Bookkeeper salary in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays bookkeepers less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $58,570 a year1: 1.1% below the California statewide median of $59,230 and 15.6% above the US median of $50,670. Only 22 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. About 1,070 bookkeepers work here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $40,380 | $58,570 | $80,240 | |
| California | $41,600 | $59,230 | $81,990 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles earns $48,620–$69,190. The top tenth earns $80,240 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 $20,570 wide, between the figure for California ($22,000) 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 | $40,380 | $3,365 | $19.41 | $52,103 |
| 25th percentile | $48,620 | $4,052 | $23.38 | $62,735 |
| Median | $58,570 | $4,881 | $28.16 | $75,574 |
| 75th percentile | $69,190 | $5,766 | $33.26 | $89,277 |
| 90th percentile | $80,240 | $6,687 | $38.58 | $103,535 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $10,620 a year in pay and about $13,703 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,950 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, and the California statewide median of $59,230 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
At the $58,570 median, a local hire costs about $75,574 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,004 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
Of the 17 roles we track in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($60,040) and HR assistants ($57,130). Project Coordinator is the highest at $108,730.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +13.8% | 520 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +2.5% | 150 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,070 | |
| HR Assistant | -2.5% | 60 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -6.5% | 840 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles (+15.6%), between virtual receptionists (+18.1%) and HR assistants (+12.9%). The typical role here is at +6.3%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 10.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, 9.1% across California and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $47,960 in El Centro to $66,130 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $18,170 a year. Of the 18 areas in California with more bookkeepers than San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, 10 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($55,610), Sacramento-Roseville, CA ($56,840) and Fresno, CA ($54,170).
| Area | Median | vs San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | +1.0% | 1,270 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +0.0% | 53,910 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +0.0% | 12,830 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | this area | 1,070 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -1.5% | 3,250 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -3.0% | 8,680 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | -4.0% | 2,080 |
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles is #255 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 California, Bremerton-Silverdale and Mount Vernon-Anacortes pay just above San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles and Rochester and Trenton-Princeton just below. All four are within $550 a year of the median in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +0.8% | 560 | pay | |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +0.0% | 780 | pay | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | this area | 1,070 | ||
| Rochester, MN | -0.4% | 790 | pay | |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | -0.9% | 1,470 | pay | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -2.2% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -13.5% | 1,080 | jobs | |
| Laredo, TX | -32.2% | 1,070 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
About $75,574 a year at the median, or $6,298 a month: $58,570 in pay plus about $17,004 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $58,570 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,380, the 90th $80,240, and the middle half earned $48,620 to $69,190.
Is San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles cheaper than the rest of California for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $58,570 against $59,230 statewide. The next area up in California is San Diego-Chula Vista at $58,580, the next down Oxnard-Thousand Oaks at $57,670.
How many bookkeepers work in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
BLS counts about 1,070 in the May 2025 survey. 18 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Cruz-Watsonville, with about 1,120.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Yes: $1,440 a year more at the median. The medians are $58,570 and $57,130.
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.