Bookkeeper salary in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
No other area in Alabama pays bookkeepers less than Florence-Muscle Shoals. The median is $38,810 a year1, 13.1% below the Alabama statewide median of $44,640 and 23.4% below the US median of $50,670. Only 2 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 580 people in this job here, 3% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Florence-Muscle Shoals against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $27,120 | $38,810 | $56,190 | |
| Alabama | $30,460 | $44,640 | $60,250 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $56,190, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in Florence-Muscle Shoals earns $35,090–$47,750. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,660 wide, against $14,290 across Alabama and $17,950 nationally: employers in Florence-Muscle Shoals 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 | $27,120 | $2,260 | $13.04 | $34,994 |
| 25th percentile | $35,090 | $2,924 | $16.87 | $45,277 |
| Median | $38,810 | $3,234 | $18.66 | $50,077 |
| 75th percentile | $47,750 | $3,979 | $22.96 | $61,613 |
| 90th percentile | $56,190 | $4,682 | $27.01 | $72,503 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,940 over the median, the 25th only $3,720 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,535 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Florence-Muscle Shoals, and the Alabama statewide median of $44,640 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local bookkeepers earn.
What a hire really costs in Florence-Muscle Shoals
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 $11,267 to the $38,810 median and brings it to $50,077 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals
Of the 14 roles we track in Florence-Muscle Shoals, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($38,850) and customer support specialists ($37,520). Project Coordinator is the highest at $93,950.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +15.2% | 30 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +0.1% | 1,160 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 580 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -3.3% | 650 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -8.6% | 590 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #11 of the 14 roles we track in Florence-Muscle Shoals (-23.4%), between payroll specialists (-23.3%) and paralegals (-27.6%). The typical role here is at -21.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 11.4% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Florence-Muscle Shoals, 9.2% across Alabama and 8.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $38,810 in Florence-Muscle Shoals to $47,330 in Birmingham, a gap of $8,520 a year. All 10 areas in Alabama with more bookkeepers than Florence-Muscle Shoals also pay more, among them Birmingham, AL ($47,330) and Huntsville, AL ($47,130).
| Area | Median | vs Florence-Muscle Shoals | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +7.6% | 330 | |
| Dothan, AL | +6.5% | 560 | |
| Gadsden, AL | +5.2% | 290 | |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | +4.7% | 740 | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | +4.7% | 1,270 | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | +2.2% | 640 | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | this area | 580 |
Florence-Muscle Shoals against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Florence-Muscle Shoals is #387 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 Alabama, Lafayette and Laredo pay just above Florence-Muscle Shoals and Hot Springs just below. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Florence-Muscle Shoals | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | +26.2% | 580 | jobs | |
| Logan, UT-ID | +19.1% | 580 | jobs | |
| Las Cruces, NM | +14.6% | 580 | jobs | |
| Laredo, TX | +2.3% | 1,070 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | +0.3% | 2,130 | pay | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | this area | 580 | ||
| Hot Springs, AR | -0.9% | 360 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?
About $50,077 a year at the median, or $4,173 a month: $38,810 in pay plus about $11,267 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $38,810 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,120, the 90th $56,190, and the middle half earned $35,090 to $47,750.
Is Florence-Muscle Shoals the cheapest area in Alabama for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $38,810 is the lowest of 16 areas in Alabama. The Southwest Alabama nonmetro area is next at $39,650.
How many bookkeepers work in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
BLS counts about 580 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Alabama total of 19,890. 11 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Decatur, with about 580.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a customer support specialist in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Yes: $1,290 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,810 and $37,520.
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.