How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost in 2026?
A clear breakdown of bookkeeping costs across the US, UK and Australia — and why an international team changes the maths.
Bookkeeping pricing is driven by three things: transaction volume, the complexity of your compliance, and where your bookkeeper sits. Understanding those levers helps you avoid both overpaying a local firm and underbuying capacity you'll outgrow in a quarter.
The three pricing models
Most providers price one of three ways:
- Hourly ($25–$90/hr) — flexible but unpredictable, and it penalises efficiency.
- Fixed monthly retainer ($350–$2,500/mo) — the model most growing businesses prefer.
- Per-FTE ($1,800–$2,500/mo) — a dedicated full-time resource working in your time zone.
Why an international team changes the maths
A full-time local bookkeeper in the US or UK can cost $55,000–$75,000 a year once you include employment overhead. An international team delivers the same monthly intelligence at a fraction of that — without sacrificing local-GAAP knowledge, because expertise, not postcode, is what matters.
The key is process and security: zero-local-data architecture, working inside your cloud, under enforceable NDAs.