Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary
In Rhode Island, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn $53,280 at the median, or about $25.61 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.77), that's roughly $52,353 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,544/month, about 44.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Rhode Island. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $53K get you in Rhode Island?
About bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
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What this looks like in Rhode Island
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks pay in Rhode Island tracks closely to the national median, $53K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,544/month, which is 42.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.77) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rhode Island
Entry-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks salary by metro in Rhode Island
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick | $55K | +3% | 6,400 |
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Track bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rhode Island numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rhode Island?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 42.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,544/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Rhode Island?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,393/month. At HUD’s $1,544/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Rhode Island?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $53K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Rhode Island compare to the national average for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Rhode Island pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Rhode Island?
The median is $53,280 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,880, and experienced bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks can clear $76,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Rhode Island?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,602/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,544/month, which eats 42.9% 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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has a Regional Price Parity of 101.77 (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 $52,353 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.