Bookkeeper salary in St. Cloud, MN
For this job St. Cloud sits right at the US figure, with a median of $50,570 a year1. That is about level with the US median of $50,670, and 7.4% below the Minnesota statewide median of $54,600. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#121 of 521). BLS counts about 880 people in this job here, 3% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area St. Cloud, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Cloud against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | $37,790 | $50,570 | $69,010 | |
| Minnesota | $37,800 | $54,600 | $73,450 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in St. Cloud earns $45,550–$60,130. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $69,010, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,580 wide, against $15,670 across Minnesota and $17,950 nationally: employers in St. Cloud 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 | $37,790 | $3,149 | $18.17 | $48,761 |
| 25th percentile | $45,550 | $3,796 | $21.90 | $58,774 |
| Median | $50,570 | $4,214 | $24.31 | $65,252 |
| 75th percentile | $60,130 | $5,011 | $28.91 | $77,587 |
| 90th percentile | $69,010 | $5,751 | $33.18 | $89,045 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,560 over the median, the 25th only $5,020 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $12,335 a year in employer cost. 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 median and the 75th percentile in St. Cloud, and the Minnesota statewide median of $54,600 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in St. Cloud
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 $14,682 to the $50,570 median and brings it to $65,252 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 St. Cloud
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($58,960) and e-commerce order specialists ($50,020). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,390.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +18.0% | 640 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +16.6% | 100 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 880 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -1.1% | 30 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -2.2% | 1,230 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud (-0.2%), between payroll specialists (+1.2%) and recruiters (-1.6%). The typical role here is at -1.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 9.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Cloud, 9.2% across Minnesota and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $49,620 in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $58,350 in Rochester, a gap of $8,730 a year. Of the 5 areas in Minnesota with more bookkeepers than St. Cloud, 3 pay less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($50,190), the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area ($49,620) and the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($50,560).
| Area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +14.3% | 16,510 | |
| Mankato, MN | +0.4% | 490 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | +0.2% | 1,080 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 880 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -0.0% | 1,300 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 2,050 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -1.0% | 460 |
St. Cloud against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Cloud is #308 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 Minnesota, Fargo and Des Moines-West Des Moines pay just above St. Cloud and Lansing-East Lansing and North Port-Bradenton just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in St. Cloud. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +0.1% | 3,670 | pay | |
| Fargo, ND-MN | +0.0% | 1,520 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 880 | ||
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | -0.1% | 1,940 | pay | |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | -0.2% | 3,610 | pay | |
| Odessa, TX | -3.2% | 880 | jobs | |
| Columbia, MO | -3.3% | 880 | jobs | |
| Lynchburg, VA | -6.9% | 890 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in St. Cloud, MN?
About $65,252 a year at the median, or $5,438 a month: $50,570 in pay plus about $14,682 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in St. Cloud?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $50,570 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,790, the 90th $69,010, and the middle half earned $45,550 to $60,130.
Is St. Cloud cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $50,570 against $54,600 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Duluth at $50,660, the next down the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $50,560.
How many bookkeepers work in St. Cloud?
BLS counts about 880 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Minnesota total of 26,850. 5 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is Duluth, with about 1,080.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in St. Cloud?
Yes: $550 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,570 and $50,020.
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.