The short answer
Most Jacksonville small businesses should budget $300 to $1,000 per month for professional bookkeeping. Where you land in that range depends almost entirely on three things: how many transactions flow through your accounts each month, how many accounts need reconciling, and whether you need extras like invoicing, bill pay, payroll coordination, or Florida sales tax filings.
Below is what each pricing model actually costs in the Jacksonville market, what drives the price up or down, and how to compare quotes.
Three ways bookkeepers charge
1. Hourly
Independent bookkeepers in Jacksonville charge roughly $40–$90 per hour. A business with 150 transactions a month might need 6–10 hours, so $300–$700. Hourly pricing is simple but unpredictable: a messy month costs more, and you have no incentive to call with a question.
2. Flat monthly rate
Most established firms, including Jax Bookkeeper, charge a flat monthly fee tied to your transaction volume and complexity. Typical Jacksonville ranges:
| Business profile | Monthly transactions | Typical flat rate |
|---|---|---|
| Solo consultant, freelancer, agent | Under 75 | $250 – $350 |
| Small service business, 1–3 accounts | 75 – 150 | $350 – $500 |
| Growing business with payroll and invoicing | 150 – 300 | $500 – $750 |
| Restaurant, retailer, contractor with A/P and sales tax | 300 – 500 | $750 – $1,100 |
| Multi-entity or 500+ transactions | 500+ | $1,000+ / custom |
Flat-rate pricing is what we recommend. You know the number, the bookkeeper is motivated to be efficient, and questions are included.
3. National online services
Bench, Pilot, 1-800Accountant, and similar services advertise Jacksonville pricing from $249 to $600+ per month, usually billed annually. The trade-offs: a rotating team instead of one accountant, proprietary software you may not be able to export from, and limited ability to meet in person or handle Florida-specific issues like DR-15 sales tax or tourist development tax.
What actually drives the price
Transaction volume. Every bank and credit card line has to be categorized and reconciled. This is the biggest factor.
Number of accounts. Each checking, savings, credit card, loan, and merchant account is a separate reconciliation.
Accounts receivable and payable. If you want invoices sent and tracked, or bills entered and scheduled, that's additional work every week.
Payroll. Recording payroll from Gusto or ADP is quick; coordinating it (onboarding employees, fixing issues, reconciling liabilities) takes more time.
Sales tax. Florida DR-15 filings monthly or quarterly add a recurring compliance task.
Entity structure. S corporations need officer compensation and distributions tracked. Partnerships need capital accounts. Multiple entities need multiple sets of books.
Condition of the books. If you're months or years behind, expect a one-time cleanup fee before monthly service begins. In Jacksonville, cleanups typically run $500 to $5,000 depending on how far back and how messy.
What does CPA-led bookkeeping cost?
Having a licensed CPA do the work rather than a bookkeeper usually adds 10–25% over a non-credentialed bookkeeper at the same volume. At Jax Bookkeeper, monthly service starts at $295 and most clients with 100–300 monthly transactions pay $395–$650. You can get an instant estimate with our price calculator.
The premium pays for the review step: a CPA catches miscategorized transactions that change your tax bill, sees balance sheet problems a bookkeeper might not recognize, and produces statements that a lender or tax preparer accepts without a second pass. For many owners, that saves more in tax preparation fees and missed deductions than the difference in bookkeeping cost.
Is it worth it compared to doing it yourself?
If you bill $75 an hour or more, and bookkeeping takes you 8 hours a month, you're spending $600 of your time to avoid a $400 invoice, and the books are probably still wrong at tax time. The math favors outsourcing for almost every business over about $100,000 in annual revenue.
How to compare quotes
Ask every bookkeeper the same five questions:
- Is the price flat or hourly, and what happens in a busy month?
- Who actually does the work, and what are their credentials?
- Do I own my QuickBooks file, and can I leave with it?
- What's included: reconciliations, financial statements, questions, year-end package?
- What's the turnaround? (You should have statements by the 15th.)
If you want a number for your business right now, use the calculator or contact us for a fixed-price proposal.