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Bookkeeper salary in the East Kentucky nonmetro area

Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in the East Kentucky nonmetro area than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $43,250 a year1: 7.1% below the Kentucky statewide median of $46,550 and 14.6% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally that is #471 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. BLS counts about 1,190 people in this job here, 5% of the Kentucky total.

$3,604median pay per month in the East Kentucky nonmetro area
$4,651employer cost per month with benefits
$20.79median pay per hour
1,190people in this job in the East Kentucky nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-3031, area East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the East Kentucky nonmetro area against Kentucky and the US

Range10thMedian90th
East Kentucky (Nonmetro)$27,430$43,250$62,590
Kentucky$30,090$46,550$66,930
United States$36,000$50,670$74,550
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $62,590 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of bookkeepers in the East Kentucky nonmetro area earns $35,320–$51,060. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $15,740 wide, against $19,160 across Kentucky and $17,950 nationally: employers in the East Kentucky nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a bookkeeper here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$27,430$2,286$13.19$35,394
25th percentile$35,320$2,943$16.98$45,574
Median$43,250$3,604$20.79$55,806
75th percentile$51,060$4,255$24.55$65,884
90th percentile$62,590$5,216$30.09$80,761

The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,930 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,810, or about $10,077 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 median and the 75th percentile in the East Kentucky nonmetro area, and the Kentucky statewide median of $46,550 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the East Kentucky nonmetro area

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 $12,556 to the $43,250 median and brings it to $55,806 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.

$55,806local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$41,918difference in year one
75%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the East Kentucky nonmetro area

Of the 16 roles we track in the East Kentucky nonmetro area, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($47,750) and HR assistants ($42,310). Project Coordinator is the highest at $78,100.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 16 roles in East Kentucky (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs bookkeeperJobs
Marketing Specialist
$48,420
+12.0%120
Sales Development Representative
$47,750
+10.4%240
Bookkeeper
$43,250
this role1,190
HR Assistant
$42,310
-2.2%30
Payroll Specialist
$41,110
-4.9%70

Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #2 of the 16 roles we track in the East Kentucky nonmetro area (-14.6%), between data entry specialists (-10.9%) and HR assistants (-16.4%). The typical role here is at -22.7%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in the East Kentucky nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 13.6% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the East Kentucky nonmetro area, 11.8% across Kentucky and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Kentucky

Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $41,360 in the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area to $48,000 in Lexington-Fayette, a gap of $6,640 a year. Of the 5 areas in Kentucky with more bookkeepers than the East Kentucky nonmetro area, 1 pays less: the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($41,360).

AreaMedianvs the East Kentucky nonmetro areaJobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$46,310
+7.1%610
Bowling Green, KY
$44,160
+2.1%900
West Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$44,090
+1.9%1,690
Elizabethtown, KY
$43,830
+1.3%560
Central Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$43,740
+1.1%1,960
East Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$43,250
this area1,190
South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$41,360
-4.4%2,080

the East Kentucky nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the East Kentucky nonmetro area is #225 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 Kentucky, Alexandria and Albany pay just above the East Kentucky nonmetro area and Jacksonville and Eagle Pass just below. All four are within $350 a year of the median in the East Kentucky nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the East Kentucky nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
$49,190
+13.7%1,190jobs
Waco, TX
$46,290
+7.0%1,200jobs
Slidell-Mandeville, LA
$44,520
+2.9%1,180jobs
Albany, GA
$43,270
+0.0%420pay
Alexandria, LA
$43,270
+0.0%590pay
East Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$43,250
this area1,190
Jacksonville, NC
$42,910
-0.8%500pay
Eagle Pass, TX
$42,900
-0.8%190pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in East Kentucky (Nonmetro)?

About $55,806 a year at the median, or $4,651 a month: $43,250 in pay plus about $12,556 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What is the pay range for bookkeepers in the East Kentucky nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $43,250 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,430, the 90th $62,590, and the middle half earned $35,320 to $51,060.

Is the East Kentucky nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for bookkeepers?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $43,250 against $46,550 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is the Central Kentucky nonmetro area at $43,740, the next down the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area at $41,360.

How many bookkeepers work in the East Kentucky nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 1,190 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Kentucky total of 23,480. 5 areas in Kentucky have more; the closest in size is the West Kentucky nonmetro area, with about 1,690.

Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in the East Kentucky nonmetro area?

Yes: $940 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,250 and $42,310.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.