Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Cape Girardeau, MO-IL, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $45,810 at the median, or about $22.02 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $53,218 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $992/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Cape Girardeau?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cape Girardeau’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
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What this looks like in Cape Girardeau
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks pay in Cape Girardeau tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $992/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in metros near Cape Girardeau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $50K | $53K |
| Kansas City | $51K | $55K |
| Springfield | $45K | $51K |
| Columbia | $49K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $65K | +29% | 1,790 |
| Connecticut | $60K | +18% | 14,930 |
| Massachusetts | $60K | +18% | 29,110 |
| California | $59K | +17% | 151,870 |
| Washington | $59K | +16% | 32,930 |
| New Jersey | $58K | +15% | 37,550 |
| New York | $58K | +15% | 84,280 |
| Alaska | $56K | +11% | 4,580 |
| Vermont | $55K | +8% | 2,950 |
| Minnesota | $55K | +8% | 26,850 |
| Oregon | $54K | +7% | 21,710 |
| Colorado | $54K | +7% | 26,140 |
| Maryland | $54K | +6% | 18,170 |
| Rhode Island | $53K | +5% | 4,570 |
| New Hampshire | $52K | +4% | 7,180 |
| Delaware | $52K | +2% | 4,600 |
| Virginia | $52K | +2% | 31,990 |
| Arizona | $51K | -0% | 22,690 |
| Maine | $51K | -0% | 7,390 |
| Nevada | $50K | -1% | 15,180 |
| Wisconsin | $50K | -1% | 25,960 |
| North Dakota | $50K | -2% | 4,290 |
| Illinois | $50K | -2% | 51,470 |
| Utah | $49K | -2% | 12,650 |
| Georgia | $49K | -3% | 38,700 |
| Florida | $49K | -3% | 88,670 |
| Michigan | $49K | -3% | 37,550 |
| Texas | $49K | -3% | 122,400 |
| Ohio | $49K | -4% | 45,140 |
| Hawaii | $49K | -4% | 5,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -4% | 48,920 |
| Idaho | $48K | -5% | 9,540 |
| Iowa | $48K | -5% | 14,020 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -5% | 37,680 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -5% | 7,780 |
| Missouri | $48K | -5% | 21,400 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -5% | 19,980 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -5% | 48,760 |
| Wyoming | $48K | -5% | 3,480 |
| Indiana | $48K | -6% | 29,910 |
| Kansas | $47K | -7% | 15,380 |
| Montana | $47K | -7% | 6,980 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -7% | 10,050 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -8% | 23,480 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -9% | 10,200 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -9% | 16,490 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -11% | 18,980 |
| Alabama | $45K | -12% | 19,890 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -15% | 7,620 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -15% | 12,510 |
| Mississippi | $43K | -15% | 12,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cape Girardeau?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 31.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $992/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 Cape Girardeau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,013/month. At HUD’s $992/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Cape Girardeau?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Cape Girardeau compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Cape Girardeau pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?
The median is $45,810 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,550, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $67,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Cape Girardeau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,122/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $992/month, which eats 31.8% 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 Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (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 $53,218 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.