Bookkeeper salary in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area
The Northeast Alabama nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for bookkeepers: the median of $40,630 a year1 is 9.0% below the Alabama statewide median of $44,640, and 19.8% below the US median of $50,670. Only 16 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 1,270 people in this job here, 6% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | $27,730 | $40,630 | $56,450 | |
| Alabama | $30,460 | $44,640 | $60,250 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $56,450, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area earns $34,320–$47,730. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,410 wide, against $14,290 across Alabama and $17,950 nationally: employers in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area 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 | $27,730 | $2,311 | $13.33 | $35,781 |
| 25th percentile | $34,320 | $2,860 | $16.50 | $44,284 |
| Median | $40,630 | $3,386 | $19.53 | $52,426 |
| 75th percentile | $47,730 | $3,978 | $22.95 | $61,587 |
| 90th percentile | $56,450 | $4,704 | $27.14 | $72,839 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,100 a year in pay and about $9,161 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,310 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area, and the Alabama statewide median of $44,640 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local bookkeepers earn.
What a hire really costs in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area
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 $11,796 to the $40,630 median and brings it to $52,426 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 the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($43,970) and customer support specialists ($39,250). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,730.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +9.9% | 110 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +8.2% | 80 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,270 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -3.4% | 1,450 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -4.0% | 2,870 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #5 of the 16 roles we track in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area (-19.8%), between data entry specialists (-19.5%) and virtual receptionists (-20.0%). The typical role here is at -22.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 11.3% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area, 9.2% across Alabama and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $38,810 in Florence-Muscle Shoals to $47,330 in Birmingham, a gap of $8,520 a year. All 4 areas in Alabama with more bookkeepers than the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area also pay more, among them Birmingham, AL ($47,330) and Huntsville, AL ($47,130).
| Area | Median | vs the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +2.8% | 330 | |
| Dothan, AL | +1.7% | 560 | |
| Gadsden, AL | +0.4% | 290 | |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | +0.0% | 740 | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,270 | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | -2.4% | 640 | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | -4.5% | 580 |
the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area is #208 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Alabama, Johnson City and El Paso pay just above the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area and Gulfport-Biloxi and Hattiesburg just below. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | +45.7% | 1,270 | jobs | |
| Reading, PA | +19.9% | 1,260 | jobs | |
| York-Hanover, PA | +17.1% | 1,270 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | +2.2% | 2,790 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | +0.2% | 870 | pay | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,270 | ||
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -0.2% | 1,500 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | -1.0% | 630 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)?
About $52,426 a year at the median, or $4,369 a month: $40,630 in pay plus about $11,796 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $40,630 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,730, the 90th $56,450, and the middle half earned $34,320 to $47,730.
Is the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Alabama for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $40,630 against $44,640 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area at $40,650, the next down the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area at $39,650.
How many bookkeepers work in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,270 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the Alabama total of 19,890. 4 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Montgomery, with about 1,400.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a customer support specialist in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area?
Yes: $1,380 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,630 and $39,250.
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.