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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.

$3,386median pay per month in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area
$4,369employer cost per month with benefits
$19.53median pay per hour
1,270people in this job in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area

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

Range10thMedian90th
Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)$27,730$40,630$56,450
Alabama$30,460$44,640$60,250
United States$36,000$50,670$74,550
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

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 rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer 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.

$52,426local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$38,538difference in year one
74%of the local cost saved

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.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 16 roles in Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs bookkeeperJobs
Paralegal
$44,660
+9.9%110
Payroll Specialist
$43,970
+8.2%80
Bookkeeper
$40,630
this role1,270
Customer Support Specialist
$39,250
-3.4%1,450
Administrative Assistant
$39,000
-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).

AreaMedianvs the Northeast Alabama nonmetro areaJobs
Anniston-Oxford, AL
$41,750
+2.8%330
Dothan, AL
$41,330
+1.7%560
Gadsden, AL
$40,810
+0.4%290
Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$40,650
+0.0%740
Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$40,630
this area1,270
Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)
$39,650
-2.4%640
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
$38,810
-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 areaMedianvs the Northeast Alabama nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Salinas, CA
$59,180
+45.7%1,270jobs
Reading, PA
$48,720
+19.9%1,260jobs
York-Hanover, PA
$47,590
+17.1%1,270jobs
El Paso, TX
$41,530
+2.2%2,790pay
Johnson City, TN
$40,700
+0.2%870pay
Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$40,630
this area1,270
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
$40,530
-0.2%1,500pay
Hattiesburg, MS
$40,230
-1.0%630pay

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
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.