What does a nonprofit Bookkeeper do?
A bookkeeper keeps a nonprofit's day-to-day financial records: recording payments and deposits, paying bills, reconciling bank accounts and preparing the books that an accountant or finance lead builds on. At small organizations the job is often part-time or combined with office administration. This page covers organizations that use the title Bookkeeper.
These wages come from the May 2025 wage survey of employers run by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the occupation Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks. They are wages for regular hours, before benefits and overtime. The national figure is for nonprofit organizations such as churches, foundations, advocacy groups and civic and professional associations, because the survey does not report nonprofits as a group of their own.
Why nonprofit Bookkeeper pay varies
Wages for a Bookkeeper depend on where the job is and what kind of employer it is with. The same job pays differently in a high cost-of-living city, a small town, a hospital and a community group.
The survey reports wages by state and by industry, and both move the numbers. Narrow the range to your state and sector in the panel above to see wages closer to your job.
How does Bookkeeper pay compare to other roles?
Median pay for related nonprofit roles.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a nonprofit Bookkeeper make?
- The typical bookkeeper earns $52,000 a year in wages, and the middle half earn between $43,540 and $63,240. These wages come from the federal government's May 2025 survey of employers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), nationwide and for nonprofit organizations such as churches, foundations, advocacy groups and civic and professional associations.
- Where does the Bookkeeper pay range come from?
- It comes from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 release. The survey asks employers what they pay people in each occupation, and Lucido uses the occupation Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks for this role. It measures wages: pay for regular hours, before benefits and overtime. The national range uses the survey's figure for nonprofit organizations such as churches, foundations, advocacy groups and civic and professional associations.
- Is the Bookkeeper pay range for nonprofits?
- Yes, for the national range. It uses the survey's figure for nonprofit organizations such as churches, foundations, advocacy groups, civic clubs and professional associations. The survey does not report nonprofits as a group of their own, so this is the closest nonprofit figure it publishes. If you narrow the range to a sector, it uses that sector's industry, which can include for-profit employers, such as in health care. The organizations listed further down are nonprofits that name this role, but their amounts are not typical pay for it.
- Can I see Bookkeeper pay by organization size?
- No. The survey does not report wages by the size of the employer, so Lucido does not show a size breakdown for this role.
- How does Bookkeeper pay compare to other nonprofit roles?
- The typical Bookkeeper earns $52,000 a year in wages. Related roles: Accounting Manager at $76,250, Office Manager at $65,120, Finance Manager at $73,773. Differences reflect scope of responsibility, market demand, and typical organization size for each role.
- How do I know if I'm underpaid as a nonprofit Bookkeeper?
- Compare your wages to the range. The typical Bookkeeper earns $52,000 a year, with the middle half between $43,540 and $63,240. If your wages sit below $43,540, you are in the bottom quarter for the role nationally and may be underpaid; if they are above $63,240, you are in the top quarter. Location and industry move these numbers, so narrow the range to your state and sector before drawing conclusions.