What Should I Expect to Pay for a Good Bookkeeper? (2025 Guide)

Short answer: For a good bookkeeper, expect to pay enough that they’re reliable, secure, and fast — not bargain-basement. Here’s the blunt breakdown and what you should actually get for your money.

Price Ranges (US, Realistic)

• Basic / very small business: \$200–\$500/month (~\$2,400–\$6,000/year)
  1 bank/cc reconciliation, basic P&L, simple monthly close, no payroll or multi-platform e-commerce complexity.
• Solid, regular small-business package (most clients): \$400–\$1,200/month (~\$4,800–\$14,400/year)
  Full monthly close, multi-account recs, one payroll or payroll management, sales-platform basics, monthly review call, basic cleanup.
• Complex/high volume/e-comm/payroll heavy: \$1,200–\$3,000+/month (~\$14,400–\$36,000+/yr)
  Multi-entity/platform recs, payroll+benefits, sales tax returns, integrations, cash flow reporting, controller duties.
• Hourly cleanup/catch-up: \$50–\$150/hour (cleanups typically 10–40 hours)
  Ballpark cleanups: \$500–\$6,000 depending on mess & hours.

What Affects Price?

• Number of bank/credit card accounts and monthly transactions
• E-commerce complexity (many SKUs, refunds, marketplaces)
• Payroll (number of employees, frequency)
• Sales tax complexity (multi-state nexus)
• Integrations and apps (Shopify, Stripe, Square, inventory systems)
• Required turnaround (rush work costs more)
• Security & insurance (firms with SOC/insurance cost more)

What You Should Expect to Get at Each Tier

• Cleaned & reconciled bank/CC accounts (monthly)
• Reviewed P&L and Balance Sheet with reclassifications documented
• Month-end close checklist and delivered by agreed SLA
• Clear notes on unapplied payments, uncleared checks, and variances
• Access & security: least-privilege QuickBooks user, encrypted file transfer, backup plan
• One monthly call and a short action list
• Fixed-scope pricing option for repeatable work; hourly for projects/cleanup

Service Level / Cadence You Should Demand

• Monthly close delivered within 5–10 business days after month end (depends on complexity)
• Routine questions answered in 24–48 hours
• One-month paid trial/fixed deliverable before committing long term

How to Judge Value (Not Just Price)

• Does their work reduce your tax bill or save time? A decent bookkeeper can uncover missed deductions, fix payroll mistakes, or stop leaky expenses. If your annual fee is \$6k and they recover \$30k once — that’s a 5× return. Buy that ROI, not a discount hourly rate.
• Systems chops: They must know QuickBooks (ProAdvisor preferred) and any apps you use

Negotiation & Contract Tips

• Get a fixed monthly scope with a clear list of included services and a written change-order process
• Cap out-of-scope hours or require pre-approval
• Include acceptance criteria (e.g., “All bank/cc accounts reconciled to statement ending balance and flagged exceptions explained”)
• Ask for a 30–90 day exit and a full handover on termination
• Negotiate discounts for 6–12 month commitments or paying quarterly/annually
• Insist on a remediation clause: if their errors cause measurable damages, they fix it at no extra cost

Red Flags (Walk Away If…)

• Asks for full admin/passwords instead of least-privilege access
• No documented process for backups or handover
• Extremely low hourly rate with “unlimited” hours promised
• If you don’t retain full ownership of your QuickBooks account

Practical Next Step (What Actually Works)

• Run a 30-day paid trial: fixed price to reconcile the last closed month + deliver P&L/BS + list of top 10 issues and recommended fixes. Score them on accuracy, speed, communication, and security. If they pass, sign 6–12 month agreement.

Want a bookkeeper who checks all these boxes? Book your free consultation with Giesler-Tran Bookkeeping today and see what real value looks like!