Bookkeeper salary in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Panama City-Panama City Beach than in Florida or the country as a whole. The median is $46,240 a year1: 6.3% below the Florida statewide median of $49,330 and 8.7% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #347 of 521. BLS counts about 760 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Panama City-Panama City Beach against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $34,530 | $46,240 | $63,700 | |
| Florida | $36,680 | $49,330 | $72,260 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Panama City-Panama City Beach earns $39,520–$55,720. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $63,700, only 1.8 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 $16,200 wide, against $17,070 across Florida and $17,950 nationally: employers in Panama City-Panama City Beach 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 | $34,530 | $2,878 | $16.60 | $44,555 |
| 25th percentile | $39,520 | $3,293 | $19.00 | $50,994 |
| Median | $46,240 | $3,853 | $22.23 | $59,665 |
| 75th percentile | $55,720 | $4,643 | $26.79 | $71,897 |
| 90th percentile | $63,700 | $5,308 | $30.62 | $82,194 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,480 a year in pay and about $12,232 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,720 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 Panama City-Panama City Beach, and the Florida statewide median of $49,330 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Panama City-Panama City Beach
At the $46,240 median, a local hire costs about $59,665 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,425 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 Panama City-Panama City Beach
Of the 15 roles we track in Panama City-Panama City Beach, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($48,860) and administrative assistants ($43,750). Project Coordinator is the highest at $92,360.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +8.1% | 70 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +5.7% | 620 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 760 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -5.4% | 1,040 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -17.8% | 790 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #3 of the 15 roles we track in Panama City-Panama City Beach (-8.7%), between administrative assistants (-8.0%) and project coordinators (-9.7%). The typical role here is at -14.2%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Panama City-Panama City Beach than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 9.3% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Panama City-Panama City Beach, 7.7% across Florida and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 24 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $44,360 in Homosassa Springs to $51,000 in Naples-Marco Island, a gap of $6,640 a year. Of the 18 areas in Florida with more bookkeepers than Panama City-Panama City Beach, 1 pays less: Tallahassee, FL ($45,900).
| Area | Median | vs Panama City-Panama City Beach | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | +1.3% | 2,220 | |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | +0.6% | 290 | |
| Ocala, FL | +0.3% | 1,130 | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | this area | 760 | |
| Tallahassee, FL | -0.7% | 1,130 | |
| Sebring, FL | -2.4% | 260 | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | -4.1% | 310 |
Panama City-Panama City Beach against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Panama City-Panama City Beach is #335 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Florida, Lake Havasu City-Kingman and Clarksville pay just above Panama City-Panama City Beach and Victoria and Logan just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Panama City-Panama City Beach. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Panama City-Panama City Beach | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula, MT | +2.6% | 760 | jobs | |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | +0.5% | 760 | jobs | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +0.1% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | +0.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | this area | 760 | ||
| Victoria, TX | -0.0% | 370 | pay | |
| Logan, UT-ID | -0.0% | 580 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -5.3% | 770 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?
About $59,665 a year at the median, or $4,972 a month: $46,240 in pay plus about $13,425 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Panama City-Panama City Beach?
The median was $46,240 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,530, the 90th $63,700, and the middle half earned $39,520 to $55,720.
Is Panama City-Panama City Beach cheaper than the rest of Florida for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,240 against $49,330 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Ocala at $46,380, the next down Tallahassee at $45,900.
How many bookkeepers work in Panama City-Panama City Beach?
BLS counts about 760 in the May 2025 survey. 18 areas in Florida have more; the closest in size is the South Florida nonmetro area, with about 880.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Panama City-Panama City Beach?
Yes: $2,490 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,240 and $43,750.
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.