Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Massachusetts, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $59,830 at the median, or about $28.77 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.09), that's roughly $59,776 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,347/month, about 59.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Massachusetts. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $60K get you in Massachusetts?
About bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
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What this looks like in Massachusetts
Massachusetts sits well above the national pay line for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, local pay runs about 18% 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 $2,347/month, which is 59.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Massachusetts
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks salary by metro in Massachusetts
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $61K | +2% | 21,170 |
| Barnstable Town | $61K | +1% | 990 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $56K | -6% | 490 |
| Worcester | $56K | -6% | 2,780 |
| Pittsfield | $55K | -8% | 530 |
| Springfield | $54K | -9% | 1,430 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Massachusetts?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 59.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/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 Massachusetts?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,446/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 96% 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 Massachusetts?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $60K here vs. $51K nationally.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Massachusetts pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Massachusetts?
The median is $59,830 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,760, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $81,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Massachusetts?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,927/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 59.8% 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 Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (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 $59,776 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.