Bookkeeper salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT
The median bookkeeper in Waterbury-Shelton earned $56,100 a year in May 20251. That is 10.7% above the US median of $50,670, even though it is 6.5% below the Connecticut statewide median of $59,970. Only 42 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 1,440 people in this job here, 10% of the Connecticut total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Waterbury-Shelton, CT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Waterbury-Shelton against Connecticut and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $41,620 | $56,100 | $77,140 | |
| Connecticut | $43,450 | $59,970 | $81,740 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Waterbury-Shelton earns $49,080–$63,570. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $77,140, only 1.9 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 $14,490 wide, against $20,870 across Connecticut and $17,950 nationally: employers in Waterbury-Shelton 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 | $41,620 | $3,468 | $20.01 | $53,703 |
| 25th percentile | $49,080 | $4,090 | $23.60 | $63,329 |
| Median | $56,100 | $4,675 | $26.97 | $72,387 |
| 75th percentile | $63,570 | $5,298 | $30.56 | $82,026 |
| 90th percentile | $77,140 | $6,428 | $37.09 | $99,535 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,470 a year in pay and about $9,639 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,020 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 Waterbury-Shelton, and the Connecticut statewide median of $59,970 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Waterbury-Shelton
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 $16,287 to the $56,100 median and brings it to $72,387 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 Waterbury-Shelton
Of the 17 roles we track in Waterbury-Shelton, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($61,250) and e-commerce order specialists ($53,070). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,990.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +15.1% | 420 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +9.2% | 160 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,440 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -5.4% | 50 | |
| HR Assistant | -7.2% | 90 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Waterbury-Shelton (+10.7%), between accountants (+11.1%) and sales development representatives (+9.4%). The typical role here is at +5.1%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Waterbury-Shelton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 9.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Waterbury-Shelton, 8.3% across Connecticut and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Connecticut
Across the 6 areas of Connecticut with data for this job, the median runs from $54,900 in the Connecticut nonmetro area to $62,890 in New Haven, a gap of $7,990 a year. All 3 areas in Connecticut with more bookkeepers than Waterbury-Shelton also pay more, among them Hartford-West Hartford, CT ($59,470) and Bridgeport-Stamford, CT ($61,390).
| Area | Median | vs Waterbury-Shelton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +12.1% | 2,900 | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +9.4% | 3,710 | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +6.0% | 4,660 | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | +2.5% | 910 | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | this area | 1,440 | |
| Connecticut (Nonmetro) | -2.1% | 690 |
Waterbury-Shelton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Waterbury-Shelton is #180 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 Connecticut, Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie and Stockton-Lodi pay just above Waterbury-Shelton and Riverside-San Bernardino and Olympia-Lacey just below. All four are within $510 a year of the median in Waterbury-Shelton. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Waterbury-Shelton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +2.2% | 1,440 | jobs | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +0.3% | 2,080 | pay | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +0.1% | 2,530 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | this area | 1,440 | ||
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -0.9% | 12,710 | pay | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | -0.9% | 1,050 | pay | |
| Midland, TX | -6.9% | 1,440 | jobs | |
| Springfield, MO | -19.2% | 1,440 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
About $72,387 a year at the median, or $6,032 a month: $56,100 in pay plus about $16,287 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Waterbury-Shelton?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $56,100 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,620, the 90th $77,140, and the middle half earned $49,080 to $63,570.
Is Waterbury-Shelton cheaper than the rest of Connecticut for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $56,100 against $59,970 statewide. The next area up in Connecticut is Norwich-New London at $57,530, the next down the Connecticut nonmetro area at $54,900.
How many bookkeepers work in Waterbury-Shelton?
BLS counts about 1,440 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Connecticut total of 14,930. 3 areas in Connecticut have more; the closest in size is New Haven, with about 2,900.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Waterbury-Shelton?
Yes: $3,030 a year more at the median. The medians are $56,100 and $53,070.
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.