Average Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks is $49,210 per year. The middle 50% earn between $41,390 and $60,220, with 1,455,770 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 393 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $34,600
- 25th
- $41,390
- Median
- $49,210
- 75th
- $60,220
- 90th
- $72,660
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -5.8%
- -94,300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 170,000
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Some college, no degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Where Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is District of Columbia at $62,470, about 26.9% above the national median. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads with a median of $64,480.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $62,470 | 1,870 |
| California | $57,470 | 154,980 |
| Connecticut | $57,290 | 14,820 |
| Massachusetts | $57,120 | 31,010 |
| New Jersey | $56,730 | 40,560 |
| Washington | $56,580 | 36,640 |
| New York | $55,880 | 93,920 |
| Alaska | $54,510 | 4,630 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $64,480 | 17,670 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $64,340 | 7,750 |
| Napa, CA | $60,720 | 690 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $60,220 | 1,030 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $59,950 | 2,220 |
| Vallejo, CA | $59,440 | 1,210 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $59,170 | 87,860 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $58,650 | 1,800 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks rose from $41,230 to $49,210, a gain of +19.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $41,230 would need to be worth $50,589 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $49,210 is −$1,379 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -2.7% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 19.4% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +19.4%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -2.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $41,230
- 2020
- $42,410
- 2021
- $45,560
- 2022
- $45,860
- 2023
- $47,440
- 2024
- $49,210
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Procurement Clerks
- $48,510
- Billing And Posting Clerks
- $47,170
- Financial Clerks, All Other
- $52,150
- Bill And Account Collectors
- $46,040
- Payroll And Timekeeping Clerks
- $55,290
- Tellers
- $39,340
- Gambling Cage Workers
- $36,990
- Proofreaders And Copy Markers
- $49,210
Common salary questions for Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.