Bookkeeper salary in Daphne-Fairhope, AL
Daphne-Fairhope is a lower-cost market for bookkeepers: the median of $43,660 a year1 is 2.2% below the Alabama statewide median of $44,640, and 13.8% below the US median of $50,670. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#463 of 521). About 1,000 bookkeepers work here, 5% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Daphne-Fairhope against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | $29,160 | $43,660 | $58,400 | |
| Alabama | $30,460 | $44,640 | $60,250 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Daphne-Fairhope earns $36,750–$50,400. The top tenth earns $58,400 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 $13,650 wide, against $14,290 across Alabama and $17,950 nationally: employers in Daphne-Fairhope 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 | $29,160 | $2,430 | $14.02 | $37,626 |
| 25th percentile | $36,750 | $3,062 | $17.67 | $47,419 |
| Median | $43,660 | $3,638 | $20.99 | $56,335 |
| 75th percentile | $50,400 | $4,200 | $24.23 | $65,032 |
| 90th percentile | $58,400 | $4,867 | $28.08 | $75,355 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,910 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $6,740, or about $8,697 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Daphne-Fairhope, and the Alabama statewide median of $44,640 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local bookkeepers earn.
What a hire really costs in Daphne-Fairhope
At the $43,660 median, a local hire costs about $56,335 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,675 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 Daphne-Fairhope
Of the 16 roles we track in Daphne-Fairhope, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($43,990) and payroll specialists ($40,370). Project Coordinator is the highest at $84,520.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +26.4% | 490 | |
| Paralegal | +0.8% | 220 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,000 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -7.5% | 60 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -9.4% | 1,820 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 16 roles we track in Daphne-Fairhope (-13.8%); payroll specialists come last (-30.7%). The typical role here is at -17.7%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Daphne-Fairhope than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 11.8% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Daphne-Fairhope, 9.3% across Alabama and 9.3% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $38,810 in Florence-Muscle Shoals to $47,330 in Birmingham, a gap of $8,520 a year. Of the 5 areas in Alabama with more bookkeepers than Daphne-Fairhope, 1 pays less: the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area ($40,630).
| Area | Median | vs Daphne-Fairhope | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile, AL | +1.9% | 1,600 | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | +1.4% | 560 | |
| Montgomery, AL | +0.1% | 1,400 | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | this area | 1,000 | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | -0.6% | 900 | |
| Northwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 610 | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -4.4% | 330 |
Daphne-Fairhope against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Daphne-Fairhope is #277 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 Alabama, Cleveland and Hammond pay just above Daphne-Fairhope and Sierra Vista-Douglas and Charleston just below. All four are within $310 a year of the median in Daphne-Fairhope. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Daphne-Fairhope | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | +39.0% | 990 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | +7.6% | 990 | jobs | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +6.0% | 1,000 | jobs | |
| Hammond, LA | +0.0% | 380 | pay | |
| Cleveland, TN | +0.0% | 400 | pay | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | this area | 1,000 | ||
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | -0.1% | 210 | pay | |
| Charleston, WV | -0.7% | 1,050 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Daphne-Fairhope, AL?
About $56,335 a year at the median, or $4,695 a month: $43,660 in pay plus about $12,675 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Daphne-Fairhope?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $43,660 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,160, the 90th $58,400, and the middle half earned $36,750 to $50,400.
Is Daphne-Fairhope cheaper than the rest of Alabama for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $43,660 against $44,640 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Montgomery at $43,710, the next down Tuscaloosa at $43,400.
How many bookkeepers work in Daphne-Fairhope?
BLS counts about 1,000 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Alabama total of 19,890. 5 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area, with about 1,270.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a payroll specialist in Daphne-Fairhope?
Yes: $3,290 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,660 and $40,370.
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.