Bookkeeper salary in Fairbanks-College, AK
Fairbanks-College is the most expensive place in Alaska to hire a bookkeeper. The median is $59,320 a year1, 5.1% above the Alaska statewide median of $56,430 and 17.1% above the US median of $50,670. Only 15 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 470 people in this job here, 10% of the Alaska total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Fairbanks-College, AK. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Fairbanks-College against Alaska and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $42,430 | $59,320 | $79,490 | |
| Alaska | $40,000 | $56,430 | $76,800 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $79,490, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in Fairbanks-College earns $49,970–$68,180. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $18,210 wide, wider than in Alaska as a whole ($17,090) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in Fairbanks-College depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,430 | $3,536 | $20.40 | $54,748 |
| 25th percentile | $49,970 | $4,164 | $24.02 | $64,477 |
| Median | $59,320 | $4,943 | $28.52 | $76,542 |
| 75th percentile | $68,180 | $5,682 | $32.78 | $87,974 |
| 90th percentile | $79,490 | $6,624 | $38.22 | $102,568 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,860 a year in pay and about $11,432 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,350 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 Fairbanks-College, and the Alaska statewide median of $56,430 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Fairbanks-College
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 $17,222 to the $59,320 median and brings it to $76,542 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 Fairbanks-College
Of the 14 roles we track in Fairbanks-College, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($64,240) and marketing specialists ($56,920). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,530.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +8.4% | 150 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +8.3% | 50 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 470 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -4.0% | 50 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -13.1% | 120 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #2 of the 14 roles we track in Fairbanks-College (+17.1%), between virtual receptionists (+24.3%) and paralegals (+13.5%). The typical role here is at +1.8%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Fairbanks-College than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 14.4% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Fairbanks-College, 14.6% across Alaska and 8.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Alaska
Across the 3 areas of Alaska with data for this job, the median runs from $54,100 in Anchorage to $59,320 in Fairbanks-College, a gap of $5,220 a year. All 2 areas in Alaska with more bookkeepers than Fairbanks-College pay less, among them Anchorage, AK ($54,100) and the Alaska nonmetro area ($57,510).
| Area | Median | vs Fairbanks-College | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College, AK | this area | 470 | |
| Alaska (Nonmetro) | -3.1% | 1,740 | |
| Anchorage, AK | -8.8% | 2,300 |
Fairbanks-College against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Fairbanks-College is #444 of 521 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Alaska, Hartford-West Hartford and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pay just above Fairbanks-College and Washington-Arlington and Salinas just below. All four are within $850 a year of the median in Fairbanks-College. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Fairbanks-College | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +1.4% | 1,900 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +0.3% | 4,660 | pay | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | this area | 470 | ||
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | -0.1% | 18,550 | pay | |
| Salinas, CA | -0.2% | 1,270 | pay | |
| Ames, IA | -19.1% | 470 | jobs | |
| Jonesboro, AR | -24.7% | 470 | jobs | |
| Altoona, PA | -28.1% | 470 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Fairbanks-College, AK?
About $76,542 a year at the median, or $6,378 a month: $59,320 in pay plus about $17,222 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Fairbanks-College?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,320 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,430, the 90th $79,490, and the middle half earned $49,970 to $68,180.
Is Fairbanks-College the most expensive area in Alaska for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $59,320 is the highest of 3 areas in Alaska. The Alaska nonmetro area comes next at $57,510.
How many bookkeepers work in Fairbanks-College?
BLS counts about 470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Alaska total of 4,580. Only Anchorage and the Alaska nonmetro area have more in Alaska.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a marketing specialist in Fairbanks-College?
Yes: $2,400 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,320 and $56,920.
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.