How much should I pay a bookkeeper per month?
Most small businesses pay between $200 and $600 per month for bookkeeping. That range is wide because transaction volume, industry, and included services all affect what you should expect to pay.
Transaction volume is the biggest factor. A consultant with two bank accounts and 40 monthly transactions costs less to maintain than a retail store running a point-of-sale system with 400 transactions. More accounts and more activity means more time spent reconciling and categorizing.
Industry matters because some businesses need more than basic categorization. Construction companies need job costing. Restaurants deal with tip reporting and food cost tracking. A San Diego bookkeeper who understands your industry will cost more than a generalist but will produce financial statements that actually help you run your business.
What’s included in the monthly fee varies significantly between providers. Some bookkeepers only categorize transactions and reconcile accounts. Others include monthly financial statements, accounts receivable follow-up, and regular check-ins to review your numbers. Monthly bookkeeping packages in the San Diego area typically start around $250 for straightforward businesses and go up from there based on complexity.
Be cautious of prices that seem too low. A bookkeeper charging $100 per month is either working for below minimum wage, not doing thorough work, or planning to add fees for anything beyond basic data entry. Fixing messy books later costs more than paying for quality work upfront.
Payroll is usually a separate charge, typically $50 to $150 per pay run depending on your employee count. Tax preparation is also separate, with most small business returns running $800 to $2,000.
The better question isn’t just what to pay but what you’re getting for it. Ask potential bookkeepers what’s included in their base fee, what costs extra, and how they handle questions throughout the month. A bookkeeper who provides useful financial statements and responds when you have questions is worth more than someone who just enters transactions and disappears until next month.
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Yes. Construction accounting involves job costing, progress billing, retainage, and subcontractor tracking. A general bookkeeper will produce books that are technically correct but don't show you which jobs actually made money.
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