How bookkeeping is priced
Ask five bookkeepers what they charge and you'll often hear "it depends" five times. It does depend, but on a short list of things you can pin down before the first invoice.
The pricing models you'll run into
The most useful recent figures come from Ignition, which makes proposal and billing software for accounting firms. In July 2025 it surveyed 219 US-based accounting firms that use its software, online. That's a convenience sample, not a picture of every firm in the country, and the question covered monthly bookkeeping and accounting together, not bookkeeping alone.
Asked how they price monthly bookkeeping and accounting, the firms answered:
- Fixed fee: 54%
- Value pricing: 27%
- A minimum fee plus a charge for complexity: 11%
- Hourly: just under 4%
So a fixed monthly fee is the norm among those firms, and billing by the hour is now rare. A fixed fee is easy to budget. The catch is scope: the fee covers a set amount of work, and anything outside it is extra.
What firms said they charge each month
The same survey asked for the average monthly fee for monthly bookkeeping and accounting. The largest group, 29% of firms, charged $250 to $499 a month. Close behind, 27% charged $500 to $749, and about 17% charged $750 to $999. At the top end, 13% charged $1,000 to $1,499, 7% charged $1,500 to $2,500 and 3% charged more than $2,500. Only 4% charged under $250.
Read those as bands, not a price list. We don't publish an "average price", because the spread is wide and the survey mixes bookkeeping with broader accounting work. Wage figures for bookkeeping clerks don't help either: that's what employees earn, not what firms charge.
What moves the price
- How many bank accounts, cards and payment apps feed the books.
- How many transactions go through them each month.
- Whether payroll, bill paying or invoicing are included.
- Whether you need reports monthly or quarterly.
- How many entities or locations you run.
- What state the books are in when the firm takes them over.
Catch-up work is priced on its own
If you're months or years behind, expect catch-up or cleanup work to be quoted separately from the monthly fee. We haven't found a reliable national benchmark for it, so we don't publish one. What you can do is ask for the quote to name the starting month, how many past months it covers, and what happens if the old records turn out worse than expected.
Before you sign
- Ask which pricing model the firm uses, and what the fee covers each month.
- Get the exclusions in writing: tax returns, payroll, sales tax and advice are often extra.
- Ask how scope changes are priced, since that's where a fixed fee grows.
- Get catch-up work quoted as its own line.
- Check the firm's pricing evidence on our profiles. Each one shows whether the firm publishes a price, a starting price, or says it quotes each job.
Our market pages show what share of local firms publish any price at all. It's a quick way to see whether you'll need to ask.
What the 4425 firms we list say about price
Of the 4425 bookkeeping firms we list across the US, 195 (4%) put a monthly price or a starting price on their own website. 258 (6%) say they quote each client, and 3747 (85%) say nothing about fees at all. 225 (5%) show only other fees, such as an hourly rate, or a price we have not verified yet. Among states where we list at least 30 firms, the share publishing a monthly figure runs from 0% in Alabama to 9% in Colorado. Online and remote providers publish more often than local firms: 18% against 4%.
From each firm's own website, as recorded in our evidence ledger with the page and the date we read it. A firm with no pricing evidence counts as saying nothing. The table moves when the evidence does.
