Bookkeeper salary in Bloomington, IL
Bloomington is the least expensive place in Illinois to hire a bookkeeper. The median is $45,220 a year1, 8.8% below the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 and 10.8% below the US median of $50,670. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#406 of 521). BLS counts about 590 people in this job here, 1% of the Illinois total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Bloomington, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bloomington against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | $35,990 | $45,220 | $61,270 | |
| Illinois | $32,360 | $49,560 | $71,480 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Bloomington earns $41,360–$56,070. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $61,270, only 1.7 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 only $14,710 wide, against $17,450 across Illinois and $17,950 nationally: employers in Bloomington 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 | $35,990 | $2,999 | $17.30 | $46,439 |
| 25th percentile | $41,360 | $3,447 | $19.88 | $53,368 |
| Median | $45,220 | $3,768 | $21.74 | $58,348 |
| 75th percentile | $56,070 | $4,672 | $26.96 | $72,348 |
| 90th percentile | $61,270 | $5,106 | $29.46 | $79,058 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $10,850 over the median, the 25th only $3,860 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $14,000 a year in employer cost. 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 Bloomington, and the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Bloomington
At the $45,220 median, a local hire costs about $58,348 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,128 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 Bloomington
Of the 14 roles we track in Bloomington, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($45,940) and HR assistants ($44,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,110.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +14.7% | 930 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +1.6% | 390 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 590 | |
| HR Assistant | -2.7% | 110 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -13.5% | 1,280 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #9 of the 14 roles we track in Bloomington (-10.8%), between accountants (-8.6%) and sales development representatives (-11.6%). The typical role here is at -7.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 8.8% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Bloomington, 9.8% across Illinois and 10.2% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $45,220 in Bloomington to $51,440 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $6,220 a year. All 9 areas in Illinois with more bookkeepers than Bloomington also pay more, among them Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN ($51,440) and the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($45,760).
| Area | Median | vs Bloomington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | +4.5% | 400 | |
| Rockford, IL | +3.5% | 1,020 | |
| East Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | +2.7% | 1,390 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | +2.5% | 1,340 | |
| West Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | +1.2% | 1,770 | |
| South Illinois (Nonmetro) | +0.8% | 1,320 | |
| Bloomington, IL | this area | 590 |
Bloomington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bloomington is #382 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Illinois, Jackson and Brunswick-St. Simons pay just above Bloomington and Jefferson City and Joplin just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Bloomington. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bloomington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha, WI | +10.0% | 590 | jobs | |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | +0.0% | 360 | pay | |
| Jackson, TN | +0.0% | 800 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IL | this area | 590 | ||
| Jefferson City, MO | -0.1% | 590 | pay | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | -0.1% | 530 | pay | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | -2.0% | 590 | jobs | |
| Alexandria, LA | -4.3% | 590 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Bloomington, IL?
About $58,348 a year at the median, or $4,862 a month: $45,220 in pay plus about $13,128 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Bloomington?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $45,220 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,990, the 90th $61,270, and the middle half earned $41,360 to $56,070.
Is Bloomington the cheapest area in Illinois for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $45,220 is the lowest of 12 areas in Illinois. The South Illinois nonmetro area is next at $45,600.
How many bookkeepers work in Bloomington?
BLS counts about 590 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Illinois total of 51,470. 9 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is Champaign-Urbana, with about 710.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Bloomington?
Yes: $1,220 a year more at the median. The medians are $45,220 and $44,000.
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.