There are three ways to get your books done in 2026, and they differ in cost by almost 20×. Here’s what each actually costs, using current federal wage data and real market rates.
Option 1: A full-time bookkeeper
Per the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn a median of $24.36/hour — about $50,700/year (mean $53,560, 1.37 million employed). Fully loaded, that hire costs you:
| Line item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Base salary | $50,700 |
| Payroll taxes (FICA 7.65%) | $3,879 |
| Unemployment insurance | $1,014 |
| Workers’ compensation | $507 |
| Health insurance (employer share) | $7,800 |
| 401(k) match (3%) | $1,521 |
| Paid time off + sick coverage (15 days) | $2,925 |
| Desk space, equipment, hiring & admin | $6,600 |
| Fully-loaded total | $74,946/year (1.48× salary) |
Option 2: A part-time or outsourced bookkeeper
The standard answer for businesses too small for a full-timer: $2,000–$3,000/month ($24,000–$36,000/year) for a part-time pro or a bookkeeping firm. Better — but you’re still paying a human rate for work that is mostly categorization and reconciliation.
Option 3: AI bookkeeping with human review
AI now handles transaction categorization, bank reconciliation, invoice matching, and monthly reporting, with a professional reviewing the output monthly. Market rate: about $400/month ($4,800/year). Against the part-time option you keep ~$20,000–$31,000/year; against a full-time hire, ~$70,000. We ran the detailed head-to-head in AI bookkeeping vs a part-time bookkeeper.
What you still need a human for
Keep your CPA for tax strategy and filing, and keep a monthly human review of the AI’s output. What you stop paying for is the 20+ hours a month of data entry in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a bookkeeper cost per month in 2026?
Part-time or outsourced bookkeeping runs $2,000–$3,000/month. A full-time bookkeeper costs about $4,225/month in salary alone — closer to $6,245/month fully loaded. AI bookkeeping with human review runs about $400/month.
What is the average bookkeeper salary?
BLS May 2025 data: median $24.36/hour, roughly $50,700/year full-time, with a national mean of $53,560.
Is AI bookkeeping reliable enough to replace a bookkeeper?
For categorization, reconciliation and reporting — yes, when paired with a monthly professional review. Tax strategy and filing stay with your CPA.
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