Tired of Your 9-to-5? Here’s How Freelance Bookkeeping Can Pay You More!
Hi there, so you’re good with numbers? Great, if Excel doesn’t scare you, and you’ve had enough of office politics, it’s time to become a freelancer.
Guess what? Freelance bookkeeping might be the exact exit door you’ve been looking for.
Without any other boring stuff, let’s break down what these jobs actually are, how to get one, and whether this gig can pay your rent, or even your next vacation.
🧾 What Does a Freelance Bookkeeper Actually Do?
In simple terms, you keep a business’s financial life in order. Why? Because doing business is a messy thing!
You track income, expenses, invoices, and make sure the boss (or client) doesn’t get a heart attack at tax season, altho it may get a lil stroke after paying.
Unlike accountants, bookkeepers handle the daily grind:
- Recording transactions
- Managing payroll
- Reconciling bank statements
- Preparing financial reports
Basically, you’re the unseen superstar hero who keeps the chaos out of the spreadsheets.
But what if you step outside the 9-5 and you are doing it as a freelancer? Miracles start to happen, because you get to choose who you work for, how much you charge, and where you do it from (hint: pajamas are allowed).
🏡 Why Freelance Bookkeeping Is a Big Deal in 2026
Here’s the thing, every business needs a bookkeeper, its like housekeepr, or whatever you need it no matter if you like it or not (as a owner).
The tricky part is tha not every business can afford a full-timer.
So they go hunting for freelancers. And because remote work became normal after 2020, the demand has exploded.
Here are some stats:
- Over 60% of small businesses in the U.S. now hire part-time or freelance bookkeepers.
- Average hourly rate: $25–$60/hr, depending on experience.
- Top freelancers make $5k–$10k/month handling multiple small clients.
Translation: You can literally build a mini bookkeeping agency from your laptop if you play your cards right. So yeah, what are you waiting for? Start looking at your domain name.
🚀 Where to Find Freelance Bookkeeper Jobs
Here are some hot freelancing platforms (and how to use them smartly):
| Platform | Why It’s Good | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|
| Upwork | Tons of bookkeeping gigs and long-term clients. | High competition — write personalized proposals, not templates. |
| Freelancer.com | Great for beginners — lower entry barrier. | Lower pay, so negotiate your value. |
| Best for professional clients. | You need an optimized profile — no “open to work” vibes. | |
| Indeed (Remote) | Corporate clients seeking part-time pros. | Some jobs are fixed-contract, not true freelance. |
| Toptal / Paro | High-end, curated clients who pay big. | You’ll need verified experience and tests. |
If you want you can find the whole list of top 10 freelancing platforms here.
Pro tip (straight from myself):
👉 “Don’t waste hours applying to random jobs, it’s better to spend 30 minutes making your profile impossible to ignore.”
💼 Pros of Freelance Bookkeeping
All the good stuff, including but not limited to:
✅ Freedom. You set your own hours. Want Fridays off? Take them.
✅ Remote everything. Laptop + Wi-Fi = office = love (maybe)
✅ Repeat clients. Bookkeeping is ongoing, yup once you’re in, you stay in.
✅ Scalable. Hire an assistant or more later and turn it into an agency.
😬 Cons (because I don’t sugarcoat)
Here’s the bad and ugly part of being a freelancer bookkeeper:
❌ You’re responsible for finding clients. No HR department will save you, only God and your luck + marketing skills.
❌ Can be repetitive. If you hate routine, numbers might drive you nuts, but since you are already familiar with this, it shoul be fine..
❌ Deadlines. Tax time = chaos. That’s on you, you choose the “book life”, you should have been a basketball player, but no, you wanted to become a freelancer.
❌ Lonely sometimes. “Happyness seems to be loneliness… and loneliness kill my haaart” I can sing that whole song, but in the end its better to be alone with money thatn without it. It’s you, your coffee, and QuickBooks.
But hey, if you prefer freedom over fake smiles in a corporate meeting, that’s a fair trade.
🧠 Skills You’ll Need to Stand Out
Let’s get to some more serious stuff. Don’t just say you’re a bookkeeper, show it.
Here’s what separates average freelancers from booked-out ones:
- Software: QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, Zoho Books
- Excel/Google Sheets: Know your formulas
- Communication: Clients love updates more than surprises
- Organization: You can’t fix other people’s chaos if yours is worse
- Basic accounting knowledge: Understand P&L, cash flow, and tax terms
Bonus skill:
Learn a bit of automation (Zapier, Airtable, or even Notion templates).
Clients love when you make their life easier.
💸 How Much Can You Actually Make?
Ok, before you can start as a freelancer in bookkeeping, here’s a realistic look at the potential dineros you can make:
| Experience Level | Hourly Rate | Monthly Range |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | $20–$30/hr | $1,000–$2,500 |
| Intermediate | $30–$50/hr | $2,500–$5,000 |
| Pro | $60+/hr | $5,000–$10,000+ |
If you build strong client relationships and retain them year-round, your income stabilizes fast, and grows even faster when you raise rates. You need to raise your rates as your clients increase and also when your skills are better.
🪄 My Personal Advice
Stop waiting until you “feel ready.”… You won’t! There is no perfect time to start, nobody is coming to save you, you should start now! In fact, close this article right now and start making your freelancing profile!
You’ll learn faster from one real client than from ten online courses. I have courses too, wanna buy? We have cookies and all the good stuff just click here lol.
Here’s what to do this week:
- Create your LinkedIn and Upwork profiles.
- Write one killer description about who you help.
- Post something about your journey or a bookkeeping tip.
- Apply to three jobs every day with custom proposals.
- Repeat for 30 days.
That’s how momentum starts.
🧾 Final Thoughts
Nah, fr I’m done with this article now, you can relax, there is no more info! So here me out: freelance bookkeeping isn’t flashy, but it’s reliable, profitable, and scalable.
You don’t need followers, you need discipline, altho having followers (on Linkedin) helps too.
If you love structure, numbers, and working quietly while others scream on Zoom calls, this might just be your lane.
And if you want help building your freelancing system from zero to your first client, check out my “30-Day Freelance Growth Plan”, this is basically the shortcut or cheatcode I wish I had when I started.
