Bookkeeper salary in Burlington, NC
For this job Burlington sits right at the North Carolina figure, with a median of $47,460 a year1. That is about level with the North Carolina statewide median of $47,930, and 6.3% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #266 of 521. About 600 bookkeepers work here, 1% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Burlington, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Burlington against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | $31,900 | $47,460 | $66,820 | |
| North Carolina | $33,710 | $47,930 | $67,290 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Burlington earns $39,080–$57,510. The top tenth earns $66,820 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $18,430 wide, wider than in North Carolina as a whole ($18,190) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in Burlington 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 | $31,900 | $2,658 | $15.34 | $41,161 |
| 25th percentile | $39,080 | $3,257 | $18.79 | $50,426 |
| Median | $47,460 | $3,955 | $22.82 | $61,239 |
| 75th percentile | $57,510 | $4,792 | $27.65 | $74,206 |
| 90th percentile | $66,820 | $5,568 | $32.12 | $86,219 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $10,050 a year in pay and about $12,968 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,380 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 Burlington, and the North Carolina statewide median of $47,930 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Burlington
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 $13,779 to the $47,460 median and brings it to $61,239 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 Burlington
Of the 15 roles we track in Burlington, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($51,620) and administrative assistants ($44,630). Project Coordinator is the highest at $83,370.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +16.8% | 50 | |
| Paralegal | +8.8% | 110 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 600 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -6.0% | 730 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -6.9% | 620 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #7 of the 15 roles we track in Burlington (-6.3%), between administrative assistants (-6.1%) and customer support specialists (-8.3%). The typical role here is at -8.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 10.1% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Burlington, 9.4% across North Carolina and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $42,910 in Jacksonville to $50,800 in Charlotte-Concord, a gap of $7,890 a year. Of the 13 areas in North Carolina with more bookkeepers than Burlington, 7 pay less, the largest of them Greensboro-High Point, NC ($46,990), the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area ($44,690) and the Western North Carolina nonmetro area ($44,920).
| Area | Median | vs Burlington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | +3.0% | 2,200 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | +1.9% | 2,880 | |
| Greenville, NC | +0.4% | 720 | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 600 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -1.0% | 3,440 | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -2.8% | 410 | |
| Wilmington, NC | -3.6% | 2,300 |
Burlington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Burlington is #376 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside North Carolina, Hinesville and Battle Creek pay just above Burlington and Missoula and Sioux City just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Burlington. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Burlington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | +3.2% | 600 | jobs | |
| Wausau, WI | +3.0% | 600 | jobs | |
| Battle Creek, MI | +0.1% | 370 | pay | |
| Hinesville, GA | +0.1% | 130 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 600 | ||
| Missoula, MT | -0.1% | 760 | pay | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -0.1% | 690 | pay | |
| Dover, DE | -4.1% | 600 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Burlington, NC?
About $61,239 a year at the median, or $5,103 a month: $47,460 in pay plus about $13,779 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Burlington?
The median was $47,460 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,900, the 90th $66,820, and the middle half earned $39,080 to $57,510.
Is Burlington cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for bookkeepers?
About the same: a median of $47,460 against $47,930 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Greenville at $47,670, the next down Greensboro-High Point at $46,990.
How many bookkeepers work in Burlington?
BLS counts about 600 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the North Carolina total of 48,760. 13 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Greenville, with about 720.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Burlington?
Yes: $2,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,460 and $44,630.
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.