Bookkeeper salary in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area than in Indiana or the country as a whole. The median is $46,700 a year1: 2.3% below the Indiana statewide median of $47,820 and 7.8% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally it ranks #310 of 521 areas. About 1,970 bookkeepers work here, 7% of the Indiana total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area against Indiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | $30,670 | $46,700 | $62,720 | |
| Indiana | $33,010 | $47,820 | $66,960 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area earns $37,870–$56,020. The top tenth earns $62,720 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $18,150 wide, wider than in Indiana as a whole ($17,800) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,670 | $2,556 | $14.75 | $39,574 |
| 25th percentile | $37,870 | $3,156 | $18.21 | $48,865 |
| Median | $46,700 | $3,892 | $22.45 | $60,258 |
| 75th percentile | $56,020 | $4,668 | $26.93 | $72,284 |
| 90th percentile | $62,720 | $5,227 | $30.15 | $80,929 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,320 a year in pay and about $12,026 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,830 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 median and the 75th percentile in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area, and the Indiana statewide median of $47,820 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area
At the $46,700 median, a local hire costs about $60,258 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,558 here. 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 Northern Indiana nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($47,880) and customer support specialists ($44,170). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,740.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +2.6% | 220 | |
| HR Assistant | +2.5% | 60 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,970 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -5.4% | 2,180 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -8.5% | 120 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area (-7.8%), between e-commerce order specialists (-7.5%) and virtual receptionists (-7.9%). The typical role here is at -12.1%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 14.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area, 11.2% 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. The one area in Indiana with more bookkeepers, Indianapolis-Carmel, IN ($48,750), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs the Northern Indiana nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | +2.7% | 1,110 | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | +2.3% | 1,970 | |
| Bloomington, IN | +0.2% | 710 | |
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,970 | |
| Evansville, IN | -0.0% | 1,320 | |
| Columbus, IN | -0.1% | 360 | |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | -0.1% | 340 |
the Northern Indiana nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northern Indiana nonmetro area is #126 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Indiana, St. Joseph and Baton Rouge pay just above the Northern Indiana nonmetro area and Columbia and Amarillo just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northern Indiana nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +30.9% | 2,040 | jobs | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | +12.5% | 1,990 | jobs | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +8.1% | 1,940 | jobs | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | +0.1% | 4,060 | pay | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | +0.1% | 310 | pay | |
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,970 | ||
| Columbia, SC | -0.0% | 3,260 | pay | |
| Amarillo, TX | -0.2% | 1,230 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Northern Indiana (Nonmetro)?
About $60,258 a year at the median, or $5,022 a month: $46,700 in pay plus about $13,558 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area?
The median was $46,700 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,670, the 90th $62,720, and the middle half earned $37,870 to $56,020.
Is the Northern Indiana nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Indiana for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,700 against $47,820 statewide. The next area up in Indiana is Bloomington at $46,800, the next down Evansville at $46,680.
How many bookkeepers work in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,970 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the Indiana total of 29,910. Only Indianapolis-Carmel and Fort Wayne have more in Indiana.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a customer support specialist in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area?
Yes: $2,530 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,700 and $44,170.
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.