Bookkeeper salary in Springfield, IL
Springfield pays bookkeepers close to the national norm. The median is $50,780 a year1, 2.5% above the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 and about level with the US median of $50,670. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#114 of 521). About 860 bookkeepers work here, 2% of the Illinois total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Springfield, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Springfield against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, IL | $36,610 | $50,780 | $71,990 | |
| Illinois | $32,360 | $49,560 | $71,480 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Springfield earns $43,520–$59,390. The top tenth earns $71,990 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 only $15,870 wide, against $17,450 across Illinois and $17,950 nationally: employers in Springfield 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 | $36,610 | $3,051 | $17.60 | $47,239 |
| 25th percentile | $43,520 | $3,627 | $20.92 | $56,155 |
| Median | $50,780 | $4,232 | $24.41 | $65,523 |
| 75th percentile | $59,390 | $4,949 | $28.55 | $76,632 |
| 90th percentile | $71,990 | $5,999 | $34.61 | $92,890 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,610 a year in pay and about $11,110 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,260 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 Springfield, and the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Springfield
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 $14,743 to the $50,780 median and brings it to $65,523 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 Springfield
Of the 16 roles we track in Springfield, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($57,680) and HR assistants ($49,940). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,030.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +17.1% | 730 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +13.6% | 80 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 860 | |
| HR Assistant | -1.7% | 130 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -6.4% | 1,290 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 16 roles we track in Springfield (+0.2%), between accountants (+3.3%) and administrative assistants (+0.0%). The typical role here is at -3.1%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Springfield than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 7.2% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Springfield, 8.4% across Illinois and 8.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $45,220 in Bloomington to $51,440 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $6,220 a year. Of the 7 areas in Illinois with more bookkeepers than Springfield, 6 pay less, the largest of them the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($45,760), Peoria, IL ($47,670) and the East Central Illinois nonmetro area ($46,430).
| Area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +1.3% | 35,660 | |
| Springfield, IL | this area | 860 | |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | -3.8% | 710 | |
| Decatur, IL | -5.1% | 330 | |
| Peoria, IL | -6.1% | 1,390 | |
| Kankakee, IL | -7.0% | 400 | |
| Rockford, IL | -7.9% | 1,020 |
Springfield against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Springfield is #313 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 Illinois, Appleton and Durham-Chapel Hill pay just above Springfield and Mankato and Chico just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Springfield. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +3.7% | 870 | jobs | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +0.0% | 2,570 | pay | |
| Appleton, WI | +0.0% | 1,050 | pay | |
| Springfield, IL | this area | 860 | ||
| Mankato, MN | -0.1% | 490 | pay | |
| Chico, CA | -0.1% | 730 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -1.0% | 850 | jobs | |
| Johnson City, TN | -19.9% | 870 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Springfield, IL?
About $65,523 a year at the median, or $5,460 a month: $50,780 in pay plus about $14,743 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Springfield?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $50,780 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,610, the 90th $71,990, and the middle half earned $43,520 to $59,390.
Is Springfield cheaper than the rest of Illinois for bookkeepers?
No, it costs more: a median of $50,780 against $49,560 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is Chicago-Naperville at $51,440, the next down Champaign-Urbana at $48,830.
How many bookkeepers work in Springfield?
BLS counts about 860 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Illinois total of 51,470. 7 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is Rockford, with about 1,020.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Springfield?
Yes: $840 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,780 and $49,940.
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.