Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Memphis, TN-MS-AR, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $48,400 at the median, or about $23.27 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $52,506 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,274/month, about 36.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). 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 Memphis
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks pay in Memphis tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,274/month, which is 37.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $51K | $53K |
| Knoxville | $47K | $51K |
| Chattanooga | $47K | $51K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $46K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $31K 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 Memphis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 37.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/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 Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,133/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Memphis?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Memphis pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $48,400 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,550, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $66,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,411/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 37.3% 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 Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (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 $52,506 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.