How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper for a small business?

What the BLS figure measures: the median wage paid to employed bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks across the U.S. in May 2025. Half earn more and half less; the lowest 10% earned under $36,000 and the highest 10% over $74,550 a year. It is not what an outside bookkeeping firm charges, which also covers its own software, insurance, taxes and profit.

How outside bookkeepers often price: many quote a monthly package based on the number of bank and card accounts and transactions. In our guide's example, a client with 2 bank accounts, 1 credit card and about 150 transactions a month takes about 4 hours, which becomes $300 a month after overhead and a 25% buffer. Catch-up work is often priced separately; the guide's example is 6 months behind at $150 per month, a $900 project.

To get real prices: ask two or three bookkeepers for a written quote listing what is included each month, what costs extra and how you send documents.

Ways to keep the cost down: a separate business account, receipts saved as you go, and your own monthly entries, so a bookkeeper only reviews and reconciles.