Bookkeeper salary in Kahului-Wailuku, HI
Kahului-Wailuku is the most expensive place in Hawaii to hire a bookkeeper. The median is $54,900 a year1, 12.7% above the Hawaii statewide median of $48,730 and 8.3% above the US median of $50,670. Only 51 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. About 660 bookkeepers work here, 13% of the Hawaii total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Kahului-Wailuku, HI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kahului-Wailuku against Hawaii and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $40,110 | $54,900 | $71,970 | |
| Hawaii | $35,760 | $48,730 | $65,090 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Kahului-Wailuku earns $46,900–$63,070. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $71,970, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $16,170 wide, against $16,450 across Hawaii and $17,950 nationally: employers in Kahului-Wailuku 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 | $40,110 | $3,342 | $19.28 | $51,755 |
| 25th percentile | $46,900 | $3,908 | $22.55 | $60,516 |
| Median | $54,900 | $4,575 | $26.39 | $70,839 |
| 75th percentile | $63,070 | $5,256 | $30.32 | $81,381 |
| 90th percentile | $71,970 | $5,998 | $34.60 | $92,865 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,000 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,170, or about $10,542 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 25th percentile and the median in Kahului-Wailuku, and the Hawaii statewide median of $48,730 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Kahului-Wailuku
At the $54,900 median, a local hire costs about $70,839 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $15,939 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 Kahului-Wailuku
Of the 15 roles we track in Kahului-Wailuku, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between paralegals ($67,480) and administrative assistants ($54,820). Executive Assistant is the highest at $84,330.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +23.4% | 110 | |
| Paralegal | +22.9% | 100 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 660 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -0.1% | 790 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -2.5% | 440 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #7 of the 15 roles we track in Kahului-Wailuku (+8.3%), between executive assistants (+10.1%) and paralegals (+7.3%). The typical role here is at +7.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 10.9% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Kahului-Wailuku, 9.7% across Hawaii and 8.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Hawaii
Across the 3 areas of Hawaii with data for this job, the median runs from $48,030 in Honolulu to $54,900 in Kahului-Wailuku, a gap of $6,870 a year. All 2 areas in Hawaii with more bookkeepers than Kahului-Wailuku pay less, among them Honolulu, HI ($48,030) and the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area ($49,270).
| Area | Median | vs Kahului-Wailuku | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | this area | 660 | |
| Hawaii-Kauai (Nonmetro) | -10.3% | 940 | |
| Honolulu, HI | -12.5% | 3,590 |
Kahului-Wailuku against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kahului-Wailuku is #360 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Hawaii, Bend and Modesto pay just above Kahului-Wailuku and Providence-Warwick and Portland-South Portland just below. All four are within $290 a year of the median in Kahului-Wailuku. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kahului-Wailuku | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | +0.3% | 1,730 | pay | |
| Bend, OR | +0.0% | 1,420 | pay | |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | this area | 660 | ||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | -0.5% | 6,400 | pay | |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | -0.5% | 2,670 | pay | |
| Kingston, NY | -0.7% | 670 | jobs | |
| Redding, CA | -6.9% | 660 | jobs | |
| Iowa City, IA | -10.3% | 660 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?
About $70,839 a year at the median, or $5,903 a month: $54,900 in pay plus about $15,939 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Kahului-Wailuku?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $54,900 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,110, the 90th $71,970, and the middle half earned $46,900 to $63,070.
Is Kahului-Wailuku the most expensive area in Hawaii for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $54,900 is the highest of 3 areas in Hawaii. The Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area comes next at $49,270.
How many bookkeepers work in Kahului-Wailuku?
BLS counts about 660 in the May 2025 survey. That is 13% of the Hawaii total of 5,220. Only Honolulu and the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area have more in Hawaii.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Kahului-Wailuku?
Yes: $80 a year more at the median. The medians are $54,900 and $54,820.
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.