Bookkeeper salary in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area
No other area in Missouri pays bookkeepers less than the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area. The median is $41,150 a year1, 14.3% below the Missouri statewide median of $47,990 and 18.8% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally that is #500 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. BLS counts about 480 people in this job here, 2% of the Missouri total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | $28,940 | $41,150 | $59,150 | |
| Missouri | $34,570 | $47,990 | $68,180 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $59,150, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area earns $35,780–$48,080. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,300 wide, against $17,920 across Missouri and $17,950 nationally: employers in the Southwest 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 | $28,940 | $2,412 | $13.91 | $37,342 |
| 25th percentile | $35,780 | $2,982 | $17.20 | $46,168 |
| Median | $41,150 | $3,429 | $19.78 | $53,097 |
| 75th percentile | $48,080 | $4,007 | $23.12 | $62,039 |
| 90th percentile | $59,150 | $4,929 | $28.44 | $76,323 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,930 a year in pay and about $8,942 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,370 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, and the Missouri statewide median of $47,990 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 Southwest Missouri nonmetro area
At the $41,150 median, a local hire costs about $53,097 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,947 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 the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($41,600) and marketing specialists ($40,570). Project Coordinator is the highest at $74,970.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +2.4% | 300 | |
| Paralegal | +1.1% | 70 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 480 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -1.4% | 250 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -3.8% | 150 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #6 of the 16 roles we track in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area (-18.8%), between customer support specialists (-18.6%) and administrative assistants (-20.1%). The typical role here is at -24.7%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 9.2% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, 7.7% across Missouri and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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 9 areas in Missouri with more bookkeepers than the Southwest 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 Southwest Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | +10.2% | 1,440 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | +9.8% | 590 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +9.8% | 530 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | +4.1% | 830 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | +2.1% | 780 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | +1.6% | 1,320 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 480 |
the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area is #441 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Missouri, Dothan and El Paso pay just above the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area and Gadsden and Johnson City just below. All four are within $450 a year of the median in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +37.1% | 490 | jobs | |
| Pueblo, CO | +18.6% | 480 | jobs | |
| Cheyenne, WY | +18.0% | 480 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | +0.9% | 2,790 | pay | |
| Dothan, AL | +0.4% | 560 | pay | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 480 | ||
| Gadsden, AL | -0.8% | 290 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | -1.1% | 870 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro)?
About $53,097 a year at the median, or $4,425 a month: $41,150 in pay plus about $11,947 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $41,150 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,940, the 90th $59,150, and the middle half earned $35,780 to $48,080.
Is the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area the cheapest area in Missouri for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $41,150 is the lowest of 12 areas in Missouri. The Southeast Missouri nonmetro area is next at $41,790.
How many bookkeepers work in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 480 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Missouri total of 21,400. 9 areas in Missouri have more; the closest in size is Joplin, with about 530.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a marketing specialist in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area?
Yes: $580 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,150 and $40,570.
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.