How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost for a Small Business?

Small business bookkeeping typically costs anywhere from $300 to $2,500 a month, depending on how you handle it and how complex your books are. Here's what actually drives that price, and what you should expect to pay at each stage of your business. What determines the cost A few factors matter more than anything else: how many transactions you run each month, how many bank and credit card accounts need reconciling, whether you run payroll, and how many services you need beyond basic reconciliation (AP/AR, financial statements, budgeting, tax-ready reporting). A sole proprietor with one bank account and fifty transactions a month costs a lot less to support than a business processing hundreds of transactions across multiple accounts with payroll and inventory. DIY vs. part-time hire vs. outsourced firm Doing it yourself costs nothing but your time, and it's the most common source of the mistakes we see — mixed accounts, missed reconciliations, disorganized receipts. A part-time in-house bookkeeper typically runs $21–23/hour, which adds up fast once you factor in payroll taxes and the time it takes to manage someone. Freelance bookkeepers on platforms like Upwork average around $43/hour with no guarantee of consistency or backup coverage. An outsourced bookkeeping firm charges a flat monthly rate that scales with your transaction volume, and gives you a full team rather than a single point of failure. What Cherokee Bookkeeping charges We keep pricing flat and transparent, month-to-month with no contracts: - Starter, $299/month: up to 100 transactions, 1 account reconciled, basic monthly reports, email support - Growth, $599/month: up to 300 transactions, 3 accounts reconciled, detailed reporting, AP/AR setup, quarterly strategy call - Premium, $999+/month: unlimited transactions and accounts, custom KPI dashboards, dedicated account manager, payroll integration Most small businesses with under 100 monthly transactions and one or two accounts fit comfortably in Starter. If you're running payroll or juggling multiple accounts, Growth or Premium usually makes more sense. Questions to ask before you hire Before committing to any bookkeeper or firm, ask: What software do they use (make sure it's QuickBooks or Xero, not something proprietary you can't take with you)? Is pricing flat or hourly (hourly billing makes costs unpredictable)? Do they provide monthly financial statements, or just categorize transactions? What happens if your bookkeeper is out sick or leaves — is there backup coverage? If you're not sure which tier fits your business, that's exactly what a free consultation is for. Schedule a conversation with Cherokee Bookkeeping and we'll help you find the right plan.