Bookkeeper salary in Johnson City, TN
Johnson City is the least expensive place in Tennessee to hire a bookkeeper. The median is $40,700 a year1, 15.5% below the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 and 19.7% below the US median of $50,670. Only 19 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 870 people in this job here, 2% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Johnson City, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Johnson City against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | $29,650 | $40,700 | $58,990 | |
| Tennessee | $35,000 | $48,180 | $67,730 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Johnson City earns $36,090–$48,820. The top tenth earns $58,990 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 $12,730 wide, against $18,130 across Tennessee and $17,950 nationally: employers in Johnson City 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 | $29,650 | $2,471 | $14.25 | $38,258 |
| 25th percentile | $36,090 | $3,008 | $17.35 | $46,568 |
| Median | $40,700 | $3,392 | $19.57 | $52,516 |
| 75th percentile | $48,820 | $4,068 | $23.47 | $62,994 |
| 90th percentile | $58,990 | $4,916 | $28.36 | $76,116 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,120 over the median, the 25th only $4,610 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $10,477 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 Johnson City, and the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 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 Johnson City
At the $40,700 median, a local hire costs about $52,516 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,816 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 Johnson City
Of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($46,150) and administrative assistants ($40,060). Project Coordinator is the highest at $78,100.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +13.8% | 350 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +13.4% | 90 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 870 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.6% | 1,030 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -10.1% | 1,940 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City (-19.7%), between recruiters (-18.7%) and paralegals (-19.8%). The typical role here is at -19.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 9.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Johnson City, 10.4% across Tennessee and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $40,700 in Johnson City to $50,810 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $10,110 a year. All 10 areas in Tennessee with more bookkeepers than Johnson City also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($50,810) and Memphis, TN-MS ($48,400).
| Area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | +11.2% | 800 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +9.9% | 1,110 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +9.6% | 1,160 | |
| Morristown, TN | +8.2% | 420 | |
| Cleveland, TN | +7.3% | 400 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +7.1% | 1,210 | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 870 |
Johnson City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Johnson City is #311 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 Tennessee, Gadsden and Dothan pay just above Johnson City and Gulfport-Biloxi and Hattiesburg just below. All four are within $630 a year of the median in Johnson City. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +29.4% | 870 | jobs | |
| Odessa, TX | +20.2% | 880 | jobs | |
| Columbia, MO | +20.2% | 880 | jobs | |
| Dothan, AL | +1.5% | 560 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | +0.3% | 290 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 870 | ||
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -0.4% | 1,500 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | -1.2% | 630 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Johnson City, TN?
About $52,516 a year at the median, or $4,376 a month: $40,700 in pay plus about $11,816 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Johnson City?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $40,700 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,650, the 90th $58,990, and the middle half earned $36,090 to $48,820.
Is Johnson City the cheapest area in Tennessee for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $40,700 is the lowest of 14 areas in Tennessee. The West Tennessee nonmetro area is next at $43,600.
How many bookkeepers work in Johnson City?
BLS counts about 870 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Tennessee total of 37,680. 10 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Clarksville, with about 1,000.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Johnson City?
Yes: $640 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,700 and $40,060.
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.