Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $59,230 | $51,589 | +15% |
| Median hourly wage | $28.48 | $24.80 | +15% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $53,505.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Bookkeeper in California is $59,230, or about $28.48 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Bookkeepers is $51,589. California is +15% above the national median.
Entry-level bookkeepers in California typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 151,870 bookkeeper jobs on record and a median salary of $59,230, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, bookkeepers rank 499 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 37% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants at $89,000, Statistical Assistants at $82,580, Public Safety Telecommunicators at $80,120 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, bookkeepers rank 499 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 37% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $89,000 | $59,640 |
| Statistical Assistants | $82,580 | $110 |
| Public Safety Telecommunicators | $80,120 | $8,520 |
| Communications Equipment Operators, All Other | $79,450 | $450 |
| Meter Readers, Utilities | $79,040 | $810 |
| Brokerage Clerks | $77,960 | $4,740 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.