Bookkeeper salary in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area
The median bookkeeper in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area earned $56,100 a year in May 20251. That is 10.7% above the US median of $50,670, even though it is 4.3% below the Washington statewide median of $58,620. Nationally that is #44 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 1,310 people in this job here, 4% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | $41,600 | $56,100 | $72,630 | |
| Washington | $45,070 | $58,620 | $77,630 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area earns $47,630–$62,750. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $72,630, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $15,120 wide, against $16,570 across Washington and $17,950 nationally: employers in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area 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 | $41,600 | $3,467 | $20.00 | $53,677 |
| 25th percentile | $47,630 | $3,969 | $22.90 | $61,458 |
| Median | $56,100 | $4,675 | $26.97 | $72,387 |
| 75th percentile | $62,750 | $5,229 | $30.17 | $80,968 |
| 90th percentile | $72,630 | $6,052 | $34.92 | $93,716 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,650 a year in pay and about $8,581 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,470 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 25th percentile and the median in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, and the Washington statewide median of $58,620 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area
At the $56,100 median, a local hire costs about $72,387 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,287 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 the Eastern Washington nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($60,720) and administrative assistants ($51,950). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,780.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +16.5% | 130 | |
| Paralegal | +8.2% | 140 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,310 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -7.4% | 1,390 | |
| HR Assistant | -9.9% | 100 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 16 roles we track in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area (+10.7%), between virtual receptionists (+10.8%) and administrative assistants (+9.3%). The typical role here is at +4.6%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 15.9% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, 9.7% across Washington and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $51,410 in Walla Walla to $60,460 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $9,050 a year. Of the 3 areas in Washington with more bookkeepers than the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, 1 pays less: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($53,050).
| Area | Median | vs the Eastern Washington nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +2.1% | 1,070 | |
| Bellingham, WA | +1.6% | 1,140 | |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | +0.9% | 490 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,310 | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | -0.9% | 1,050 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | -1.7% | 510 | |
| Yakima, WA | -4.5% | 940 |
the Eastern Washington nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Eastern Washington nonmetro area is #202 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Washington, Waterbury-Shelton and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie pay just above the Eastern Washington nonmetro area and Riverside-San Bernardino and Pittsfield just below. All four are within $780 a year of the median in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Eastern Washington nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +0.1% | 2,530 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | +0.0% | 1,440 | pay | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,310 | ||
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -0.9% | 12,710 | pay | |
| Pittsfield, MA | -1.4% | 530 | pay | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | -10.1% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Medford, OR | -12.2% | 1,340 | jobs | |
| Evansville, IN | -16.8% | 1,320 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Eastern Washington (Nonmetro)?
About $72,387 a year at the median, or $6,032 a month: $56,100 in pay plus about $16,287 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $56,100 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,600, the 90th $72,630, and the middle half earned $47,630 to $62,750.
Is the Eastern Washington nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Washington for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $56,100 against $58,620 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Longview-Kelso at $56,620, the next down Olympia-Lacey at $55,590.
How many bookkeepers work in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,310 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Washington total of 32,930. 3 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is the Western Washington nonmetro area, with about 1,710.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
Yes: $4,150 a year more at the median. The medians are $56,100 and $51,950.
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.