| Group | Firms | Publish a monthly price | Publish a starting price | Quote only (stated) | Other fees or not verified | Say nothing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 70 | 0% (0 of 70) | 0% (0 of 70) | 3% (2 of 70) | 1% (1 of 70) | 96% (67 of 70) |
| Alaska | 14 | 0% (0 of 14) | 0% (0 of 14) | 14% (2 of 14) | 7% (1 of 14) | 79% (11 of 14) |
| Arizona | 91 | 4% (4 of 91) | 2% (2 of 91) | 5% (5 of 91) | 9% (8 of 91) | 79% (72 of 91) |
| Arkansas | 43 | 0% (0 of 43) | 0% (0 of 43) | 2% (1 of 43) | 9% (4 of 43) | 88% (38 of 43) |
| California | 528 | 4% (19 of 528) | 3% (14 of 528) | 7% (39 of 528) | 3% (18 of 528) | 83% (438 of 528) |
| Colorado | 135 | 4% (6 of 135) | 4% (6 of 135) | 7% (10 of 135) | 5% (7 of 135) | 79% (106 of 135) |
| Connecticut | 82 | 4% (3 of 82) | 1% (1 of 82) | 15% (12 of 82) | 4% (3 of 82) | 77% (63 of 82) |
| Delaware | 22 | 5% (1 of 22) | 0% (0 of 22) | 18% (4 of 22) | 5% (1 of 22) | 73% (16 of 22) |
| District of Columbia | 4 | 0% (0 of 4) | 0% (0 of 4) | 25% (1 of 4) | 0% (0 of 4) | 75% (3 of 4) |
| Florida | 353 | 3% (11 of 353) | 2% (8 of 353) | 5% (16 of 353) | 4% (14 of 353) | 86% (304 of 353) |
| Georgia | 98 | 1% (1 of 98) | 4% (4 of 98) | 4% (4 of 98) | 2% (2 of 98) | 89% (87 of 98) |
| Hawaii | 15 | 0% (0 of 15) | 0% (0 of 15) | 7% (1 of 15) | 7% (1 of 15) | 87% (13 of 15) |
| Idaho | 42 | 2% (1 of 42) | 2% (1 of 42) | 7% (3 of 42) | 14% (6 of 42) | 74% (31 of 42) |
| Illinois | 142 | 1% (1 of 142) | 3% (4 of 142) | 6% (8 of 142) | 4% (5 of 142) | 87% (124 of 142) |
| Indiana | 74 | 5% (4 of 74) | 1% (1 of 74) | 5% (4 of 74) | 7% (5 of 74) | 81% (60 of 74) |
| Iowa | 47 | 4% (2 of 47) | 0% (0 of 47) | 9% (4 of 47) | 0% (0 of 47) | 87% (41 of 47) |
| Kansas | 40 | 2% (1 of 40) | 0% (0 of 40) | 5% (2 of 40) | 0% (0 of 40) | 92% (37 of 40) |
| Kentucky | 41 | 0% (0 of 41) | 2% (1 of 41) | 0% (0 of 41) | 2% (1 of 41) | 95% (39 of 41) |
| Louisiana | 63 | 0% (0 of 63) | 0% (0 of 63) | 2% (1 of 63) | 8% (5 of 63) | 90% (57 of 63) |
| Maine | 20 | 0% (0 of 20) | 0% (0 of 20) | 0% (0 of 20) | 10% (2 of 20) | 90% (18 of 20) |
| Maryland | 67 | 4% (3 of 67) | 1% (1 of 67) | 6% (4 of 67) | 4% (3 of 67) | 84% (56 of 67) |
| Massachusetts | 95 | 4% (4 of 95) | 2% (2 of 95) | 5% (5 of 95) | 3% (3 of 95) | 85% (81 of 95) |
| Michigan | 101 | 1% (1 of 101) | 4% (4 of 101) | 3% (3 of 101) | 3% (3 of 101) | 89% (90 of 101) |
| Minnesota | 84 | 2% (2 of 84) | 0% (0 of 84) | 5% (4 of 84) | 2% (2 of 84) | 90% (76 of 84) |
| Mississippi | 35 | 0% (0 of 35) | 0% (0 of 35) | 0% (0 of 35) | 3% (1 of 35) | 97% (34 of 35) |
| Missouri | 75 | 0% (0 of 75) | 4% (3 of 75) | 3% (2 of 75) | 8% (6 of 75) | 85% (64 of 75) |
| Montana | 28 | 0% (0 of 28) | 7% (2 of 28) | 4% (1 of 28) | 4% (1 of 28) | 86% (24 of 28) |
