Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Decatur, IL, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $48,200 at the median, or about $23.17 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.42), which stretches that salary to about $54,513 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,063/month, about 32.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Decatur?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Decatur’s Regional Price Parity (88.42). 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 Decatur
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks pay in Decatur tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,063/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.42 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 Decatur, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $51K | $50K |
| Peoria | $48K | $52K |
| Rockford | $47K | $51K |
| Springfield | $51K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Decatur, IL
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $29K 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 Decatur?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 33.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,063/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 Decatur?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,132/month. At HUD’s $1,063/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Decatur?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Decatur compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Decatur pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Decatur, IL?
The median is $48,200 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,540, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $64,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Decatur?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,198/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,063/month, which eats 33.2% 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 Decatur?
Decatur has a Regional Price Parity of 88.42 (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 $54,513 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.
