Bookkeeper salary in El Centro, CA
Of the 28 areas in California with BLS pay data for this job, El Centro has the lowest median: $47,960 a year1. That is 19.0% below the California statewide median of $59,230, and 5.3% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #238 of 521. BLS counts about 530 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area El Centro, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in El Centro against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CA | $37,120 | $47,960 | $73,380 | |
| California | $41,600 | $59,230 | $81,990 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in El Centro earns $42,220–$60,040. The top tenth earns $73,380 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. The mean ($52,520) is 10% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $17,820 wide, against $22,000 across California and $17,950 nationally: employers in El Centro 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 | $37,120 | $3,093 | $17.85 | $47,897 |
| 25th percentile | $42,220 | $3,518 | $20.30 | $54,477 |
| Median | $47,960 | $3,997 | $23.06 | $61,884 |
| 75th percentile | $60,040 | $5,003 | $28.87 | $77,471 |
| 90th percentile | $73,380 | $6,115 | $35.28 | $94,684 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $12,080 over the median, the 25th only $5,740 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $15,587 a year in employer cost. 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 El Centro, and the California statewide median of $59,230 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in El Centro
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 $13,924 to the $47,960 median and brings it to $61,884 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 El Centro
Of the 16 roles we track in El Centro, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($49,150) and customer support specialists ($46,240). Project Coordinator is the highest at $105,860.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +11.0% | 200 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +2.5% | 540 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 530 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -3.6% | 360 | |
| HR Assistant | -4.1% | 40 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #12 of the 16 roles we track in El Centro (-5.3%), between recruiters (-5.2%) and accountants (-8.8%). The typical role here is at -0.9%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost less in El Centro than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 14.6% of the jobs in these 16 roles in El Centro, 9.2% across California and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $47,960 in El Centro to $66,130 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $18,170 a year. All 25 areas in California with more bookkeepers than El Centro also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($58,590) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($65,530).
| Area | Median | vs El Centro | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +10.0% | 1,180 | |
| Merced, CA | +7.9% | 680 | |
| Visalia, CA | +6.8% | 1,390 | |
| Redding, CA | +6.5% | 660 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | +6.1% | 730 | |
| Chico, CA | +5.7% | 730 | |
| El Centro, CA | this area | 530 |
El Centro against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, El Centro is #414 of 521 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside California, Ames and Louisville pay just above El Centro and Muskegon-Norton Shores and South Bend-Mishawaka just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in El Centro. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs El Centro | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield, MA | +15.3% | 530 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | +0.1% | 7,730 | pay | |
| Ames, IA | +0.0% | 470 | pay | |
| El Centro, CA | this area | 530 | ||
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | -0.0% | 440 | pay | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -0.0% | 1,110 | pay | |
| Dalton, GA | -4.9% | 530 | jobs | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | -5.8% | 530 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in El Centro, CA?
About $61,884 a year at the median, or $5,157 a month: $47,960 in pay plus about $13,924 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in El Centro?
The median was $47,960 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,120, the 90th $73,380, and the middle half earned $42,220 to $60,040.
Is El Centro the cheapest area in California for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $47,960 is the lowest of 28 areas in California. Chico is next at $50,710.
How many bookkeepers work in El Centro?
BLS counts about 530 in the May 2025 survey. 25 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Redding, with about 660.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a customer support specialist in El Centro?
Yes: $1,720 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,960 and $46,240.
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.