Bookkeeper salary in Sumter, SC
Of the 11 areas in South Carolina with BLS pay data for this job, Sumter has the lowest median: $43,810 a year1. That is 8.6% below the South Carolina statewide median of $47,940, and 13.5% below the US median of $50,670. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#455 of 521). The market is small, about 280 people, 1% of the South Carolina total, so expect few local candidates at a time.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Sumter, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Sumter against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter, SC | $29,130 | $43,810 | $66,080 | |
| South Carolina | $33,370 | $47,940 | $68,870 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $66,080, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in Sumter earns $36,470–$54,160. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $17,690 wide, against $18,430 across South Carolina and $17,950 nationally: employers in Sumter 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 | $29,130 | $2,428 | $14.00 | $37,587 |
| 25th percentile | $36,470 | $3,039 | $17.53 | $47,058 |
| Median | $43,810 | $3,651 | $21.06 | $56,529 |
| 75th percentile | $54,160 | $4,513 | $26.04 | $69,884 |
| 90th percentile | $66,080 | $5,507 | $31.77 | $85,265 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $10,350 a year in pay and about $13,355 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,340 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 median and the 75th percentile in Sumter, and the South Carolina statewide median of $47,940 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Sumter
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 $12,719 to the $43,810 median and brings it to $56,529 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 Sumter
Of the 13 roles we track in Sumter, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($46,750) and administrative assistants ($40,210). Project Coordinator is the highest at $87,730.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +7.6% | 200 | |
| Paralegal | +6.7% | 90 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 280 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -8.2% | 410 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -10.1% | 190 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 13 roles we track in Sumter (-13.5%), between customer support specialists (-12.7%) and project coordinators (-14.3%). The typical role here is at -15.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 8.5% of the jobs in these 13 roles in Sumter, 8.2% across South Carolina and 8.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $43,810 in Sumter to $50,400 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $6,590 a year. All 10 areas in South Carolina with more bookkeepers than Sumter also pay more, among them Greenville-Anderson, SC ($49,600) and Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($50,400).
| Area | Median | vs Sumter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +6.8% | 1,370 | |
| Columbia, SC | +6.6% | 3,260 | |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +4.9% | 750 | |
| Florence, SC | +3.4% | 730 | |
| Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +2.1% | 650 | |
| Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +1.4% | 500 | |
| Sumter, SC | this area | 280 |
Sumter against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Sumter is #514 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Elizabethtown and Wichita Falls pay just above Sumter and Texarkana and Houma-Bayou Cane just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Sumter. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Sumter | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gettysburg, PA | +7.9% | 290 | jobs | |
| Kokomo, IN | +5.0% | 280 | jobs | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | +0.2% | 490 | pay | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | +0.0% | 560 | pay | |
| Sumter, SC | this area | 280 | ||
| Texarkana, TX-AR | +0.0% | 420 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -0.1% | 770 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | -6.8% | 290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Sumter, SC?
About $56,529 a year at the median, or $4,711 a month: $43,810 in pay plus about $12,719 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Sumter?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $43,810 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,130, the 90th $66,080, and the middle half earned $36,470 to $54,160.
Is Sumter the cheapest area in South Carolina for bookkeepers?
Yes. Its median of $43,810 is the lowest of 11 areas in South Carolina. The Southern South Carolina nonmetro area is next at $44,440.
How many bookkeepers work in Sumter?
BLS counts about 280 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the South Carolina total of 19,980. 10 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area, with about 500.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Sumter?
Yes: $3,600 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,810 and $40,210.
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 2026-11-13.