Bookkeeper salary in Jonesboro, AR
Jonesboro pays bookkeepers more than Arkansas as a whole but less than the country. The median is $44,660 a year1: 4.2% above the Arkansas statewide median of $42,840 and 11.9% below the US median of $50,670. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#427 of 521). BLS counts about 470 people in this job here, 4% of the Arkansas total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Jonesboro, AR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Jonesboro against Arkansas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro, AR | $30,310 | $44,660 | $60,320 | |
| Arkansas | $28,130 | $42,840 | $62,230 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Jonesboro earns $36,080–$54,150. The top tenth earns $60,320 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 $18,070 wide, wider than in Arkansas as a whole ($15,080) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in Jonesboro 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 | $30,310 | $2,526 | $14.57 | $39,110 |
| 25th percentile | $36,080 | $3,007 | $17.35 | $46,555 |
| Median | $44,660 | $3,722 | $21.47 | $57,626 |
| 75th percentile | $54,150 | $4,512 | $26.03 | $69,871 |
| 90th percentile | $60,320 | $5,027 | $29.00 | $77,832 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,580 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $9,490, or about $12,245 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 median and the 75th percentile in Jonesboro, and the Arkansas statewide median of $42,840 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Jonesboro
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 $12,966 to the $44,660 median and brings it to $57,626 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 Jonesboro
Of the 15 roles we track in Jonesboro, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($45,520) and data entry specialists ($37,830). Project Coordinator is the highest at $66,430.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +9.2% | 220 | |
| Paralegal | +1.9% | 70 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 470 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -15.3% | 40 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -17.7% | 730 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #2 of the 15 roles we track in Jonesboro (-11.9%), between data entry specialists (-8.5%) and payroll specialists (-13.5%). The typical role here is at -24.3%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Jonesboro than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 11.3% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Jonesboro, 11.8% across Arkansas and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Arkansas
Across the 9 areas of Arkansas with data for this job, the median runs from $38,450 in Hot Springs to $45,830 in Fayetteville-Springdale, a gap of $7,380 a year. Of the 7 areas in Arkansas with more bookkeepers than Jonesboro, 5 pay less, the largest of them Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR ($44,470), the North Arkansas nonmetro area ($39,160) and the South Arkansas nonmetro area ($40,560).
| Area | Median | vs Jonesboro | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | +2.6% | 2,460 | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | +0.8% | 960 | |
| Jonesboro, AR | this area | 470 | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | -0.4% | 3,480 | |
| West Arkansas (Nonmetro) | -7.3% | 650 | |
| South Arkansas (Nonmetro) | -9.2% | 990 | |
| East Arkansas (Nonmetro) | -10.5% | 570 |
Jonesboro against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Jonesboro is #445 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Arkansas, Yuma and Parkersburg-Vienna pay just above Jonesboro and Muncie and Wheeling just below. All four are within $320 a year of the median in Jonesboro. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Jonesboro | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College, AK | +32.8% | 470 | jobs | |
| Ames, IA | +7.4% | 470 | jobs | |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | +0.7% | 400 | pay | |
| Yuma, AZ | +0.7% | 460 | pay | |
| Jonesboro, AR | this area | 470 | ||
| Muncie, IN | -0.0% | 450 | pay | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | -0.0% | 520 | pay | |
| Altoona, PA | -4.5% | 470 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Jonesboro, AR?
About $57,626 a year at the median, or $4,802 a month: $44,660 in pay plus about $12,966 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Jonesboro?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $44,660 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,310, the 90th $60,320, and the middle half earned $36,080 to $54,150.
Is Jonesboro cheaper than the rest of Arkansas for bookkeepers?
No, it costs more: a median of $44,660 against $42,840 statewide. The next area up in Arkansas is Fort Smith at $45,010, the next down Little Rock-North Little Rock at $44,470.
How many bookkeepers work in Jonesboro?
BLS counts about 470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Arkansas total of 12,510. 7 areas in Arkansas have more; the closest in size is the East Arkansas nonmetro area, with about 570.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a data entry specialist in Jonesboro?
Yes: $6,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,660 and $37,830.
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.