In-House vs. Outsourced Bookkeeping: Let's Look at the Real Math

If you’re running a small business and thinking about hiring a part-time or full-time bookkeeper, I get it. You want someone dedicated to your books. Someone who knows your business inside and out. Someone who’s there.

But before you post that job listing, let’s talk about what you’re really signing up for, because the math might surprise you.

I’m not here to scare you away from hiring. I just want to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Because when most business owners think about hiring a bookkeeper, they think about the hourly rate or salary. What they don’t think about is everything else that comes with having an employee.

Let me break it down for you.

The True Cost of an In-House Bookkeeper

When you hire someone in-house, you’re not just paying their salary. You’re paying for a whole lot more.

Here’s what that really looks like:

• Base salary: $41,500–$55,000 annually (and that’s for a decent bookkeeper, not a rockstar)
• Payroll taxes and benefits: Add another 25–30% on top of that salary for things like health insurance, retirement contributions, unemployment insurance, and workers’ comp
• Hiring and training costs: Roughly $5,000 just to recruit and get someone up to speed
• Overhead: Office space, a computer, software licenses, supplies, it all adds up

When you put it all together, you’re looking at $50,000 to $75,000 per year for one in-house bookkeeper.

And here’s the kicker: that person still takes vacation. They get sick. They might leave for a better opportunity. And when any of that happens? Your books don’t just pause. They pile up.

What About Outsourcing?

Now let’s look at the other side of the equation.

When you outsource your bookkeeping to a service like AKOR Services Bookkeeping, you’re not paying for an employee. You’re paying for a service, one that scales with your needs and doesn’t come with all that extra baggage.

Here’s how outsourced bookkeeping typically breaks down:

For many small businesses, outsourced bookkeeping costs 50–70% less than hiring someone in-house.

Let me say that again: you could save tens of thousands of dollars a year and still get your books done right.

But It’s Not Just About the Money

I know cost matters, believe me, I do. But there’s more to this decision than just dollars and cents.

When you outsource, you also get:

• No recruiting headaches: We’re already here, ready to work with you
• No training required: We know bookkeeping inside and out (and we’re QuickBooks ProAdvisors, too)
• Built-in backup: If I’m out, there’s still coverage, your books don’t stop
• Flexibility: Scale up during busy seasons, scale down when things are slow
• Fresh perspective: Sometimes an outside set of eyes catches things you’d never notice

And here’s something people don’t talk about enough: you get your time back.

You didn’t start your business to chase receipts and reconcile accounts. When you hand that off to someone who actually enjoys it (yes, we exist), you can focus on what you do best: running your business.

“But I Want Someone Who Really Knows My Business”

I hear this concern a lot, and it’s totally valid.

Here’s the thing: when you work with me at AKOR Services Bookkeeping, I’m not juggling hundreds of clients and treating you like a number. We build real relationships. I learn your business. I understand your goals.

We tailor our services based on your needs: not some cookie-cutter package that doesn’t fit.

Some clients need full-service monthly bookkeeping. Others just need help cleaning up a mess or getting ready for tax season. We have lots of ways to work together, and we’ll figure out what makes sense for you.

Let’s Look at a Real-World Example

Say you’re a small contractor doing about $500,000 in annual revenue. You’re thinking about hiring a part-time bookkeeper at $25/hour for 20 hours a week.

Here’s the math:

• 20 hours/week × $25/hour = $500/week
• $500/week × 52 weeks = $26,000/year (just the base pay)
• Add payroll taxes (~7.65%): +$1,989
• Add workers’ comp, unemployment insurance, and minimal benefits: +$2,000–$4,000
• Add software, equipment, and training: +$1,500–$3,000

Total: $31,500–$35,000/year for a part-time employee.

Now compare that to outsourcing:

For a business your size, you might pay $800–$1,500/month for full-service bookkeeping: that’s $9,600–$18,000/year.

That’s a potential savings of $13,000 to $25,000 every single year.

And you’re not dealing with payroll, HR issues, or coverage gaps. You’re just getting clean books, on time, every time.

* Numbers are for comparison purposes only.  You will receive a quote for your specific situation and needs.

What If I’m Not Ready to Commit?

No problem at all.

I know you might be apprehensive about making a change: especially if you’ve been doing things yourself or you’ve had a bad experience with a bookkeeper in the past.

That’s why we offer a free initial consultation. No pressure. No commitment. Just a conversation to see if we’re a good fit.

We’ll talk about where you are now, where you want to be, and how we can help you get there. If it makes sense to work together, great. If not, no hard feelings.

Your privacy is our priority, and we never share your information without your approval. Everything will be spelled out clearly in our engagement letter so there are no surprises.

Let’s Start the Conversation

If you’ve been on the fence about hiring versus outsourcing, I hope this gives you a clearer picture of what you’re really looking at.

The bottom line? For most small businesses, outsourcing just makes more sense. You save money, you save time, and you get professional support without all the overhead.

Ready to chat? Let’s begin with a phone call. You can reach me at (360) 334-3373 or shoot me an email at Allen@akorservices.com.

We’ll go from there.

At AKOR Services Bookkeeping, we’re here to make your life easier: not more complicated. Whether you need full-service bookkeeping, a one-time cleanup, or just someone to answer your questions, we’ve got you covered.

Learn more about our services at akorservices.com/thebooks.

Tags: Bookkeeping, AKOR Services Bookkeeping