Bookkeeper salary in Charlottesville, VA
Charlottesville is the most expensive place in Virginia to hire a bookkeeper. The median is $52,680 a year1, 2.1% above the Virginia statewide median of $51,620 and 4.0% above the US median of $50,670. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#75 of 521). About 870 bookkeepers work here, 3% of the Virginia total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Charlottesville, VA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Charlottesville against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | $37,910 | $52,680 | $69,000 | |
| Virginia | $36,610 | $51,620 | $72,860 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Charlottesville earns $45,410–$62,280. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $69,000, 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 only $16,870 wide, against $17,810 across Virginia and $17,950 nationally: employers in Charlottesville 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 | $37,910 | $3,159 | $18.23 | $48,916 |
| 25th percentile | $45,410 | $3,784 | $21.83 | $58,594 |
| Median | $52,680 | $4,390 | $25.33 | $67,974 |
| 75th percentile | $62,280 | $5,190 | $29.94 | $80,361 |
| 90th percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33.17 | $89,032 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,270 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $9,600, or about $12,387 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 25th percentile and the median in Charlottesville, and the Virginia statewide median of $51,620 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Charlottesville
At the $52,680 median, a local hire costs about $67,974 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $15,294 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 Charlottesville
Of the 17 roles we track in Charlottesville, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($53,100) and HR assistants ($49,300). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,680.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +13.4% | 190 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +0.8% | 1,160 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 870 | |
| HR Assistant | -6.4% | 80 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -13.7% | 830 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Charlottesville (+4.0%), between recruiters (+8.5%) and payroll specialists (+3.6%). The typical role here is at -2.9%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Charlottesville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 8.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Charlottesville, 7.5% across Virginia and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $45,270 in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area to $52,680 in Charlottesville, a gap of $7,410 a year. All 5 areas in Virginia with more bookkeepers than Charlottesville pay less, among them Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC ($48,690) and Richmond, VA ($51,400).
| Area | Median | vs Charlottesville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | this area | 870 | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | -2.0% | 720 | |
| Richmond, VA | -2.4% | 4,890 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -7.6% | 5,880 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -7.9% | 550 | |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | -7.9% | 400 | |
| Harrisonburg, VA | -10.6% | 500 |
Charlottesville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Charlottesville is #310 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Virginia, Philadelphia-Camden and Hanford-Corcoran pay just above Charlottesville and Manchester-Nashua and Midland just below. All four are within $470 a year of the median in Charlottesville. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Charlottesville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | +0.5% | 370 | pay | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | +0.1% | 22,660 | pay | |
| Charlottesville, VA | this area | 870 | ||
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | -0.2% | 1,990 | pay | |
| Midland, TX | -0.9% | 1,440 | pay | |
| Odessa, TX | -7.1% | 880 | jobs | |
| Columbia, MO | -7.1% | 880 | jobs | |
| Johnson City, TN | -22.7% | 870 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Charlottesville, VA?
About $67,974 a year at the median, or $5,665 a month: $52,680 in pay plus about $15,294 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Charlottesville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $52,680 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,910, the 90th $69,000, and the middle half earned $45,410 to $62,280.
Is Charlottesville the most expensive area in Virginia for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $52,680 is the highest of 13 areas in Virginia. Blacksburg-Christiansburg comes next at $51,620.
How many bookkeepers work in Charlottesville?
BLS counts about 870 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Virginia total of 31,990. 5 areas in Virginia have more; the closest in size is Lynchburg, with about 890.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Charlottesville?
Yes: $3,380 a year more at the median. The medians are $52,680 and $49,300.
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.