Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $51,440 at the median, or about $24.73 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $49,657 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 52.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 52.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $48K | $52K |
| Rockford | $47K | $51K |
| Springfield | $51K | $55K |
| Champaign-Urbana | $49K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $37K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 52.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,168/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $51,440 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,140, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $73,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,402/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 52.4% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary is worth about $49,657 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.