Bookkeeper salary in Billings, MT
Billings pays bookkeepers more than Montana as a whole but less than the country. The median is $47,830 a year1: 1.2% above the Montana statewide median of $47,270 and 5.6% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally it ranks #248 of 521 areas. About 1,160 bookkeepers work here, 17% of the Montana total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Billings, MT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Billings against Montana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | $35,180 | $47,830 | $64,700 | |
| Montana | $34,270 | $47,270 | $63,980 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Billings earns $40,700–$56,680. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $64,700, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $15,980 wide, between the figure for Montana ($15,280) and the US figure ($17,950).
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,180 | $2,932 | $16.91 | $45,394 |
| 25th percentile | $40,700 | $3,392 | $19.57 | $52,516 |
| Median | $47,830 | $3,986 | $23.00 | $61,716 |
| 75th percentile | $56,680 | $4,723 | $27.25 | $73,135 |
| 90th percentile | $64,700 | $5,392 | $31.11 | $83,484 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,850 a year in pay and about $11,419 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,130 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 Billings, and the Montana statewide median of $47,270 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Billings
At the $47,830 median, a local hire costs about $61,716 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,886 here. 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 Billings
Of the 15 roles we track in Billings, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($57,300) and customer support specialists ($44,580). Project Coordinator is the highest at $85,540.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +22.7% | 170 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +19.8% | 100 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,160 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -6.8% | 1,090 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -8.6% | 820 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #6 of the 15 roles we track in Billings (-5.6%), between medical administrative assistants (-4.8%) and paralegals (-6.7%). The typical role here is at -8.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 15.5% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Billings, 16.7% across Montana and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Montana
Across the 8 areas of Montana with data for this job, the median runs from $45,760 in the Southwest Montana nonmetro area to $49,820 in Bozeman, a gap of $4,060 a year. The one area in Montana with more bookkeepers, the West Montana nonmetro area ($46,830), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Billings | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | +4.2% | 940 | |
| Billings, MT | this area | 1,160 | |
| Missoula, MT | -0.9% | 760 | |
| West Montana (Nonmetro) | -2.1% | 1,380 | |
| East-Central Montana (Nonmetro) | -3.1% | 940 | |
| Great Falls, MT | -4.1% | 440 | |
| Helena, MT | -4.1% | 650 |
Billings against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Billings is #234 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Montana, Toledo and Davenport-Moline pay just above Billings and Grand Junction and Sherman-Denison just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Billings. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Billings | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, SC | +1.4% | 1,150 | jobs | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | +0.0% | 1,360 | pay | |
| Toledo, OH | +0.0% | 2,200 | pay | |
| Billings, MT | this area | 1,160 | ||
| Grand Junction, CO | -0.1% | 610 | pay | |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | -0.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -4.5% | 1,170 | jobs | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -6.9% | 1,180 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Billings, MT?
About $61,716 a year at the median, or $5,143 a month: $47,830 in pay plus about $13,886 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Billings?
The median was $47,830 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,180, the 90th $64,700, and the middle half earned $40,700 to $56,680.
Is Billings cheaper than the rest of Montana for bookkeepers?
No, it costs more: a median of $47,830 against $47,270 statewide. The next area up in Montana is Bozeman at $49,820, the next down Missoula at $47,420.
How many bookkeepers work in Billings?
BLS counts about 1,160 in the May 2025 survey. That is 17% of the Montana total of 6,980. Only the West Montana nonmetro area has more in Montana.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a customer support specialist in Billings?
Yes: $3,250 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,830 and $44,580.
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.