Bookkeeper salary in Olympia-Lacey, WA
Olympia-Lacey pays bookkeepers less than Washington as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $55,590 a year1: 5.2% below the Washington statewide median of $58,620 and 9.7% above the US median of $50,670. Only 45 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 1,050 people in this job here, 3% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Olympia-Lacey against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | $41,290 | $55,590 | $76,610 | |
| Washington | $45,070 | $58,620 | $77,630 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Olympia-Lacey earns $47,160–$64,430. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $76,610, only 1.9 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 $17,270 wide, between the figure for Washington ($16,570) and the US figure ($17,950).
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,290 | $3,441 | $19.85 | $53,277 |
| 25th percentile | $47,160 | $3,930 | $22.67 | $60,852 |
| Median | $55,590 | $4,632 | $26.73 | $71,729 |
| 75th percentile | $64,430 | $5,369 | $30.98 | $83,135 |
| 90th percentile | $76,610 | $6,384 | $36.83 | $98,852 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,840 a year in pay and about $11,406 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,430 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 Olympia-Lacey, and the Washington statewide median of $58,620 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Olympia-Lacey
At the $55,590 median, a local hire costs about $71,729 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,139 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 Olympia-Lacey
Of the 17 roles we track in Olympia-Lacey, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($65,790) and administrative assistants ($54,320). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,000.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +28.0% | 570 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +18.3% | 80 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,050 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -2.3% | 2,110 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -4.8% | 320 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Olympia-Lacey (+9.7%), between customer support specialists (+10.9%) and sales development representatives (+7.4%). The typical role here is at +12.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 7.8% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Olympia-Lacey, 9.7% across Washington and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $51,410 in Walla Walla to $60,460 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $9,050 a year. Of the 6 areas in Washington with more bookkeepers than Olympia-Lacey, 1 pays less: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($53,050).
| Area | Median | vs Olympia-Lacey | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | +2.5% | 1,140 | |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | +1.9% | 490 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | +0.9% | 1,310 | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | this area | 1,050 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | -0.8% | 510 | |
| Yakima, WA | -3.7% | 940 | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -4.6% | 2,550 |
Olympia-Lacey against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Olympia-Lacey is #261 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Washington, Riverside-San Bernardino and Waterbury-Shelton pay just above Olympia-Lacey and Pittsfield and Yuba City just below. All four are within $510 a year of the median in Olympia-Lacey. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Olympia-Lacey | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | +0.9% | 1,440 | pay | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | +0.0% | 12,710 | pay | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | this area | 1,050 | ||
| Pittsfield, MA | -0.5% | 530 | pay | |
| Yuba City, CA | -0.7% | 460 | pay | |
| Appleton, WI | -8.7% | 1,050 | jobs | |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL | -10.2% | 1,050 | jobs | |
| Charleston, WV | -22.0% | 1,050 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Olympia-Lacey, WA?
About $71,729 a year at the median, or $5,977 a month: $55,590 in pay plus about $16,139 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Olympia-Lacey?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $55,590 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,290, the 90th $76,610, and the middle half earned $47,160 to $64,430.
Is Olympia-Lacey cheaper than the rest of Washington for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $55,590 against $58,620 statewide. The next area up in Washington is the Eastern Washington nonmetro area at $56,100, the next down Wenatchee-East Wenatchee at $55,120.
How many bookkeepers work in Olympia-Lacey?
BLS counts about 1,050 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Washington total of 32,930. 6 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is Kennewick-Richland, with about 1,070.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Olympia-Lacey?
Yes: $1,270 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,590 and $54,320.
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.