If you’re looking to hire a bookkeeper in Maryland and its surroundings, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll look into 10 things to know about Maryland bookkeepers and bookkeeping services, so let’s get to it.
1. How Much Do Maryland Bookkeepers Cost?
Like anywhere in the United States, there isn’t one single rate for hiring a bookkeeper based in Maryland. The cost of hiring a self-employed, freelance bookkeeper or bookkeeping service in Maryland depends on several factors, such as the number of tasks and responsibilities on a daily basis, the bookkeeper’s experience, etc.
For example, if you’re considering hiring someone full-time and giving them many tasks daily, or if they’ve worked in the industry for many years and have glowing reviews, their hourly cost might be a bit higher than the average.
If you’d like to hire a freelance Maryland-based bookkeeper, you can browse through various hiring options on Upwork. The average hourly price varies from $40 to $250.
For those interested in hiring a bookkeeping service based in Maryland, bear in mind that the price per hour is always connected to the complexity of the work and the number of daily tasks and responsibilities the service will have to do for you. The approximate price can vary from $200 to over $1500 monthly.
Additionally, you can pick the most affordable choice out of all three — subscribing to an online bookkeeping tool, such as Xero. The monthly subscriptions to these tools also vary and heavily depend on the plan you’ll pick, but the average price is around $250 to $300 per month.
2. What Are Typical Bookkeeper Hourly Rates in Maryland?
These are the latest online statistics about the average hourly rates of Maryland-based bookkeepers provided by five online platforms.
- Bookkeepers.com: $19.62 average hourly rate
- Zippia: $21.37 average hourly rate
- Payscale: $17.38 average hourly rate
- Indeed: $21.03 average hourly rate
- Salary Expert: $23.91 average hourly rate
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics statistics show that the hourly rate of Maryland-based bookkeepers is around $22.67, and the mean hourly wage is $22.93.
3. What Is the Average Bookkeeper Salary in Maryland?
Here are the latest statistics about the average annual salary of Maryland-based bookkeepers from five online sources:
- Bookkeepers.com: The average annual salary is $37,670.
- Zippia: The average annual salary is $44,450. The lowest salary is $32,000, and the highest salary is $59,000.
- Payscale: The average annual salary is $51,539. The lowest salary is $30,000, and the highest is $72,000.
- Indeed: The average annual salary is $45,062. The lowest salary is $32,737, and the highest is $62,028.
- Salary Expert: The average annual salary is $49,723. The lowest salary is $37,230, and the highest salary is $60,145
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics statistics show that the average annual salary of Maryland-based bookkeepers is $47,690.
4. What Does a Maryland Bookkeeper Do?
Like any US-based bookkeeper, Maryland-based bookkeepers have daily bookkeeping tasks and responsibilities. According to the information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are some of the most common tasks of accounting and auditing clerks and bookkeepers based in The United States:
- Generating, preparing, and sending invoices
- Working with software tools, such as Xero, Patriot Software, etc.
- Verifying invoices
- Posting transactions
- Creating balance sheets
- Recording cash, vouchers, and checks
- Entering debits (expenses) and credits (revenues) into a software tool
- Allocating credits and debits to various accounts
- Preparing timely reports for balance sheets and income, and account summaries
5. How to Become a Bookkeeper in Maryland?
To become a bookkeeper in Maryland, there are no specific licensing requirements, and you don’t need a bachelor’s degree. You can quickly become a bookkeeper with a high school diploma.
Although you don’t need a bachelor’s degree to become a bookkeeper, you can always strive to improve your bookkeeping knowledge. These days, there are various ways to enhance your skills and credibility.
For example, you can learn to use an online accounting and bookkeeping software tool, follow a college-level course, and earn a bookkeeping certificate.
Once you have enough skills and knowledge to demonstrate in front of others easily, you can apply for a beginner-level job or an internship in a bookkeeping agency and start your bookkeeping career.
6. Do You Need to Be Certified or Licensed to Be a Maryland Bookkeeper?
To become a bookkeeper in Maryland, you don’t need to pass a bookkeeping exam. However, if you’d like to become a top-notch bookkeeper and land many clients in the future, consider becoming a certified or licensed bookkeeper.
If you’re interested in becoming a certified bookkeeper, consider the Certified Bookkeeper (CB) certification offered by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB), or the Certified Bookkeeper Exam (CB) by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.
You can also take the CPA exam — a professional certification demonstrating a very high administrative competence level, evaluated by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).
7. Can I Take Any Bookkeeping Classes in Maryland?
There are various college-level bookkeeping courses available in Maryland. The best option is to find out what the local community colleges offer, as their courses are usually more affordable than university-level courses or programs.
