Bookkeeper salary in Dubuque, IA
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Dubuque than in Iowa or the country as a whole. The median is $47,630 a year1: 1.1% below the Iowa statewide median of $48,180 and 6.0% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #256 of 521. BLS counts about 520 people in this job here, 4% of the Iowa total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Dubuque, IA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Dubuque against Iowa and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque, IA | $32,450 | $47,630 | $63,460 | |
| Iowa | $33,240 | $48,180 | $66,490 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Dubuque earns $41,410–$56,690. The top tenth earns $63,460 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 $15,280 wide, against $16,400 across Iowa and $17,950 nationally: employers in Dubuque 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 | $32,450 | $2,704 | $15.60 | $41,871 |
| 25th percentile | $41,410 | $3,451 | $19.91 | $53,432 |
| Median | $47,630 | $3,969 | $22.90 | $61,458 |
| 75th percentile | $56,690 | $4,724 | $27.25 | $73,148 |
| 90th percentile | $63,460 | $5,288 | $30.51 | $81,884 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,060 a year in pay and about $11,690 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,220 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 Dubuque, and the Iowa statewide median of $48,180 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Dubuque
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 $13,828 to the $47,630 median and brings it to $61,458 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 Dubuque
Of the 15 roles we track in Dubuque, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($55,740) and customer support specialists ($46,670). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,690.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +26.7% | 110 | |
| Paralegal | +17.0% | 80 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 520 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -2.0% | 1,880 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -4.6% | 440 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #5 of the 15 roles we track in Dubuque (-6.0%), between administrative assistants (-4.4%) and office managers (-7.8%). The typical role here is at -11.4%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Dubuque than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 8.8% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Dubuque, 10.4% across Iowa and 8.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Iowa
Across the 12 areas of Iowa with data for this job, the median runs from $46,600 in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area to $50,610 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, a gap of $4,010 a year. Of the 10 areas in Iowa with more bookkeepers than Dubuque, 6 pay less, the largest of them the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area ($46,640), the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area ($46,870) and the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area ($46,680).
| Area | Median | vs Dubuque | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | +2.2% | 1,120 | |
| Ames, IA | +0.7% | 470 | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | +0.4% | 1,360 | |
| Dubuque, IA | this area | 520 | |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | -0.2% | 580 | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -0.5% | 690 | |
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | -1.6% | 1,620 |
Dubuque against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Dubuque is #418 of 521 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Iowa, Peoria and Greenville pay just above Dubuque and Provo-Orem and York-Hanover just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Dubuque. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Dubuque | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punta Gorda, FL | +0.5% | 520 | jobs | |
| Greenville, NC | +0.1% | 720 | pay | |
| Peoria, IL | +0.1% | 1,390 | pay | |
| Dubuque, IA | this area | 520 | ||
| Provo-Orem, UT | -0.1% | 2,180 | pay | |
| York-Hanover, PA | -0.1% | 1,270 | pay | |
| Springfield, OH | -3.9% | 520 | jobs | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | -6.3% | 520 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Dubuque, IA?
About $61,458 a year at the median, or $5,122 a month: $47,630 in pay plus about $13,828 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Dubuque?
The median was $47,630 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,450, the 90th $63,460, and the middle half earned $41,410 to $56,690.
Is Dubuque cheaper than the rest of Iowa for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,630 against $48,180 statewide. The next area up in Iowa is Davenport-Moline at $47,840, the next down Waterloo-Cedar Falls at $47,540.
How many bookkeepers work in Dubuque?
BLS counts about 520 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Iowa total of 14,020. 10 areas in Iowa have more; the closest in size is Waterloo-Cedar Falls, with about 580.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a customer support specialist in Dubuque?
Yes: $960 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,630 and $46,670.
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.