| Nebraska | 30 | 0% (0 of 30) | 0% (0 of 30) | 0% (0 of 30) | 7% (2 of 30) | 93% (28 of 30) |
| Nevada | 33 | 3% (1 of 33) | 0% (0 of 33) | 0% (0 of 33) | 0% (0 of 33) | 97% (32 of 33) |
| New Hampshire | 48 | 2% (1 of 48) | 2% (1 of 48) | 15% (7 of 48) | 10% (5 of 48) | 71% (34 of 48) |
| New Jersey | 89 | 0% (0 of 89) | 1% (1 of 89) | 8% (7 of 89) | 4% (4 of 89) | 87% (77 of 89) |
| New Mexico | 24 | 4% (1 of 24) | 0% (0 of 24) | 0% (0 of 24) | 4% (1 of 24) | 92% (22 of 24) |
| New York | 144 | 2% (3 of 144) | 1% (1 of 144) | 3% (4 of 144) | 9% (13 of 144) | 85% (123 of 144) |
| North Carolina | 128 | 2% (3 of 128) | 1% (1 of 128) | 5% (7 of 128) | 9% (12 of 128) | 82% (105 of 128) |
| North Dakota | 14 | 0% (0 of 14) | 7% (1 of 14) | 0% (0 of 14) | 7% (1 of 14) | 86% (12 of 14) |
| Ohio | 107 | 1% (1 of 107) | 0% (0 of 107) | 3% (3 of 107) | 6% (6 of 107) | 91% (97 of 107) |
| Oklahoma | 53 | 4% (2 of 53) | 2% (1 of 53) | 8% (4 of 53) | 4% (2 of 53) | 83% (44 of 53) |
| Oregon | 85 | 1% (1 of 85) | 1% (1 of 85) | 2% (2 of 85) | 0% (0 of 85) | 95% (81 of 85) |
| Pennsylvania | 132 | 1% (1 of 132) | 0% (0 of 132) | 6% (8 of 132) | 5% (6 of 132) | 89% (117 of 132) |
| Rhode Island | 18 | 0% (0 of 18) | 6% (1 of 18) | 0% (0 of 18) | 0% (0 of 18) | 94% (17 of 18) |
| South Carolina | 53 | 0% (0 of 53) | 2% (1 of 53) | 6% (3 of 53) | 9% (5 of 53) | 83% (44 of 53) |
| South Dakota | 19 | 0% (0 of 19) | 0% (0 of 19) | 11% (2 of 19) | 0% (0 of 19) | 89% (17 of 19) |
| Tennessee | 90 | 1% (1 of 90) | 3% (3 of 90) | 7% (6 of 90) | 3% (3 of 90) | 86% (77 of 90) |
| Texas | 386 | 2% (8 of 386) | 1% (2 of 386) | 6% (22 of 386) | 7% (27 of 386) | 85% (327 of 386) |
| Utah | 52 | 0% (0 of 52) | 0% (0 of 52) | 10% (5 of 52) | 8% (4 of 52) | 83% (43 of 52) |
| Vermont | 13 | 0% (0 of 13) | 0% (0 of 13) | 0% (0 of 13) | 0% (0 of 13) | 100% (13 of 13) |
| Virginia | 115 | 2% (2 of 115) | 1% (1 of 115) | 5% (6 of 115) | 3% (3 of 115) | 90% (103 of 115) |
| Washington | 120 | 3% (4 of 120) | 1% (1 of 120) | 10% (12 of 120) | 2% (3 of 120) | 83% (100 of 120) |
| West Virginia | 28 | 0% (0 of 28) | 0% (0 of 28) | 0% (0 of 28) | 4% (1 of 28) | 96% (27 of 28) |
| Wisconsin | 61 | 3% (2 of 61) | 0% (0 of 61) | 5% (3 of 61) | 5% (3 of 61) | 87% (53 of 61) |
| Wyoming | 8 | 0% (0 of 8) | 0% (0 of 8) | 0% (0 of 8) | 12% (1 of 8) | 88% (7 of 8) |
| All local firms | 4259 | 2% (95 of 4259) | 2% (70 of 4259) | 6% (239 of 4259) | 5% (205 of 4259) | 86% (3650 of 4259) |
| Online and remote providers | 166 | 9% (15 of 166) | 9% (15 of 166) | 11% (19 of 166) | 12% (20 of 166) | 58% (97 of 166) |
| Every firm we list | 4425 | 2% (110 of 4425) | 2% (85 of 4425) | 6% (258 of 4425) | 5% (225 of 4425) | 85% (3747 of 4425) |
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