How much should you pay for a bookkeeper? And how do you find a good one? A quick look at Craigslist will show a million bookkeepers with rates from $25 per hour to $50 per hour. In my mind, I think $35 per hour is average.But there are a lot of factors here. First of all, you know you can hire an employee for a rate of between $12 and $20 per hour for basic bookkeeping services. quick look at Craigslist will show a million bookkeepers with rates from $25 per hour to $50 per hour. In my mind, I think $35 per hour is average.