Bookkeeper salary in Bay City, MI
Bay City is a lower-cost market for bookkeepers: the median of $47,730 a year1 is 2.6% below the Michigan statewide median of $48,980, and 5.8% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #253 of 521. BLS counts about 330 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Bay City, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bay City against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City, MI | $33,280 | $47,730 | $69,430 | |
| Michigan | $36,250 | $48,980 | $67,480 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $69,430, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in Bay City earns $39,660–$59,060. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $19,400 wide, wider than in Michigan as a whole ($15,790) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in Bay City depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,280 | $2,773 | $16.00 | $42,942 |
| 25th percentile | $39,660 | $3,305 | $19.07 | $51,174 |
| Median | $47,730 | $3,978 | $22.95 | $61,587 |
| 75th percentile | $59,060 | $4,922 | $28.39 | $76,206 |
| 90th percentile | $69,430 | $5,786 | $33.38 | $89,587 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,070 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $11,330, or about $14,619 once benefits are added. 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 Bay City, and the Michigan statewide median of $48,980 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Bay City
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 $13,857 to the $47,730 median and brings it to $61,587 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 Bay City
Of the 13 roles we track in Bay City, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($54,170) and administrative assistants ($43,750). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,170.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +15.7% | 110 | |
| Paralegal | +13.5% | 40 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 330 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -8.3% | 330 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -10.3% | 240 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 13 roles we track in Bay City (-5.8%); marketing specialists come last (-29.9%). The typical role here is at -13.2%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Bay City than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 13.6% of the jobs in these 13 roles in Bay City, 9.5% across Michigan and 8.9% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Michigan
Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $45,230 in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area to $51,480 in Detroit-Warren, a gap of $6,250 a year. Of the 17 areas in Michigan with more bookkeepers than Bay City, 9 pay less, the largest of them the Mid Michigan nonmetro area ($46,440), the Southern Michigan nonmetro area ($47,020) and the Northern Michigan nonmetro area ($45,230).
| Area | Median | vs Bay City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles, MI | +0.7% | 500 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +0.6% | 1,040 | |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +0.4% | 440 | |
| Bay City, MI | this area | 330 | |
| Battle Creek, MI | -0.5% | 370 | |
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | -1.5% | 1,200 | |
| Flint, MI | -1.6% | 990 |
Bay City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bay City is #500 of 521 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Michigan, Fort Wayne and Sherman-Denison pay just above Bay City and Greenville and Peoria just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Bay City. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bay City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, IL | +1.0% | 330 | jobs | |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | +0.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | +0.1% | 1,970 | pay | |
| Bay City, MI | this area | 330 | ||
| Greenville, NC | -0.1% | 720 | pay | |
| Peoria, IL | -0.1% | 1,390 | pay | |
| Mansfield, OH | -3.0% | 330 | jobs | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -12.5% | 330 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Bay City, MI?
About $61,587 a year at the median, or $5,132 a month: $47,730 in pay plus about $13,857 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Bay City?
The median was $47,730 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,280, the 90th $69,430, and the middle half earned $39,660 to $59,060.
Is Bay City cheaper than the rest of Michigan for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,730 against $48,980 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Muskegon-Norton Shores at $47,940, the next down Battle Creek at $47,510.
How many bookkeepers work in Bay City?
BLS counts about 330 in the May 2025 survey. 17 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is Midland, with about 370.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Bay City?
Yes: $3,980 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,730 and $43,750.
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.