Hello! Just wanted to see if anybody will share with me what their hourly rate is for bookkeeping. I want to make sure I'm charging enough for the work I do. I have 19 years experience in bookkeeping and an Associates Degree in Accounting. I do everything from A/P to A/R, payroll, financials, bank recs, etc. and also pick up mail, make deposits at the bank and occasionally deliver work to a client.
I'm just curious what others are charging in this field. Thanks for your help!
Sandi
Salaries vary by location. There are polls done and studies with information available online to let you know what you can expect where you live. One free link is
I generally charge $20/hr which is high for a full charge bookkeeper in my area (southeast). However I use my own computers, software, ink, paper, stamps, envelopes, internet, fax, 2nd phone, gas, etc. I also have my own liability policy and the client doesn't have to treat me as an employee or on-site subcontractor which saves them from having to pay worker's comp on me. He/she doesn't have to provide the space, furniture & equipment they'd normally have to do for an in-house bookkeeper. So it comes out in the wash IMO.
Most of my clients are only 1-4 hours a week but two are businesses I fully manage in addition to the bookkeeping. The owners do the actual hands-on labor of the company and I do anything remotely related to the administrative running of it. They take up so much more time than the others and I spend alot more gas running to the post office, different banks, licensing offices and the like. While I could easily get $35/hr or more for this position I chose not to go that route. I bill them the same bookkeeping rate but I rack up alot more hours. They can't necessarily afford/justify the need for that kind of expense rather than trying to do it themselves or hire a separate bookkeeper and office clerk which is something you'll need to keep in mind when pricing people.
The two clients I speak of above know that they're getting a deal from me and we have an excellent working relationship based on trust & mutual respect. For a non-employee I have pretty tight job security from these two which is important to me. Before anyone comes along with a snide comment about cheating myself just wait. For one thing, I get Christmas bonus' (big ones) from these two companies as their way of saying thank you. For another, the word of mouth and new business they've sent me has been so much more than I'd ever expected it would be. I've turned down several prospective clients in the last year because I don't have (or don't want to devote) the time to take them on. All but 3 of my clients came to me by word of mouth from existing clients because I don't advertise nor do I have a commercial building for people to locate me.
Anyway, figure out what in-house bookkeepers get in your area. The classifieds might have that information. Now factor in your overhead and adjust the hourly rate accordingly and then see where you're at. It won't do you any good to charge $25-$30 an hour if the going rate in-house is $10-$12 because no one will consider your degree and/or the outsourcing worth that much more. Now if you do tax prep that's another story.
BeanSmart website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.