Bookkeeper salary in Abilene, TX
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Abilene than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $45,620 a year1: 6.7% below the Texas statewide median of $48,910 and 10.0% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #384 of 521. BLS counts about 650 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Abilene, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Abilene against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | $31,020 | $45,620 | $63,350 | |
| Texas | $33,480 | $48,910 | $72,810 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Abilene earns $38,160–$54,730. The top tenth earns $63,350 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $16,570 wide, against $19,610 across Texas and $17,950 nationally: employers in Abilene pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,020 | $2,585 | $14.91 | $40,026 |
| 25th percentile | $38,160 | $3,180 | $18.35 | $49,239 |
| Median | $45,620 | $3,802 | $21.93 | $58,865 |
| 75th percentile | $54,730 | $4,561 | $26.31 | $70,619 |
| 90th percentile | $63,350 | $5,279 | $30.46 | $81,742 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,110 a year in pay and about $11,755 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,460 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Abilene, and the Texas statewide median of $48,910 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Abilene
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $13,245 to the $45,620 median and brings it to $58,865 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for bookkeepers we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Abilene
Of the 16 roles we track in Abilene, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($48,350) and medical administrative assistants ($43,790). Project Coordinator is the highest at $82,230.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +9.9% | 70 | |
| HR Assistant | +6.0% | 30 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 650 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -4.0% | 940 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -13.7% | 900 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #5 of the 16 roles we track in Abilene (-10.0%), between accountants (-9.9%) and data entry specialists (-12.9%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Abilene than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 7.3% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Abilene, 7.8% across Texas and 8.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $39,710 in Laredo to $54,320 in Austin-Round Rock, a gap of $14,610 a year. Of the 24 areas in Texas with more bookkeepers than Abilene, 9 pay less, the largest of them El Paso, TX ($41,530), the Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetro area ($44,760) and McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($41,960).
| Area | Median | vs Abilene | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Station-Bryan, TX | +0.5% | 950 | |
| North Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +0.5% | 2,630 | |
| Tyler, TX | +0.5% | 940 | |
| Abilene, TX | this area | 650 | |
| Lubbock, TX | -0.1% | 1,500 | |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | -0.2% | 1,250 | |
| Eastern Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | -0.7% | 1,100 |
Abilene against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Abilene is #362 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Texas, Kingsport-Bristol and Goldsboro pay just above Abilene and Dalton and Manhattan just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Abilene. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Abilene | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +20.3% | 660 | jobs | |
| Iowa City, IA | +7.9% | 660 | jobs | |
| Helena, MT | +0.5% | 650 | jobs | |
| Goldsboro, NC | +0.2% | 350 | pay | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | +0.1% | 1,170 | pay | |
| Abilene, TX | this area | 650 | ||
| Dalton, GA | -0.0% | 530 | pay | |
| Manhattan, KS | -0.1% | 560 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Abilene, TX?
About $58,865 a year at the median, or $4,905 a month: $45,620 in pay plus about $13,245 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Abilene?
The median was $45,620 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,020, the 90th $63,350, and the middle half earned $38,160 to $54,730.
Is Abilene cheaper than the rest of Texas for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $45,620 against $48,910 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Tyler at $45,830, the next down Lubbock at $45,560.
How many bookkeepers work in Abilene?
BLS counts about 650 in the May 2025 survey. 24 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Odessa, with about 880.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Abilene?
Yes: $1,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $45,620 and $43,790.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.