What is the salary and career path for a bookkeeper?
Bookkeeper is an exact match to Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (SOC 43-3031); the OEWS May 2025 median is $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour), from $36,000 at the 10th percentile to $74,550 at the 90th. BLS projects the occupation to decline -5.8% over 2024–2034 as accounting software automates routine posting — a clear, stated decline — though replacement need still yields about 170,000 openings a year. Entry needs no degree; a certificate and software skills suffice, and the Certified Bookkeeper credential differentiates.
- Bookkeepers earn a national median $50,670/yr ($24.36/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031); the top 10% clear $74,550.
- Bookkeeper is an exact match to Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (SOC 43-3031); no degree is required and a certificate differentiates.
- BLS projects the occupation to DECLINE -5.8% through 2034 as software automates posting, though replacement need still yields about 170,000 openings a year.
- Pay runs from an entry clerk near $36,000 to a senior or supervising bookkeeper at the $74,550 top decile.
Career Path
How do you become a bookkeeper?
Entry bookkeeping clerk
A new clerk posting transactions and reconciling accounts starts near the $36,000 10th percentile.
Bookkeeper
A full-charge bookkeeper running the ledger and payroll earns around the $50,670 median.
Full-charge / senior bookkeeper
Owning the full books for a business pushes pay toward the $61,470 75th percentile.
Accounting clerk supervisor / office manager
Supervising clerks or running a small accounting office reaches the $74,550 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays bookkeepers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031. National median: $50,670. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does bookkeeper pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles bookkeepers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: bookkeepers rank 4 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected −5.8% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly bookkeepers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031 (bookkeepers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do bookkeepers need?
The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers credential that validates full-charge skills. See all state licences →
The NACPB credential covering bookkeeping, payroll and QuickBooks proficiency.
Software certification demonstrating proficiency in the dominant bookkeeping platform.
Community-college accounting classes that many employers prefer.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do bookkeepers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 43-3031
Salary Levers
How do bookkeepers earn above the $50,670 BLS median?
Full-charge responsibility
Owning a business's complete books, not just data entry, lifts pay from the $36,000 band toward the median and beyond.
Certification and software mastery
The Certified Bookkeeper credential and advanced software skills command premiums toward the $74,550 top.
Specialization and supervision
Payroll, multi-entity or supervisory work moves pay toward the upper percentiles despite the field's decline.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a bookkeeper worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Bookkeeper Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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