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Bookkeeper salary in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area than in North Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $44,690 a year1: 6.8% below the North Carolina statewide median of $47,930 and 11.8% below the US median of $50,670. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#426 of 521). About 2,990 bookkeepers work here, 6% of the North Carolina total.

$3,724median pay per month in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area
$4,805employer cost per month with benefits
$21.49median pay per hour
2,990people in this job in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-3031, area Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area against North Carolina and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)$29,050$44,690$62,660
North Carolina$33,710$47,930$67,290
United States$36,000$50,670$74,550
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of bookkeepers in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area earns $36,470–$52,550. The top tenth earns $62,660 or more, 2.2 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 $16,080 wide, against $18,190 across North Carolina and $17,950 nationally: employers in the Eastern North Carolina 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$29,050$2,421$13.97$37,484
25th percentile$36,470$3,039$17.53$47,058
Median$44,690$3,724$21.49$57,665
75th percentile$52,550$4,379$25.26$67,806
90th percentile$62,660$5,222$30.12$80,852

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,860 a year in pay and about $10,142 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,220 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 the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, and the North Carolina statewide median of $47,930 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Eastern North Carolina 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 $12,975 to the $44,690 median and brings it to $57,665 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.

$57,665local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$43,777difference in year one
76%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($45,240) and e-commerce order specialists ($42,220). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,390.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs bookkeeperJobs
Payroll Specialist
$50,680
+13.4%180
HR Assistant
$45,240
+1.2%130
Bookkeeper
$44,690
this role2,990
E-commerce Order Specialist
$42,220
-5.5%100
Administrative Assistant
$41,250
-7.7%2,490

Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area (-11.8%), between paralegals (-11.2%) and payroll specialists (-13.0%). The typical role here is at -13.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 13.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, 9.3% across North Carolina and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in North Carolina

Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $42,910 in Jacksonville to $50,800 in Charlotte-Concord, a gap of $7,890 a year. All 3 areas in North Carolina with more bookkeepers than the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area also pay more, among them Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC ($50,800) and Raleigh-Cary, NC ($50,200).

AreaMedianvs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro areaJobs
Fayetteville, NC
$45,360
+1.5%1,020
Hickory-Lenoir, NC
$45,130
+1.0%1,570
Western North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$44,920
+0.5%2,710
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$44,690
this area2,990
Rocky Mount, NC
$44,320
-0.8%590
Central North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$44,060
-1.4%2,250
Jacksonville, NC
$42,910
-4.0%500

the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area is #78 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside North Carolina, Yuma and Parkersburg-Vienna pay just above the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area and Jonesboro and Muncie just below. All four are within $290 a year of the median in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Syracuse, NY
$52,000
+16.4%2,980jobs
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$46,920
+5.0%2,920jobs
Wichita, KS
$46,500
+4.1%3,070jobs
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
$44,980
+0.6%400pay
Yuma, AZ
$44,970
+0.6%460pay
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$44,690
this area2,990
Jonesboro, AR
$44,660
-0.1%470pay
Muncie, IN
$44,650
-0.1%450pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)?

About $57,665 a year at the median, or $4,805 a month: $44,690 in pay plus about $12,975 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do bookkeepers earn in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $44,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,050, the 90th $62,660, and the middle half earned $36,470 to $52,550.

Is the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for bookkeepers?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $44,690 against $47,930 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is the Western North Carolina nonmetro area at $44,920, the next down Rocky Mount at $44,320.

How many bookkeepers work in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 2,990 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the North Carolina total of 48,760. 3 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Greensboro-High Point, with about 3,440.

Does a bookkeeper cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

Yes: $2,470 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,690 and $42,220.

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.