Bookkeeper salary in Kansas City, MO-KS
Kansas City is the most expensive place in Missouri to hire a bookkeeper. The median is $50,940 a year1, 6.1% above the Missouri statewide median of $47,990 and about level with the US median of $50,670. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#103 of 521). About 8,780 bookkeepers work here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Kansas City, MO-KS. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kansas City against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $36,690 | $50,940 | $68,520 | |
| Missouri | $34,570 | $47,990 | $68,180 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $68,520, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in Kansas City earns $45,570–$60,110. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,540 wide, against $17,920 across Missouri and $17,950 nationally: employers in Kansas 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 | $36,690 | $3,058 | $17.64 | $47,342 |
| 25th percentile | $45,570 | $3,798 | $21.91 | $58,800 |
| Median | $50,940 | $4,245 | $24.49 | $65,729 |
| 75th percentile | $60,110 | $5,009 | $28.90 | $77,561 |
| 90th percentile | $68,520 | $5,710 | $32.94 | $88,413 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,170 over the median, the 25th only $5,370 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,832 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 25th percentile and the median in Kansas City, and the Missouri statewide median of $47,990 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Kansas City
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 $14,789 to the $50,940 median and brings it to $65,729 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 Kansas City
Of the 17 roles we track in Kansas City, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($52,140) and e-commerce order specialists ($47,710). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,050.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +11.1% | 1,260 | |
| HR Assistant | +2.4% | 400 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 8,780 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -6.3% | 290 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -8.1% | 15,930 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Kansas City (+0.5%), between paralegals (+1.6%) and customer support specialists (-0.9%). The typical role here is at -1.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 7.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Kansas City, 7.7% across Missouri and 8.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $41,150 in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area to $50,940 in Kansas City, a gap of $9,790 a year. The one area in Missouri with more bookkeepers, St. Louis, MO-IL ($49,970), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Kansas City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | this area | 8,780 | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -1.9% | 9,950 | |
| Columbia, MO | -4.0% | 880 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -8.3% | 310 | |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | -10.1% | 310 | |
| Springfield, MO | -11.0% | 1,440 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -11.3% | 590 |
Kansas City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kansas City is #32 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Missouri, Naples-Marco Island and Redding pay just above Kansas City and Milwaukee-Waukesha and Santa Fe just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Kansas City. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kansas City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +11.6% | 8,680 | jobs | |
| Redding, CA | +0.3% | 660 | pay | |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | +0.1% | 1,630 | pay | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | this area | 8,780 | ||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -0.0% | 6,750 | pay | |
| Santa Fe, NM | -0.1% | 560 | pay | |
| Cleveland, OH | -4.1% | 8,660 | jobs | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -5.5% | 8,960 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Kansas City, MO-KS?
About $65,729 a year at the median, or $5,477 a month: $50,940 in pay plus about $14,789 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Kansas City?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $50,940 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,690, the 90th $68,520, and the middle half earned $45,570 to $60,110.
Is Kansas City the most expensive area in Missouri for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $50,940 is the highest of 12 areas in Missouri. St. Louis comes next at $49,970.
How many bookkeepers work in Kansas City?
BLS counts about 8,780 in the May 2025 survey. Only St. Louis has more in Missouri.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Kansas City?
Yes: $3,230 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,940 and $47,710.
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.