Bookkeeper salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Santa Rosa-Petaluma is a higher-paying market for bookkeepers: the median of $61,140 a year1 is 3.2% above the California statewide median of $59,230, and 20.7% above the US median of $50,670. Only 8 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. About 2,040 bookkeepers work here, 1% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $43,700 | $61,140 | $84,480 | |
| California | $41,600 | $59,230 | $81,990 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $84,480, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma earns $51,100–$74,800. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $23,700 wide, wider than in California as a whole ($22,000) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in Santa Rosa-Petaluma 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 | $43,700 | $3,642 | $21.01 | $56,387 |
| 25th percentile | $51,100 | $4,258 | $24.57 | $65,935 |
| Median | $61,140 | $5,095 | $29.39 | $78,890 |
| 75th percentile | $74,800 | $6,233 | $35.96 | $96,516 |
| 90th percentile | $84,480 | $7,040 | $40.62 | $109,006 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $13,660 a year in pay and about $17,626 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $10,040 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 10th and 25th percentiles in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, and the California statewide median of $59,230 falls between the 25th percentile and the median. An offer at the national rate would be lower than what three quarters of local bookkeepers earn.
What a hire really costs in Santa Rosa-Petaluma
At the $61,140 median, a local hire costs about $78,890 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,750 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($66,890) and medical administrative assistants ($60,240). Project Coordinator is the highest at $107,340.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +12.6% | 300 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +9.4% | 1,330 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 2,040 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.5% | 1,190 | |
| HR Assistant | -5.4% | 90 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma (+20.7%), between administrative assistants (+21.4%) and executive assistants (+20.4%). The typical role here is at +15.7%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Santa Rosa-Petaluma than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 11.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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 10 areas in California with more bookkeepers than Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 8 pay less, the largest of them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($58,590), San Diego-Chula Vista, CA ($58,580) and Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($55,610).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | +1.3% | 1,120 | |
| Napa, CA | +0.9% | 700 | |
| Vallejo, CA | +0.1% | 1,040 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 2,040 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | -1.6% | 1,900 | |
| Salinas, CA | -3.2% | 1,270 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | -4.2% | 53,910 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Rosa-Petaluma is #121 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Bridgeport-Stamford and New Haven pay just above Santa Rosa-Petaluma and Boston-Cambridge and Barnstable Town just below. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +2.9% | 2,900 | pay | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +0.4% | 3,710 | pay | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 2,040 | ||
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | -0.3% | 21,170 | pay | |
| Barnstable Town, MA | -0.8% | 990 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | -14.0% | 1,990 | jobs | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | -23.2% | 2,050 | jobs | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -31.4% | 2,070 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?
About $78,890 a year at the median, or $6,574 a month: $61,140 in pay plus about $17,750 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,140 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,700, the 90th $84,480, and the middle half earned $51,100 to $74,800.
Is Santa Rosa-Petaluma cheaper than the rest of California for bookkeepers?
No, it costs more: a median of $61,140 against $59,230 statewide. The next area up in California is Vallejo at $61,180, the next down Santa Maria-Santa Barbara at $60,170.
How many bookkeepers work in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
BLS counts about 2,040 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the California total of 151,870. 10 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Stockton-Lodi, with about 2,080.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Yes: $900 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,140 and $60,240.
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.