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Bookkeeper salary in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area

Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area than in Alabama or the country as a whole. The median is $40,650 a year1: 8.9% below the Alabama statewide median of $44,640 and 19.8% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally that is #504 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 740 bookkeepers work here, 4% of the Alabama total.

$3,388median pay per month in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area
$4,371employer cost per month with benefits
$19.54median pay per hour
740people in this job in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-3031, area Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area against Alabama and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro)$29,400$40,650$57,210
Alabama$30,460$44,640$60,250
United States$36,000$50,670$74,550
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of bookkeepers in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area earns $33,790–$47,950. The top tenth earns $57,210 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,160 wide, against $14,290 across Alabama and $17,950 nationally: employers in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a bookkeeper here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$29,400$2,450$14.13$37,935
25th percentile$33,790$2,816$16.25$43,600
Median$40,650$3,388$19.54$52,452
75th percentile$47,950$3,996$23.05$61,871
90th percentile$57,210$4,768$27.50$73,819

The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,860 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,300, or about $9,419 once benefits are added. 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area, and the Alabama statewide median of $44,640 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local bookkeepers earn.

What a hire really costs in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area

At the $40,650 median, a local hire costs about $52,452 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,802 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.

$52,452local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$38,564difference in year one
74%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area

Of the 15 roles we track in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($42,740) and administrative assistants ($37,480). Project Coordinator is the highest at $90,300.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 15 roles in Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs bookkeeperJobs
HR Assistant
$43,010
+5.8%50
Payroll Specialist
$42,740
+5.1%60
Bookkeeper
$40,650
this role740
Administrative Assistant
$37,480
-7.8%1,740
Customer Support Specialist
$37,330
-8.2%910

Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #7 of the 15 roles we track in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area (-19.8%), between sales development representatives (-17.4%) and office managers (-21.0%). The typical role here is at -21.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 10.7% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area, 9.2% across Alabama and 8.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Alabama

Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $38,810 in Florence-Muscle Shoals to $47,330 in Birmingham, a gap of $8,520 a year. Of the 7 areas in Alabama with more bookkeepers than the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area, 1 pays less: the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area ($40,630).

AreaMedianvs the Southeast Alabama nonmetro areaJobs
Anniston-Oxford, AL
$41,750
+2.7%330
Dothan, AL
$41,330
+1.7%560
Gadsden, AL
$40,810
+0.4%290
Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$40,650
this area740
Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$40,630
-0.0%1,270
Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)
$39,650
-2.5%640
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
$38,810
-4.5%580

the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area is #338 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Alabama, Johnson City and El Paso pay just above the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area and Gulfport-Biloxi and Hattiesburg just below. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Southeast Alabama nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Chico, CA
$50,710
+24.7%730jobs
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
$46,490
+14.4%760jobs
Florence, SC
$45,300
+11.4%730jobs
El Paso, TX
$41,530
+2.2%2,790pay
Johnson City, TN
$40,700
+0.1%870pay
Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$40,650
this area740
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
$40,530
-0.3%1,500pay
Hattiesburg, MS
$40,230
-1.0%630pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro)?

About $52,452 a year at the median, or $4,371 a month: $40,650 in pay plus about $11,802 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do bookkeepers earn in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $40,650 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,400, the 90th $57,210, and the middle half earned $33,790 to $47,950.

Is the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Alabama for bookkeepers?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $40,650 against $44,640 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Gadsden at $40,810, the next down the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area at $40,630.

How many bookkeepers work in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 740 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Alabama total of 19,890. 7 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Tuscaloosa, with about 900.

Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area?

Yes: $3,170 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,650 and $37,480.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.