Bookkeeper salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Lafayette-West Lafayette pays bookkeepers more than Indiana as a whole but less than the country. The median is $48,400 a year1: 1.2% above the Indiana statewide median of $47,820 and 4.5% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #213 of 521. About 930 bookkeepers work here, 3% of the Indiana total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette against Indiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $32,750 | $48,400 | $70,830 | |
| Indiana | $33,010 | $47,820 | $66,960 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Lafayette-West Lafayette earns $40,390–$56,430. The top tenth earns $70,830 or more, 2.2 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 $16,040 wide, against $17,800 across Indiana and $17,950 nationally: employers in Lafayette-West Lafayette 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 | $32,750 | $2,729 | $15.75 | $42,258 |
| 25th percentile | $40,390 | $3,366 | $19.42 | $52,116 |
| Median | $48,400 | $4,033 | $23.27 | $62,452 |
| 75th percentile | $56,430 | $4,702 | $27.13 | $72,813 |
| 90th percentile | $70,830 | $5,902 | $34.05 | $91,394 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,010 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,030, or about $10,361 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, and the Indiana statewide median of $47,820 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Lafayette-West Lafayette
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 $14,052 to the $48,400 median and brings it to $62,452 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette-West Lafayette, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($50,950) and administrative assistants ($47,270). Project Coordinator is the highest at $83,330.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +9.3% | 100 | |
| Paralegal | +5.3% | 130 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 930 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -2.3% | 1,310 | |
| HR Assistant | -4.1% | 60 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #3 of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette-West Lafayette (-4.5%), between office managers (-2.7%) and medical administrative assistants (-4.6%). The typical role here is at -8.2%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Lafayette-West Lafayette than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 12.4% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lafayette-West Lafayette, 11.3% across Indiana and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Indiana
Across the 15 areas of Indiana with data for this job, the median runs from $44,650 in Muncie to $49,190 in Elkhart-Goshen, a gap of $4,540 a year. Of the 8 areas in Indiana with more bookkeepers than Lafayette-West Lafayette, 6 pay less, the largest of them Fort Wayne, IN ($47,770), the Northern Indiana nonmetro area ($46,700) and the Southern Indiana nonmetro area ($45,710).
| Area | Median | vs Lafayette-West Lafayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | +1.6% | 1,190 | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | +0.7% | 10,000 | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | this area | 930 | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -1.0% | 1,110 | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | -1.3% | 1,970 | |
| Bloomington, IN | -3.3% | 710 | |
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | -3.5% | 1,970 |
Lafayette-West Lafayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lafayette-West Lafayette is #291 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Indiana, Gainesville and Orlando-Kissimmee pay just above Lafayette-West Lafayette and Memphis and Winston-Salem just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Lafayette-West Lafayette. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lafayette-West Lafayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | +10.7% | 940 | jobs | |
| Bozeman, MT | +2.9% | 940 | jobs | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | +0.1% | 11,440 | pay | |
| Gainesville, GA | +0.1% | 810 | pay | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | this area | 930 | ||
| Memphis, TN-MS | +0.0% | 6,320 | pay | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -0.1% | 2,880 | pay | |
| Tyler, TX | -5.3% | 940 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
About $62,452 a year at the median, or $5,204 a month: $48,400 in pay plus about $14,052 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The median was $48,400 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,750, the 90th $70,830, and the middle half earned $40,390 to $56,430.
Is Lafayette-West Lafayette cheaper than the rest of Indiana for bookkeepers?
No, it costs more: a median of $48,400 against $47,820 statewide. The next area up in Indiana is Indianapolis-Carmel at $48,750, the next down South Bend-Mishawaka at $47,940.
How many bookkeepers work in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
BLS counts about 930 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Indiana total of 29,910. 8 areas in Indiana have more; the closest in size is South Bend-Mishawaka, with about 1,110.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Yes: $1,130 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,400 and $47,270.
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.