook notes that Most bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work full time
, and that they may work extra hours to meet deadlines at the end of the fiscal year, during tax time
.
What an employer pays per hour once benefits are added
The wage is only part of the cost. The BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation survey measures the rest, per hour worked:
| Component | Cost per hour | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wages and salaries | $25.22 | 68.7% |
| Paid leave | $2.77 | 7.5% |
| Supplemental pay | $1.06 | 2.9% |
| Insurance | $4.05 | 11.0% |
| Retirement and savings | $1.05 | 2.9% |
| Legally required benefits | $2.58 | 7.0% |
| Total compensation | $36.73 | 100.0% |
Applying that ratio to the median bookkeeper wage: $24.36 × ($36.73 ÷ $25.22) = $35.48 per hour worked. This is an illustration from two BLS averages, and it covers compensation only. Desk space, software licences, recruiting and supervision sit on top. QX, an outsourcing vendor, publishes its own build-up for a US bookkeeper: a $50,000 base salary rising to a True Annual Cost
of $97,500, a Cost Multiplier vs. Salary
of 1.95x, citing BLS, Robert Half and Accounting Today. That is QX's model, shown here as published.
Published outsourced rates
| Provider and seat | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Finsmart — Bookkeeping Seat | hourly | $20/hr |
| Finsmart — Bookkeeping Seat | dedicated, per month | $2,400 |
| Finsmart — Sr. Accounting Seat | hourly | $25/hr |
| Finsmart — Cleanup Seat | hourly | $25/hr |
| Finsmart — Reviewer Seat | hourly | $30/hr |
| QX — bookkeeper, in its cost comparison | outsourced, per month | $2,500 |
How seat, hourly and per-client prices compare is covered in our outsourced bookkeeping rates answer.
Comparing like with like
- Wage or loaded cost. The BLS $24.36 is a wage; an outsourced rate is a price. Compare a price with the loaded figure.
- Hours worked or hours paid. ECEC figures are per hour worked, so paid leave is counted as a cost.
- What the hour includes. Check whether review, a list of open questions and reconciliations are in the rate.
- Seat or per client. An hourly or dedicated seat suits steady volume; per-client pricing suits uneven volume.
Our own per-client prices are on the pricing page.
Sources
- BLS — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 43-3031 (national series OEUN0000000000000433031xx, via the BLS Public Data API) — percentile and mean wages, employment
- BLS — Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (last modified 27 Aug 2026) — Pay; Work Schedules
- BLS — Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, Table 4 (released 9 Sep 2026) — Office and administrative support occupations, private industry
- Finsmart — Pricing for CPA & Accounting Firms (fetched 8 Oct 2026) — seat prices
- QX — How much does accounting outsourcing cost (fetched 8 Oct 2026) — cost build-up and comparison tables
This page explains published rules. For advice on your firm's own arrangement, ask your counsel.