Bookkeeper salary in Clarksville, TN-KY
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Clarksville than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $46,280 a year1: 3.9% below the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 and 8.7% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #345 of 521. BLS counts about 1,000 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Clarksville, TN-KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Clarksville against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $30,840 | $46,280 | $61,110 | |
| Tennessee | $35,000 | $48,180 | $67,730 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Clarksville earns $38,100–$52,440. The top tenth earns $61,110 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,340 wide, against $18,130 across Tennessee and $17,950 nationally: employers in Clarksville 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 | $30,840 | $2,570 | $14.83 | $39,794 |
| 25th percentile | $38,100 | $3,175 | $18.32 | $49,161 |
| Median | $46,280 | $3,857 | $22.25 | $59,716 |
| 75th percentile | $52,440 | $4,370 | $25.21 | $67,665 |
| 90th percentile | $61,110 | $5,092 | $29.38 | $78,852 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,160 a year in pay and about $7,948 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,180 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 Clarksville, and the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Clarksville
At the $46,280 median, a local hire costs about $59,716 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,436 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 Clarksville
Of the 17 roles we track in Clarksville, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($48,160) and HR assistants ($44,650). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,660.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +13.3% | 100 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +4.1% | 500 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,000 | |
| HR Assistant | -3.5% | 100 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -7.4% | 1,020 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Clarksville (-8.7%), between data entry specialists (-8.3%) and administrative assistants (-9.9%). The typical role here is at -13.5%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Clarksville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 10.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Clarksville, 10.4% across Tennessee and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $40,700 in Johnson City to $50,810 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $10,110 a year. Of the 9 areas in Tennessee with more bookkeepers than Clarksville, 5 pay less, the largest of them the West Tennessee nonmetro area ($43,600), the East Tennessee nonmetro area ($45,550) and Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA ($45,670).
| Area | Median | vs Clarksville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS | +4.6% | 6,320 | |
| Knoxville, TN | +2.2% | 4,510 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | +1.4% | 2,920 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | this area | 1,000 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -1.3% | 1,170 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -1.6% | 1,190 | |
| Jackson, TN | -2.2% | 800 |
Clarksville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Clarksville is #276 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Tennessee, Waco and Paducah pay just above Clarksville and Lake Havasu City-Kingman and Panama City-Panama City Beach just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Clarksville. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Clarksville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | +31.1% | 990 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | +1.5% | 990 | jobs | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +0.1% | 610 | pay | |
| Waco, TX | +0.0% | 1,200 | pay | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | this area | 1,000 | ||
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | +0.0% | 380 | pay | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | -0.1% | 760 | pay | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | -5.7% | 1,000 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Clarksville, TN-KY?
About $59,716 a year at the median, or $4,976 a month: $46,280 in pay plus about $13,436 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Clarksville?
The median was $46,280 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,840, the 90th $61,110, and the middle half earned $38,100 to $52,440.
Is Clarksville cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,280 against $48,180 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Chattanooga at $46,920, the next down Kingsport-Bristol at $45,670.
How many bookkeepers work in Clarksville?
BLS counts about 1,000 in the May 2025 survey. 9 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area, with about 1,110.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Clarksville?
Yes: $1,630 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,280 and $44,650.
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.