Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Alabama, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $44,640 at the median, or about $21.46 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $50,521 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,085/month, about 35.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alabama. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in Alabama?
About bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
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What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in Alabama runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,085/month, which is 36.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerkss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks salary by metro in Alabama
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $47K | +6% | 5,430 |
| Huntsville | $47K | +6% | 1,830 |
| Decatur | $46K | +3% | 580 |
| Mobile | $44K | -0% | 1,600 |
| Auburn-Opelika | $44K | -1% | 560 |
| Montgomery | $44K | -2% | 1,400 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $44K | -2% | 1,000 |
| Tuscaloosa | $43K | -3% | 900 |
| Anniston-Oxford | $42K | -6% | 330 |
| Dothan | $41K | -7% | 560 |
| Gadsden | $41K | -9% | 290 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $39K | -13% | 580 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 36.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,828/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $45K here vs. $51K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Alabama pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Alabama?
The median is $44,640 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,460, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $60,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,987/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 36.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary is worth about $50,521 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.