Separate the Accounting Work From the Employee Role
A bookkeeping job description often combines two different needs: recurring accounting work and internal operating support. Reconciliations, transaction review, monthly close, financial reports, cleanup, and repeatable workflows can often move to an outsourced firm. Daily approvals, cash authority, office administration, and decisions normally stay with the business.
Separating those responsibilities makes the comparison useful. You are not comparing an employee with a vague service package. You are comparing the cost of a specific recurring accounting scope with the cost and management load of adding another seat.
Compare the Full Cost
An hourly wage is only one part of an employee's cost. Include employer payroll taxes, recruiting time, equipment, software access, benefits when offered, training, supervision, and coverage when the employee is unavailable.
For an outsourced comparison, require a written responsibility map that answers:
- Which accounts and entities are included?
- Who owns AP, AR, payroll, tax, and approval decisions?
- What monthly reports will be delivered?
- What is the close deadline?
- Which cleanup, filing, or controller projects are outside the monthly scope?
That turns price into a decision instead of a guess.
Use a Scope Call Before the Proof Period
ClearClose can quote recurring bookkeeping and accounting work separately from the rest of a job posting. Price-leader monthly scopes start at $250 and increase with file count, transaction volume, reporting, and controller complexity.
The first month may be free only after a 30-minute call with Grant confirms the scope and genuine intent to continue. If Grant approves the offer, signed engagement and payment-method setup come before work starts. Billing begins on day 31 only when the agreed value is proven.
Choose two scope-call windows and send the public role or a plain-language description of the recurring work. Do not submit bank statements, tax records, credentials, or personal identifiers through the public form.