Bookkeeper salary in Rockford, IL
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Rockford than in Illinois or the country as a whole. The median is $46,790 a year1: 5.6% below the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 and 7.7% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally it ranks #307 of 521 areas. About 1,020 bookkeepers work here, 2% of the Illinois total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Rockford, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rockford against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | $35,720 | $46,790 | $63,820 | |
| Illinois | $32,360 | $49,560 | $71,480 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Rockford earns $42,330–$55,790. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $63,820, 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 $13,460 wide, against $17,450 across Illinois and $17,950 nationally: employers in Rockford 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 | $35,720 | $2,977 | $17.17 | $46,090 |
| 25th percentile | $42,330 | $3,528 | $20.35 | $54,619 |
| Median | $46,790 | $3,899 | $22.50 | $60,374 |
| 75th percentile | $55,790 | $4,649 | $26.82 | $71,987 |
| 90th percentile | $63,820 | $5,318 | $30.68 | $82,348 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,000 over the median, the 25th only $4,460 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,613 a year in employer cost. 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 Rockford, and the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rockford
At the $46,790 median, a local hire costs about $60,374 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,584 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 Rockford
Of the 17 roles we track in Rockford, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($55,630) and administrative assistants ($46,130). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,690.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +27.6% | 200 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +18.9% | 120 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,020 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.4% | 1,360 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.7% | 930 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Rockford (-7.7%), between project coordinators (-7.5%) and accountants (-10.1%). The typical role here is at -5.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 9.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rockford, 8.4% across Illinois and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $45,220 in Bloomington to $51,440 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $6,220 a year. Of the 6 areas in Illinois with more bookkeepers than Rockford, 4 pay less, the largest of them the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($45,760), the East Central Illinois nonmetro area ($46,430) and the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area ($46,340).
| Area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, IL | +3.0% | 330 | |
| Peoria, IL | +1.9% | 1,390 | |
| Kankakee, IL | +1.0% | 400 | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 1,020 | |
| East Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 1,390 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | -1.0% | 1,340 | |
| West Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -2.2% | 1,770 |
Rockford against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rockford is #273 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Illinois, Myrtle Beach-Conway and Bloomington pay just above Rockford and Baton Rouge and St. Joseph just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Rockford. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +21.2% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Bloomington, IN | +0.0% | 710 | pay | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +0.0% | 1,370 | pay | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 1,020 | ||
| Baton Rouge, LA | -0.1% | 4,060 | pay | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -0.1% | 310 | pay | |
| Fayetteville, NC | -3.1% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -11.2% | 1,020 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Rockford, IL?
About $60,374 a year at the median, or $5,031 a month: $46,790 in pay plus about $13,584 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Rockford?
The median was $46,790 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,720, the 90th $63,820, and the middle half earned $42,330 to $55,790.
Is Rockford cheaper than the rest of Illinois for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,790 against $49,560 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is Kankakee at $47,240, the next down the East Central Illinois nonmetro area at $46,430.
How many bookkeepers work in Rockford?
BLS counts about 1,020 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Illinois total of 51,470. 6 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is the South Illinois nonmetro area, with about 1,320.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Rockford?
Yes: $660 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,790 and $46,130.
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.