Montgomery College, Anne Arundel Community College, and Howard Community College offer some of the most popular bookkeeping classes in Maryland.
- Montgomery College: Founded in 1941, Montgomery College is ranked no. 1 in Maryland, and no. 77 in the United States. Montgomery College offers a four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting and an accounting certificate program specifically created for anyone who already has a bachelor’s degree but wants to qualify for the CPA exam.
- Anne Arundel Community College: Founded in 1961, Anne Arundel Community College is an above-average Arnold-based educational institution ranked first among 839 community colleges in the US back in 2021. They offer four-year Business Administration and two-year Accounting degrees, and a professional bookkeeping certificate.
- Howard Community College: Founded in 1966 and based in Columbia, Maryland, Howard Community College is one of the most affordable choices for anyone who’s aspiring to become a successful bookkeeper. This college offers a four-year accounting bachelor’s degree, a bookkeeping certificate, and funding for tuition fees for eligible students. They also provide an individually mapped program for anyone interested in taking the CPA exam.
8. What Software Can I Use For Bookkeeping in Maryland?
Bookkeeping businesses and self-employed Maryland-based bookkeepers have access to various bookkeeping and account software tools.
These are the best software tools that you can use for bookkeeping purposes in Maryland.
I. QuickBooks
QuickBooks is a great and affordable option for small bookkeeping businesses, as well as bookkeepers or accountants who work as freelancers or are self-employed. It has a very intuitive and user-friendly interface design, so you won’t need to spend a lot of time learning how to navigate its features. QuickBooks offers a cloud-based and desktop version.
You’ll find all the essential features that an excellent accounting tool should have in both versions. Some features that QuickBooks offers are project profitability, bank feeds, tracking expenses, income, etc.
These are the four pricing plans offered by QuickBooks:
- Simple Start: $30 per month
- Essentials: $55 per month
- Plus: $85 per month
- Advanced: $200 per month
II. Xero
Since its launch in 2006, Xero has become one of the most popular bookkeeping and accounting software tools worldwide; nowadays, Xero’s the no. 1 choice of more than 3.5 million users. Xero is the perfect option for small or medium-sized businesses, as it lets you manage clients and co-workers, create starter plans for startups and small-sized companies, send invoices, pay bills, claim expenses, and more.
If you’d rather use Xero on your smartphone, download the latest version of the mobile app for Android and iOS. You can use the mobile app free of charge for one month.
Xero offers three pricing plans:
- Starter: $25
- Standard: $40
- Premium: $54
III. FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a Canadian accounting and bookkeeping software tool known for its straightforward interface design and accessibility. It’s the perfect browser-based tool for startups and small-sized businesses, freelance and self-employed bookkeepers, and businesses with employees and contractors. With FreshBooks, you can make estimates, invoices, and payments, track mileage and time, payroll, etc.
In addition to its browser-based platform, FreshBooks has a mobile application created for Android and iOS.
FreshBooks offers four pricing plans:
- Lite: $17 per month
- Plus: $30 per month
- Premium: $55 per month
- Select: Custom
You can try FreshBooks for 30 days for free and find out if you’d like to subscribe to one of its monthly plans.
IV. Zoho
Zoho is the perfect accounting and bookkeeping tool for small-sized companies, startups, and self-employed bookkeepers. Zoho’s known for being the only accounting software tool that offers more than 50 integrated apps for various accounting and bookkeeping purposes. These apps will help you manage funds, oversee projects, create invoices, conduct reports, do online payments and payables, etc. Zoho’s mobile app is available for download for Android and iOS.
Zoho offers five pricing plans:
- Standard: $10 per month
- Professional: $20 per month
- Premium: $30 per month
- Elite: $100 per month
- Ultimate: $200 per month
V. Patriot Software
Known as one of the oldest and most reliable accounting software based in the United States, Patriot Software is an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes, as well as self-employed or freelance bookkeepers. Patriot Software’s platform offers various bookkeeping features, such as money tracking, conducting financial reports, paying invoices, bank transactions, calculating taxes, etc.
If you want to learn more about Patriot Software, watch a video demo for free. You can also schedule a personal software demo.
These are the two pricing plans offered by Patriot Software:
- Accounting Basic: $20 per month
- Accounting Premium: $30 per month
You can try using Patriot Software for free for 30 days and see if it suits your needs before subscribing to one of its monthly plans.
9. How Many Bookkeepers Are There in Maryland?
According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 21,070 bookkeepers in Maryland.
10. Where Can I Find The Best Maryland Bookkeepers?
Find the best bookkeepers in Maryland near you by clicking on your city from the list below:
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