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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

43-3031 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers. Excludes “Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks” (43-3051).


National estimates for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Industry profile for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Geographic profile for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

National estimates for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,509,370 0.6 % $ 21.70 $ 45,140 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.00 $ 17.67 $ 21.90 $ 23.92 $ 29.80
Annual Wage (2) $ 29,120 $ 36,750 $ 45,560 $ 49,760 $ 61,980


Industry profile for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 102,170 10.18 $ 21.40 $ 44,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises 84,410 3.32 $ 22.51 $ 46,820
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 62,160 1.16 $ 22.48 $ 46,760
Real Estate 49,610 2.97 $ 22.31 $ 46,400
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) 36,940 1.85 $ 21.26 $ 44,220

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 102,170 10.18 $ 21.40 $ 44,500
Office Administrative Services 23,030 4.74 $ 22.12 $ 46,000
Land Subdivision 1,390 4.19 $ 23.01 $ 47,860
Other Investment Pools and Funds 520 4.10 $ 17.81 $ 37,050
Religious Organizations 6,680 3.72 $ 20.43 $ 42,480

Top paying industries for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service (federal government) 330 0.05 $ 33.82 $ 70,350
Metal Ore Mining 150 0.37 $ 30.97 $ 64,410
Support Activities for Water Transportation 680 0.76 $ 29.35 $ 61,050
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 460 2.22 $ 28.67 $ 59,630
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 2,340 0.62 $ 27.75 $ 57,720


Geographic profile for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 170,580 10.32 0.96 $ 24.56 $ 51,080
Texas 132,510 10.84 1.01 $ 20.94 $ 43,550
Florida 92,730 10.78 1.01 $ 20.41 $ 42,440
New York 88,400 10.20 0.95 $ 24.38 $ 50,720
Pennsylvania 66,260 11.87 1.11 $ 21.38 $ 44,470


Map of location quotient of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 9,910 23.53 2.20 $ 18.09 $ 37,640
Montana 8,330 17.72 1.65 $ 18.29 $ 38,030
Alaska 4,480 15.13 1.41 $ 24.39 $ 50,730
Tennessee 41,800 14.00 1.31 $ 19.67 $ 40,910
Delaware 6,080 13.95 1.30 $ 21.94 $ 45,640


Map of annual mean wages of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 2,800 4.22 0.39 $ 28.91 $ 60,130
Massachusetts 39,740 11.71 1.09 $ 25.64 $ 53,340
Washington 33,170 10.35 0.97 $ 24.74 $ 51,460
California 170,580 10.32 0.96 $ 24.56 $ 51,080
Connecticut 15,810 10.05 0.94 $ 24.54 $ 51,050



Map of employment of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 88,160 10.16 0.95 $ 25.39 $ 52,810
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 63,270 11.06 1.03 $ 24.26 $ 50,470
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 43,300 10.23 0.95 $ 22.98 $ 47,800
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 38,900 10.84 1.01 $ 21.93 $ 45,610
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 31,060 10.72 1.00 $ 21.63 $ 44,990
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 29,550 11.13 1.04 $ 23.20 $ 48,250
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 29,130 11.27 1.05 $ 26.25 $ 54,590
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 28,280 11.53 1.08 $ 20.64 $ 42,920
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 22,010 8.50 0.79 $ 21.65 $ 45,030
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 21,700 10.25 0.96 $ 21.64 $ 45,020


Map of location quotient of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rapid City, SD 1,630 24.51 2.29 $ 18.22 $ 37,900
Sioux Falls, SD 3,310 21.30 1.99 $ 18.52 $ 38,530
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 850 17.90 1.67 $ 19.24 $ 40,020
Missoula, MT 990 16.49 1.54 $ 18.49 $ 38,460
Utica-Rome, NY 1,890 16.46 1.54 $ 20.78 $ 43,220
Johnson City, TN 1,220 15.74 1.47 $ 17.74 $ 36,890
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 5,570 15.60 1.46 $ 22.88 $ 47,580
Monroe, LA 1,140 15.60 1.46 $ 18.73 $ 38,950
Billings, MT 1,310 15.49 1.45 $ 19.07 $ 39,660
Barnstable Town, MA 1,490 15.33 1.43 $ 24.31 $ 50,570


Map of annual mean wages of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 9,350 8.75 0.82 $ 28.72 $ 59,750
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 20,200 9.01 0.84 $ 28.21 $ 58,670
Napa, CA 770 11.14 1.04 $ 26.41 $ 54,940
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 3,890 10.36 0.97 $ 26.30 $ 54,710
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 29,130 11.27 1.05 $ 26.25 $ 54,590
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 18,370 9.58 0.89 $ 26.01 $ 54,100
Santa Rosa, CA 2,390 12.46 1.16 $ 25.55 $ 53,150
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 1,200 12.90 1.20 $ 25.55 $ 53,130
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 21,300 7.26 0.68 $ 25.54 $ 53,110
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 88,160 10.16 0.95 $ 25.39 $ 52,810

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 4,910 13.06 1.22 $ 17.41 $ 36,220
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 3,490 11.10 1.04 $ 18.93 $ 39,370
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 3,170 25.02 2.34 $ 17.83 $ 37,080
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 2,850 14.89 1.39 $ 19.89 $ 41,380
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 2,740 11.42 1.07 $ 18.41 $ 38,290

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 1,530 25.53 2.38 $ 17.45 $ 36,290
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 3,170 25.02 2.34 $ 17.83 $ 37,080
Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 950 20.18 1.88 $ 18.13 $ 37,700
East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,200 19.21 1.79 $ 17.84 $ 37,100
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 2,620 18.87 1.76 $ 18.42 $ 38,320

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 970 16.85 1.57 $ 24.80 $ 51,590
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 1,670 17.18 1.60 $ 24.46 $ 50,890
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,380 14.11 1.32 $ 23.27 $ 48,400
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 1,580 13.50 1.26 $ 23.26 $ 48,390
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,490 12.48 1.16 $ 23.09 $ 48,030


About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022