Bookkeeper salary in Stockton-Lodi, CA
Stockton-Lodi pays bookkeepers less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $56,250 a year1: 5.0% below the California statewide median of $59,230 and 11.0% above the US median of $50,670. Only 40 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 2,080 people in this job here, 1% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Stockton-Lodi, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Stockton-Lodi against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $40,350 | $56,250 | $78,860 | |
| California | $41,600 | $59,230 | $81,990 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Stockton-Lodi earns $46,980–$64,820. The top tenth earns $78,860 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 $17,840 wide, against $22,000 across California and $17,950 nationally: employers in Stockton-Lodi 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 | $40,350 | $3,362 | $19.40 | $52,065 |
| 25th percentile | $46,980 | $3,915 | $22.59 | $60,619 |
| Median | $56,250 | $4,688 | $27.04 | $72,581 |
| 75th percentile | $64,820 | $5,402 | $31.16 | $83,639 |
| 90th percentile | $78,860 | $6,572 | $37.91 | $101,755 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,570 a year in pay and about $11,058 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,270 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 Stockton-Lodi, and the California statewide median of $59,230 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Stockton-Lodi
At the $56,250 median, a local hire costs about $72,581 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,331 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 Stockton-Lodi
Of the 17 roles we track in Stockton-Lodi, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($61,230) and HR assistants ($54,060). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,240.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +19.0% | 1,240 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +8.9% | 340 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 2,080 | |
| HR Assistant | -3.9% | 210 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -4.4% | 2,310 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Stockton-Lodi (+11.0%), between customer support specialists (+11.7%) and HR assistants (+6.8%). The typical role here is at +5.1%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Stockton-Lodi than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 11.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Stockton-Lodi, 9.1% across California and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $47,960 in El Centro to $66,130 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $18,170 a year. Of the 9 areas in California with more bookkeepers than Stockton-Lodi, 3 pay less: Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($55,610), Fresno, CA ($54,170) and Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($53,170).
| Area | Median | vs Stockton-Lodi | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +4.1% | 1,070 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +2.5% | 3,250 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +1.0% | 8,680 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | this area | 2,080 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -1.1% | 12,710 | |
| Yuba City, CA | -1.8% | 460 | |
| Modesto, CA | -2.2% | 1,730 |
Stockton-Lodi against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Stockton-Lodi is #113 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Worcester and Amherst Town-Northampton pay just above Stockton-Lodi and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie and Waterbury-Shelton just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in Stockton-Lodi. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Stockton-Lodi | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +0.3% | 490 | pay | |
| Worcester, MA | +0.2% | 2,780 | pay | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | this area | 2,080 | ||
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -0.2% | 2,530 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | -0.3% | 1,440 | pay | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | -16.5% | 2,050 | jobs | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -25.4% | 2,070 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | -30.8% | 2,130 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Stockton-Lodi, CA?
About $72,581 a year at the median, or $6,048 a month: $56,250 in pay plus about $16,331 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Stockton-Lodi?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $56,250 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,350, the 90th $78,860, and the middle half earned $46,980 to $64,820.
Is Stockton-Lodi cheaper than the rest of California for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $56,250 against $59,230 statewide. The next area up in California is Sacramento-Roseville at $56,840, the next down Riverside-San Bernardino at $55,610.
How many bookkeepers work in Stockton-Lodi?
BLS counts about 2,080 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the California total of 151,870. 9 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Bakersfield-Delano, with about 2,580.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Stockton-Lodi?
Yes: $2,190 a year more at the median. The medians are $56,250 and $54,060.
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.