Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Massachusetts tax rules.
The figures
The median Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earns $60,960 a year ($29.31 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH earn between $50,450 and $71,660 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $41,590 or less and the top 10 percent earn $82,710 or more. BLS estimates 21,170 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area — 7.829 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.89 (below the national concentration). That is 1.5% of all Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks employment in the United States (1,373,680 jobs nationally). By employment, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is the #9 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks. In aggregate, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH earn about $1.31 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $49,051.44 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks is about $1.04 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.1% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH stands #2 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks. By employment, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks is the #20 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Placed against the national distribution for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median of $60,960 falls between the national median ($50,670) and the national 75th percentile ($61,470). Across all occupations, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median is $66,620 a year — Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks pay is 8.5% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $29.70 | $61,780 |
| 10th percentile | $20.00 | $41,590 |
| 25th percentile | $24.26 | $50,450 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $29.31 | $60,960 |
| 75th percentile | $34.45 | $71,660 |
| 90th percentile | $39.77 | $82,710 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH earn 2.0 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($82,710 against $41,590). The middle half spans $21,210 — from $50,450 to $71,660. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($39.77) is 1.99 times the 10th ($20.00). In the upper half of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $71,660 takes home $55,979.92 and the 90th percentile wage of $82,710 takes home $63,200.90 — $7,220.98 more net for $11,050 more gross. Against the median take-home of $48,433.20, the top decile keeps 1.30 times as much. The mean wage of $61,780 sits 1.3% above the median: higher-paid Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks pull the average up in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Among the 30 covered occupations in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks ranks #12 by median pay. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH wage ladder of covered occupations, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks sits between Construction Laborers at $63,420 and Maintenance and Repair Workers, General at $59,670. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks accounts for 0.8% of all employment in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area. The average covered metro employs 21,599 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH employs 1.0 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Massachusetts
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Massachusetts; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $60,960.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $5,135.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $3,779.52 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $883.92 |
| Massachusetts income tax | $2,728.00 |
| Total deductions | $12,526.80 |
| Net pay (annual) | $48,433.20 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,862.82 |
| Total deduction rate | 20.55% of gross |
At the median, $48,433.20 of the $60,960 gross is kept ($1,862.82 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 20.55%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 18.64% at the 10th percentile, 19.69% at the 25th percentile, 21.88% at the 75th percentile, 23.59% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $15,465.82 on a gross rise of $21,210.
The same engine at the other published points of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($41,590) | $33,838.10 | $1,301.47 | 18.64% |
| 25th percentile ($50,450) | $40,514.10 | $1,558.23 | 19.69% |
| Median ($60,960) | $48,433.20 | $1,862.82 | 20.55% |
| 75th percentile ($71,660) | $55,979.92 | $2,153.07 | 21.88% |
| 90th percentile ($82,710) | $63,200.90 | $2,430.80 | 23.59% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $33,838.10 a year at the 10th percentile to $63,200.90 at the 90th — a spread of $29,362.80 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median wage of $66,620 takes home $52,686.34 a year ($2,026.40 per paycheck, deduction rate 20.92%). The Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks median take-home of $48,433.20 sits $4,253.14 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also covers parts of New Hampshire. The take-home estimate above uses Massachusetts rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the New Hampshire paycheck calculator.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks earns $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour). The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median of $60,960 is $10,290 (20.3%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $61,780 a year in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH against $53,560 nationally, a gap of $8,220 (15.3%).
Set against the whole local market, the Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 90th percentile of $82,710 is 49% of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH all-occupations 90th percentile ($168,090), and its 10th percentile of $41,590 is 113% of the area-wide 10th ($36,760).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $60,960 | $29.31 | $61,780 |
| United States | $50,670 | $24.36 | $53,560 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
$60,960 a year ($29.31 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $61,780 a year. Ranked by median pay, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH stands #2 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $60,960 in Massachusetts?
About $48,433.20 a year ($1,862.82 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 20.55% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $71,660, take-home is $55,979.92.
How does pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH compare with the national median for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks?
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median of $60,960 is $10,290 (20.3%) above the national median of $50,670 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $82,710, against a national 90th percentile of $74,550.
How much do the top 10% of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks earn in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
$82,710 a year or more ($39.77 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
On $82,710 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $63,200.90 a year ($2,430.80 per biweekly paycheck) in Massachusetts under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 23.59%.
How many Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs are there in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
BLS estimates 21,170 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area — 7.829 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The location quotient is 0.89 — below the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
From $33,838.10 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($41,590) to $63,200.90 at the 90th ($82,710), under the same single-filer assumptions in Massachusetts.
What is the total wage bill for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
About $1.31 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 21,170 multiplied by the mean wage of $61,780.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.