Bookkeeper salary in Madison, WI
Madison is the most expensive place in Wisconsin to hire a bookkeeper. The median is $53,240 a year1, 5.8% above the Wisconsin statewide median of $50,340 and 5.1% above the US median of $50,670. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#69 of 521). BLS counts about 3,760 people in this job here, 14% of the Wisconsin total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Madison, WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Madison against Wisconsin and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | $40,550 | $53,240 | $67,700 | |
| Wisconsin | $36,350 | $50,340 | $65,460 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Madison earns $47,820–$61,330. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $67,700, only 1.7 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 $13,510 wide, against $14,800 across Wisconsin and $17,950 nationally: employers in Madison 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 | $40,550 | $3,379 | $19.50 | $52,323 |
| 25th percentile | $47,820 | $3,985 | $22.99 | $61,703 |
| Median | $53,240 | $4,437 | $25.60 | $68,697 |
| 75th percentile | $61,330 | $5,111 | $29.49 | $79,135 |
| 90th percentile | $67,700 | $5,642 | $32.55 | $87,355 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,090 a year in pay and about $10,439 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,420 in pay. 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 Madison, and the Wisconsin statewide median of $50,340 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Madison
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 $15,457 to the $53,240 median and brings it to $68,697 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 Madison
Of the 17 roles we track in Madison, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($60,800) and administrative assistants ($51,410). Project Coordinator is the highest at $98,990.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +19.3% | 360 | |
| Paralegal | +14.2% | 850 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 3,760 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -3.4% | 4,630 | |
| HR Assistant | -4.6% | 280 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Madison (+5.1%), between medical administrative assistants (+5.3%) and recruiters (+0.9%). The typical role here is at +0.4%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Madison than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 8.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Madison, 9.2% across Wisconsin and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Wisconsin
Across the 17 areas of Wisconsin with data for this job, the median runs from $47,540 in the Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetro area to $53,240 in Madison, a gap of $5,700 a year. The one area in Wisconsin with more bookkeepers, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI ($50,920), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | this area | 3,760 | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -4.4% | 6,750 | |
| Appleton, WI | -4.6% | 1,050 | |
| Sheboygan, WI | -5.8% | 410 | |
| Kenosha, WI | -6.6% | 590 | |
| Fond du Lac, WI | -6.6% | 370 | |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | -7.4% | 890 |
Madison against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Madison is #62 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 Wisconsin, Fort Collins-Loveland and Lebanon pay just above Madison and Bakersfield-Delano and Spokane-Spokane Valley just below. All four are within $260 a year of the median in Madison. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +15.3% | 3,710 | jobs | |
| Lebanon, PA | +0.5% | 560 | pay | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +0.1% | 1,760 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | this area | 3,760 | ||
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -0.1% | 2,580 | pay | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -0.4% | 2,550 | pay | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -6.8% | 3,770 | jobs | |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | -11.8% | 3,840 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Madison, WI?
About $68,697 a year at the median, or $5,725 a month: $53,240 in pay plus about $15,457 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Madison?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $53,240 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,550, the 90th $67,700, and the middle half earned $47,820 to $61,330.
Is Madison the most expensive area in Wisconsin for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $53,240 is the highest of 17 areas in Wisconsin. Milwaukee-Waukesha comes next at $50,920.
How many bookkeepers work in Madison?
BLS counts about 3,760 in the May 2025 survey. That is 14% of the Wisconsin total of 25,960. Only Milwaukee-Waukesha has more in Wisconsin.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Madison?
Yes: $1,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $53,240 and $51,410.
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.