Offshore hiring costs by country / South Africa

Cost to hire a bookkeeper: Philippines vs South Africa

A full-time bookkeeper through Rekruuto, based in the Philippines, is $1,800 a month, all in: vetted to the top 2% of applicants, working your hours, with a 14-day start and a 1-week trial. For comparison, PayScale's median reported base pay for bookkeeper roles in South Africa is R18,243 a month, about $1,020, from 505 salary profiles (updated Jun 26, 2026). A U.S. hire at the BLS median costs about $6,292 a month with employer costs. We place talent in the Philippines only.

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Updated . Sources at the bottom of the page.

Illustration comparing hiring in the Philippines and South Africa: both national flags on side-by-side cards

What does a bookkeeper cost?

Per month, in U.S. dollars. South Africa: local market pay benchmark[12][9]. U.S.: BLS[1][2].
OptionPer monthWhat it is
Rekruuto hire in the Philippines$1,800All in: recruiting, top 2% vetting, paying your hire, full time in your hours, 14-day start, 1-week trial.
South Africa local benchmark$1,020
R18,243		PayScale median reported base pay for Bookkeeper, 505 salary profiles, updated Jun 26, 2026. Range $700 – $1,377. Pay only, before employer costs.[12][9]
U.S. hire, fully loaded$6,292BLS median for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, $50,670 a year, plus employer taxes and benefits.[1][2]

Local market pay benchmarks: Indeed figures are the average pay advertised in job postings from the past 36 months; PayScale figures are the median base pay workers report. Both describe general local roles, not remote or U.S.-hours roles, and posting data can trail recent pay changes. U.S. dollars at World Bank annual average rates.

In the Philippines, the closest government pay figure is all full-time, time-rated workers (national): ₱21,544 a month in 2024, about $376.[3][9] We do not publish what each hire earns. You pay one monthly price, and we handle pay.

How does South Africa compare with other markets for this role?

Local market pay benchmarks for bookkeeper roles, per month.
CountryUSDSource
South Africa$1,020PayScale, Jun 26, 2026
Mexico$600Indeed, Oct 4, 2026
Brazil$395Indeed, Oct 4, 2026
Vietnam$372Indeed, Oct 5, 2026

Hours and English

A U.S. Eastern 9-to-5 runs 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. in South Africa during U.S. summer, and 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. in the Philippines. Rekruuto hires work your hours as their regular schedule.[14] In the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, the Philippines ranks 28 of 123 (high proficiency) and South Africa ranks 13 (very high).[13]English is an official language of the Philippines.[33]

Employer costs in South Africa

  • Unemployment Insurance Fund: employer 1% and employee 1% of pay, on pay up to R17,712 a month.[19]
  • Skills Development Levy of 1% of payroll once annual payroll is above R500,000.[20]

With Rekruuto there is no foreign payroll to run. We place talent in the Philippines only.

Why we hire bookkeepers in the Philippines

We place talent in the Philippines only. It is a deliberate choice, and it is why our hires work the way they do:

  • English that holds up on client calls. The Philippines ranks 28 of 123 in the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, in the high proficiency band, and English is an official language of the country for communication and instruction.[13][33]
  • Your hours, by design. Every Rekruuto hire works full time in your time zone. U.S. hours are how our hires work, not an exception you negotiate.
  • Top 2% vetting. We accept only the top 2% of applicants, so you meet a shortlist, not a pile of résumés.
  • One flat monthly price. $1,800 a month for most roles, and from $2,500 a month for software developers and AI Implementation Specialists. We handle paying your hire, so there is no foreign payroll or employer filing for you to run.
  • Fast start, low risk. Hiring and onboarding take 14 days. The first week is a trial: if you are not satisfied, we find a replacement or refund your money.
  • Trusted by 100+ customers. We recruit, vet, and support talent in one country: the Philippines.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a bookkeeper cost in South Africa?

PayScale's median reported base pay for bookkeeper roles in South Africa is R18,243 a month, about $1,020, from 505 salary profiles (updated Jun 26, 2026). Employers in South Africa also pay statutory costs on top of pay; see the employer cost notes on this page.

How much does a bookkeeper cost through Rekruuto?

$1,800 a month for a full-time hire based in the Philippines who works your hours. Recruiting, top 2% vetting, and paying your hire are included. Hiring takes 14 days, and the first week is a trial with a replacement or a refund.

What does a bookkeeper earn in the Philippines?

The Philippine Statistics Authority does not publish this role separately. The closest published figure, all full-time, time-rated workers (national), averaged ₱21,544 a month in 2024, about $376. We do not publish what each hire earns; you pay one monthly price and we handle pay.

What does a U.S. bookkeeper cost?

The BLS median for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks is $50,670 a year (May 2025). With employer taxes and benefits, that is about $6,292 a month.

Can Rekruuto hire a bookkeeper in South Africa?

No. We place talent in the Philippines only. The South Africa figure is a local market benchmark for comparison.

Sources

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), national estimates, May 2025. Annual median wage, all U.S. employers. Pulled from the BLS public data API (series OEUN…13).
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026 (USDL-26-1494), Table 5, June 2026, released September 9, 2026. Full-time private industry workers, all and by occupational group. All full-time: $54.00 total compensation and $36.97 wages and salaries per hour worked.
  3. Philippine Statistics Authority, 2024 Occupational Wages Survey, August 2024, released November 2025. Average monthly wage rate (basic pay plus allowances) of full-time, time-rated workers in establishments with 10 or more workers.
  4. World Bank, Official exchange rate, local currency per US$, period average (PA.NUS.FCRF), 2024 and 2025 annual averages.
  5. Indeed, Indeed Salaries, country career pages (average pay in job postings), Pages updated September-October 2026; each figure links to its page and date. Mean of advertised pay in Indeed job postings from the past 36 months, with Indeed's typical low and high. Used only where 100 or more salaries were reported.
  6. PayScale, PayScale Research Center, salary by job and country, Pages updated 2025-2026; each figure links to its page and date. Median self-reported base pay, with the 25th and 75th percentiles. Annual figures divided by 12. Used only where 30 or more salary profiles were reported.
  7. EF Education First, EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) 2025, 2025 edition, 123 countries and regions. Proficiency bands: very high 600+, high 550-599, moderate 500-549, low 450-499, very low under 450.
  8. IANA, Time Zone Database, Release 2026c. Local times computed for January 15, 2026 (U.S. standard time) and July 15, 2026 (U.S. daylight saving time).
  9. South African Revenue Service, Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), Accessed October 2026.
  10. South African Revenue Service, Skills Development Levy (SDL), Accessed October 2026.
  11. National Commission for Culture and the Arts (Philippines), Language policies in the Philippines (1987 Constitution, Article XIV, Section 7), Accessed October 2026. Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines for communication and instruction.

Hire a bookkeeper in the Philippines

$1,800 a month, full time, in your hours. Top 2% vetting, a 14-day start, and a 1-week trial. Trusted by 100+ customers.

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