Accurate and timely bookkeeping allows you to make sound financial decisions. Using our proprietary cost database, in-depth research, and collaboration with industry experts, we deliver accurate, up-to-date pricing and insights you can trust, every time. Time how long it typically takes you to do your bookkeeping and calculate how much you would normally earn during that time. If you would make more in that time than you would spend on a bookkeeper, it may be worth hiring one. These jobs usually entail a higher level of responsibility and complexity. Workload varies as projects pop up, so a salaried structure gives the employers predictability in terms of how much they set aside for compensation.
Unlike many traditional firms, online providers aren’t usually restricted by geography, so their services are available anywhere in the US. Based on the average salary of a bookkeeper, you should be paying roughly $3,516 a month for bookkeeping if you choose to hire a bookkeeper. How much a bookkeeper costs also depends on the payment arrangement.
Who are bookkeepers?
Let’s jump into the details and explore your options for bookkeeping as a small to medium sized business. While having a degree and/or bookkeeper certification will give you the knowledge that you need to get your foot in the door, having practical work experience is equally valuable. The more experience you have doing actual bookkeeping work, the more how much does bookkeeping cost confident you’ll be in your skills, which will translate into higher billable rates. In addition to getting certified through the AIPB or NACPB, we recommend that you get certified in QuickBooks. The QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification program is ideal for freelance bookkeepers because it allows you to get certified for free with no strings attached.
- It’s a blend of tangible and intangible factors, all culminating in the final rate presented.
- For example, bookkeeping project pricing would differ for a large company earning $1.5 million annually compared to a small business owner with $200,000 in yearly revenue.
- If any of these warning signs resonate with you, it may be time to hire a bookkeeper.
- Depending on your geographic location, this amount will be more or less than the average national rate of $34.67 per hour.
- With a direct employee, you’ll have control over their day-to-day and can dictate how things are done.
- Bookkeeper salaries vary state by state (see our chart below), and depending on where you live, you could be paying a large difference in one place versus another.
While some months may not require much from a bookkeeper, others are inevitably going to be busier than others. This makes it easier to manage your business bookkeeper https://www.bookstime.com/ costs by factoring in a consistent monthly rate. It might make sense for a large business with complex bookkeeping needs year-round to have an in-house bookkeeper.