Bookkeeper salary in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area than in Missouri or the country as a whole. The median is $41,790 a year1: 12.9% below the Missouri statewide median of $47,990 and 17.5% below the US median of $50,670. Only 31 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. About 1,320 bookkeepers work here, 6% of the Missouri total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | $31,400 | $41,790 | $59,160 | |
| Missouri | $34,570 | $47,990 | $68,180 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area earns $36,560–$47,840. The top tenth earns $59,160 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 $11,280 wide, against $17,920 across Missouri and $17,950 nationally: employers in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area 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 | $31,400 | $2,617 | $15.10 | $40,516 |
| 25th percentile | $36,560 | $3,047 | $17.58 | $47,174 |
| Median | $41,790 | $3,482 | $20.09 | $53,923 |
| 75th percentile | $47,840 | $3,987 | $23.00 | $61,729 |
| 90th percentile | $59,160 | $4,930 | $28.44 | $76,335 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $5,230 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $6,050, or about $7,806 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 Missouri nonmetro area, and the Missouri statewide median of $47,990 falls there too. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local bookkeepers earn.
What a hire really costs in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $12,133 to the $41,790 median and brings it to $53,923 a year. 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 the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($44,260) and data entry specialists ($38,530). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,430.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +9.1% | 420 | |
| HR Assistant | +5.9% | 40 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,320 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -7.8% | 90 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -11.0% | 1,920 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #6 of the 16 roles we track in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area (-17.5%), between payroll specialists (-17.5%) and medical administrative assistants (-19.9%). The typical role here is at -21.4%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 12.6% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area, 7.7% across Missouri and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $41,150 in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area to $50,940 in Kansas City, a gap of $9,790 a year. All 3 areas in Missouri with more bookkeepers than the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area also pay more, among them St. Louis, MO-IL ($49,970) and Kansas City, MO-KS ($50,940).
| Area | Median | vs the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | +8.5% | 1,440 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | +8.1% | 590 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +8.1% | 530 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | +2.5% | 830 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | +0.6% | 780 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,320 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | -1.5% | 480 |
the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area is #201 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 Missouri, McAllen-Edinburg and Monroe pay just above the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area and Anniston-Oxford and Johnstown just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah, GA | +18.7% | 1,350 | jobs | |
| Medford, OR | +17.9% | 1,340 | jobs | |
| Evansville, IN | +11.7% | 1,320 | jobs | |
| Monroe, LA | +0.4% | 1,020 | pay | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | +0.4% | 2,070 | pay | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,320 | ||
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -0.1% | 330 | pay | |
| Johnstown, PA | -0.1% | 410 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro)?
About $53,923 a year at the median, or $4,494 a month: $41,790 in pay plus about $12,133 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $41,790 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,400, the 90th $59,160, and the middle half earned $36,560 to $47,840.
Is the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Missouri for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $41,790 against $47,990 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is the North Missouri nonmetro area at $42,020, the next down the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area at $41,150.
How many bookkeepers work in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,320 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the Missouri total of 21,400. 3 areas in Missouri have more; the closest in size is Springfield, with about 1,440.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a data entry specialist in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area?
Yes: $3,260 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,790 and $38,530.
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.