Bookkeeper salary in Johnstown, PA
No other area in Pennsylvania pays bookkeepers less than Johnstown. The median is $41,730 a year1, 13.9% below the Pennsylvania statewide median of $48,440 and 17.6% below the US median of $50,670. Only 29 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 410 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Johnstown, PA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Johnstown against Pennsylvania and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnstown, PA | $29,920 | $41,730 | $56,810 | |
| Pennsylvania | $34,960 | $48,440 | $69,570 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Johnstown earns $34,810–$48,770. The top tenth earns $56,810 or more, 1.9 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 $13,960 wide, against $17,070 across Pennsylvania and $17,950 nationally: employers in Johnstown 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 | $29,920 | $2,493 | $14.38 | $38,606 |
| 25th percentile | $34,810 | $2,901 | $16.74 | $44,916 |
| Median | $41,730 | $3,478 | $20.06 | $53,845 |
| 75th percentile | $48,770 | $4,064 | $23.45 | $62,929 |
| 90th percentile | $56,810 | $4,734 | $27.31 | $73,303 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,920 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,040, or about $9,084 once benefits are added. 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 Johnstown, and the Pennsylvania statewide median of $48,440 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 Johnstown
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 $12,115 to the $41,730 median and brings it to $53,845 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 Johnstown
Of the 15 roles we track in Johnstown, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($47,420) and medical administrative assistants ($40,290). Project Coordinator is the highest at $81,070.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +21.7% | 110 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +13.6% | 40 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 410 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -3.5% | 210 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -7.4% | 700 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #8 of the 15 roles we track in Johnstown (-17.6%), between customer support specialists (-16.6%) and payroll specialists (-18.6%). The typical role here is at -17.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 10.6% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Johnstown, 8.6% across Pennsylvania and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
Across the 20 areas of Pennsylvania with data for this job, the median runs from $41,730 in Johnstown to $53,500 in Lebanon, a gap of $11,770 a year. All 17 areas in Pennsylvania with more bookkeepers than Johnstown also pay more, among them Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ ($52,710) and Pittsburgh, PA ($47,250).
| Area | Median | vs Johnstown | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie, PA | +8.6% | 920 | |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +8.1% | 1,420 | |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +7.4% | 1,200 | |
| Central Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +6.9% | 1,450 | |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +3.5% | 1,190 | |
| Altoona, PA | +2.2% | 470 | |
| Johnstown, PA | this area | 410 |
Johnstown against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Johnstown is #468 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Pennsylvania, Anniston-Oxford and McAllen-Edinburg pay just above Johnstown and Brownsville-Harlingen and El Paso just below. All four are within $230 a year of the median in Johnstown. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Johnstown | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan, WI | +20.2% | 410 | jobs | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | +10.6% | 410 | jobs | |
| Albany, GA | +3.7% | 420 | jobs | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | +0.6% | 2,070 | pay | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +0.0% | 330 | pay | |
| Johnstown, PA | this area | 410 | ||
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -0.5% | 1,020 | pay | |
| El Paso, TX | -0.5% | 2,790 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Johnstown, PA?
About $53,845 a year at the median, or $4,487 a month: $41,730 in pay plus about $12,115 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Johnstown?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $41,730 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,920, the 90th $56,810, and the middle half earned $34,810 to $48,770.
Is Johnstown the cheapest area in Pennsylvania for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $41,730 is the lowest of 20 areas in Pennsylvania. Altoona is next at $42,660.
How many bookkeepers work in Johnstown?
BLS counts about 410 in the May 2025 survey. 17 areas in Pennsylvania have more; the closest in size is Chambersburg, with about 420.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Johnstown?
Yes: $1,440 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,730 and $40,290.
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.