Bookkeeper salary in Gadsden, AL
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Gadsden than in Alabama or the country as a whole. The median is $40,810 a year1: 8.6% below the Alabama statewide median of $44,640 and 19.5% below the US median of $50,670. Only 20 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 290 bookkeepers here, 1% of the Alabama total: a small pool for a local search.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Gadsden, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Gadsden against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden, AL | $28,760 | $40,810 | $57,510 | |
| Alabama | $30,460 | $44,640 | $60,250 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Gadsden earns $34,510–$48,180. The top tenth earns $57,510 or more, 2.0 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 $13,670 wide, against $14,290 across Alabama and $17,950 nationally: employers in Gadsden 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 | $28,760 | $2,397 | $13.83 | $37,110 |
| 25th percentile | $34,510 | $2,876 | $16.59 | $44,529 |
| Median | $40,810 | $3,401 | $19.62 | $52,658 |
| 75th percentile | $48,180 | $4,015 | $23.16 | $62,168 |
| 90th percentile | $57,510 | $4,792 | $27.65 | $74,206 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,370 a year in pay and about $9,510 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,300 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Gadsden, 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 Gadsden
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 $11,848 to the $40,810 median and brings it to $52,658 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 Gadsden
Of the 11 roles we track in Gadsden, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($47,050) and administrative assistants ($38,860). Accountant is the highest at $63,250.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +19.3% | 90 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +15.3% | 140 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 290 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -4.8% | 670 | |
| Paralegal | -6.9% | 70 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #2 of the 11 roles we track in Gadsden (-19.5%), between administrative assistants (-18.3%) and customer support specialists (-20.8%). The typical role here is at -24.4%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Gadsden than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 10.1% of the jobs in these 11 roles in Gadsden, 9.6% across Alabama and 9.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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. Of the 15 areas in Alabama with more bookkeepers than Gadsden, 4 pay less, the largest of them the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area ($40,630), the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area ($40,650) and the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area ($39,650).
| Area | Median | vs Gadsden | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | +5.7% | 610 | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +2.3% | 330 | |
| Dothan, AL | +1.3% | 560 | |
| Gadsden, AL | this area | 290 | |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | -0.4% | 740 | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | -0.4% | 1,270 | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 640 |
Gadsden against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Gadsden is #509 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Alabama, El Paso and Brownsville-Harlingen pay just above Gadsden and Johnson City and Gulfport-Biloxi just below. All four are within $720 a year of the median in Gadsden. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Gadsden | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe, MI | +18.1% | 290 | jobs | |
| Gettysburg, PA | +15.8% | 290 | jobs | |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | +13.9% | 290 | jobs | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | +1.8% | 1,020 | pay | |
| El Paso, TX | +1.8% | 2,790 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | this area | 290 | ||
| Johnson City, TN | -0.3% | 870 | pay | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -0.7% | 1,500 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Gadsden, AL?
About $52,658 a year at the median, or $4,388 a month: $40,810 in pay plus about $11,848 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Gadsden?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $40,810 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,760, the 90th $57,510, and the middle half earned $34,510 to $48,180.
Is Gadsden cheaper than the rest of Alabama for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $40,810 against $44,640 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Dothan at $41,330, the next down the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area at $40,650.
How many bookkeepers work in Gadsden?
BLS counts about 290 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Alabama total of 19,890. 15 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Anniston-Oxford, with about 330.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Gadsden?
Yes: $1,950 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,810 and $38,860.
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.