Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $58,590 at the median, or about $28.17 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $51,589 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 68% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim sits well above the national pay line for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 66% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $66K | $57K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $59K | $52K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $56K | $52K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $57K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $39K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 66% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,440/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 107% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $59K here vs. $51K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $58,590 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,660, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $79,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,942/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 66% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (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 $51,589 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.